The Longchamp Epidemic

Happy Memorial Day weekend, Bach fans!  I hope you were able to get some much deserved time off this weekend and that your days were full of sun, barbecues and naps.  The Husband and I went to the wedding of a college friend on Saturday night and had a blast.  We also saw The Hangover 2 (very average - go see Bridesmaids instead, which I thought was ground-breaking for female comedy).  As another work week creeps up, we luckily have an episode of The Bachelorette tonight to get us through the end-of-the-holiday-weekend blues.  Phew!

One thing I've noticed over the past few months of walking around New York City, is the epidemic of Longchamps bags that so many females seem to have.  I normally don't notice these sorts of things.  I'm definitely no expert, nor am I particularly interested in obsessing over designer clothes, expensive shoes, bags, etc.  That said, at a recent bachelorette party to Miami Beach, I was the only person in attendance that did not carry one of these bags.  How embarrassing! The Longchamp bag I'm referring to is Le Pliage line, most popularly sold in a solid color.  The bag itself is nylon and roomy with brown leather handles and contains a simple pouch pocket to place keys, cell phones, etc.  It comes in a variety of colors and is lightweight, an ideal bag for taking to the beach, work, a walk down the block, etc.  It comes in several sizes, with the large size being $145.  To the bag obsessed, this is on the cheaper end of a luxury designer product.  To someone who has carried the same black leather, unidentifiable work bag from Banana Republic for the past four years and counting (that would be me), its cult-like status amongst females remains a mystery.  I bought a similar looking, nylon bag at The Container Store eight years ago for $14.99 and it is still intact and serving the same purpose for me that the Longchamp bag would.

So now that I saw this bag at the bachelorette party and wondered why everyone has it, I'm noticing it everywhere in New York City.  When I go jogging to Central Park and walk around New York City with The Husband, we now play a game: count the Longchamp bags.  One time we counted over 25 of these bags in one 45 minute walk around the Upper East Side.  So what's your take on these things?  Do you have one?  What is it about these bags that have made them an essential staple of a female's bag wardrobe?  Are they a must have?  And even if it's considered extremely fashionable, isn't there any other bag that thousands of women prefer to carry - or at least some variety?  Or are we meant to blindly follow each other in making sure we all have the same bag as our best friends because it truly is the best product out there?  Maybe it's a New York City thing wanting to be a Paris thing.  Who knows.  Was just curious whether anyone else is experiencing the Longchamp nylon bag invasion like I am.

Fast forward to a week ago when I was cleaning out my closet and found that I actually had one of these Longchamp coveted bags!  Go figure.  I vaguely remember purchasing it at a duty free bag store at the Paris airport almost 15 years ago on a trip back from visiting my French relatives as I needed an extra bag to carry some of the gifts I bought and it was under $45 then.  It wasn't one with the big handles that everyone seems to have now, which is probably why I haven't used it in 15 years.

On a side note, New York City emptied out this weekend, which is why I have always loved staying local for holiday weekends in the city, especially in the summer.  It's one of the rare times when you can get into any restaurant you want, find a parking spot and go to tourist attractions unbothered by the hurried crowds that are usually present in places like museums, movie theaters and big department stores.
Anyhow, enjoy the rest of your weekend and can't wait to hear your thoughts on tonight's episode of Bachelorette.  Happy summer!

Stacey B