Before austerity measures became an accepted necessity, magazines such as this one were littered with references to 'It' buys. Once it became clear that joining a waiting list for a handbag that was not only cripplingly expensive, the 4kg-worth of hardware weighing it down was going to keep your chiropractor in exotic holidays for the foreseeable future, the 'It' bit was replaced by the enticingly titled investment buy. It's true that a classic Hermès, Louis Vuitton or Chanel accessory is likely to have a longer shelf life than most, but even my scant grasp of economics is enough to know that an appreciation in actual monetary terms is wishful thinking. Who are we trying to kid? Ourselves of course; it's far easier to assuage the guilt of blowing your savings on a hand-crafted crocodile satchel with a view to handing it down through the generations. So in the interest of honesty I'm declaring this the summer of the status buy. Before you freeze the mortgage, don't for one moment think that status can be conferred by unfettered spending, rather it's achieved through a back story detailed enough to make Paulo Coelho proud. Maybe you hunted down a limited edition piece from the other side of the world. Perhaps it's the sort of bargain that makes a full day at the Outlet Mall worth the trek up Dubai's route 66. Or a Zara steal that has everyone convinced it's Balmain. These are the sort of buys worth bragging about; trophies that say more about your life experience than your bank balance.

 

Louise Nichol
Editor-in-chief

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