Accessories

Choice celeb accesories: LV Speedy, Jackie-O shades and an iced latte

In this consumer-driven day and age, it’s a commonly accepted practice for women to use their designer handbags as a symbol of status .

Take a gander next time you’re shopping in KLCC: you have your young Tai-tai-in-training clutching her LV Speedy like a badge; your seasoned Tai-tai with pencilled in eyebrows, an iconic Chanel 2.55 draped elegantly on her shoulder; the newly titled young Datin proudly touting the latest Gucci canvas logo variation; the botox-addicted Puan Sri ready to sling her Fendi B-bag at the next girl to make a pass at the Tan Sri; even the KLCC working gal with the ever ubiquitous but hard earned Coach canvas bag (ugh). And if you’re lucky, you may even spot a Birkin, majestically slung on the elbow of a politico’s young wife.

Women use these accessories to carry their credit cards, keys and compacts, but also to tell the world (other women), “Darling, I dropped RM7,000 on this handbag.” Men have their cars, women have their handbags, and in the order of things, short of flashing a wad of cold hard cash, we use our designer accessories to mark our place in the society.

But I can’t help but think, it’s the women who don’t carry anything at all on their shoulders as they’re walking around the mall who really know, that the one true accessory that signifies a status symbol, that is, the choice accessory to sling on your arm, trumping all designer handbags, is really:

Your boyfriend (and his respective wallet).