Have bag, will Summer

Little Miss Shopaholic is bored.

Ever since the Great Singapore Sale has started, her haul has been less than impressive. The most expensive outing she had recently was at bookstore Kinokuniya, where she utilized the 20% discount coupons to great satisfaction, causing her to be $50 poorer. Yes, LMS is an intellectual reader/bargain hunter and she bought four books on discount!

Unfortunately, shops in Singapore bore her periodically. Which is when online shopping comes in handy but then again, shipping can be such a bitch.

Tsk tsk, no more negative thoughts.

LMS recently underwent a Coach phase, where she would surf to the Coach website and look longingly at the pictures of the gorgeous Coach wallets and bags. There was one summer bag that caught LMS’ discerning attention – a cutesy straw bag with butterflies and flowers appliqué. The straps were in white, brown or black leather and they were little boxy handheld totes that were just the perfect accessories for the summer. LMS imagined holding on to this teeny babies, wearing her new strappy straw wedges and a brightly-coloured babydoll smocked dress.

But alas, LMS could only look and swoon because the cost of that cute tote was prohibitive. Imagine then, to her immense surprise, she found look-alikes in the bland shop of *gasps* Charles and Keith!

Now, we all know that Charles and Keith is a homegrown shoe boutique that has made good here and elsewhere. Applause please! But sadly, LMS has lost interest in the brand, for the designs were never kitschy or attractive enough for her to be willing to plonk S$30 for them. She would rather pay a wee bit more at shops like Substance, Tangs or Hue.

Back to the story of the Coach look-alikes. Yes, there they were! Little boxy totes in different sizes, with black, white or brown leather straps! The resemblance was just uncanny. The prices were competitive too, about S$35. When LMS was at the suburban Sengkang outlet, she saw likeminded women snapping up those bagseys.

LMS says: Go grab them for what's left of summer!



PS LMS was a thrifty diva and hence, did not buy the bag. Watching bank accounts grow can be fun. And these are not the real thang, but other doppleganger.