fashion

Botkier is the most recent high-end designer to do a bridge line with their handbags for Target .

To which I say… hmph.

I mean, I see the benefits in a lower-priced designer line at a mainstream store. Good for designers, good for shops, good for shoppers. But still.

See, I was drooling over a Botkier Morgan satchel (not just because it’s my name) last fall before deciding in Montpellier on my beloved Gerard Darel 24 Hour Sofia bag (not just because it’s my stepsister’s name). And while it makes me a total snob, I like that Gerard Darel doesn’t do a line for, you know, H&M. I actually even hate that Gerard Darel will be sold in the U.S. by the end of this year. So to hear that Botkier’s at Target? …hmph.

Let’s be clear. I thoroughly adore Target. I do. And I have discount brands mixed in with designer brands. I don’t much care where something comes from; I like finding things I like, that’s all. And I love finding something great that not everybody knows about.

But I don’t like when a brand is diluted to the point where you question its quality. (So I’m not talking about DKNY or Marc or Armani Exchange. A different sub-brand is one thing. This is about same-brand items with lesser-quality materials.) And that’s what this is, to me.

(Although, it IS also about not wanting to see anybody else with my bag. I’m just being honest.)

But seriously, isn’t there something to be said for keeping a brand great by keeping distribution channels tight? It seems like the more places you can get something, the less pure it is. Whether that’s just emotional, silly branding propaganda, I don’t know. Probably. And I know that lesser known means fewer sales, so it’s totally illogical from a business point of view.

Still. There’s something to be said for the thrill of discovery. Even when it IS just shopping.

Sigh. I’ll just go pet my beloved bag now.

(Which, BTW, is now fresh from a trip to the miraculous Hallak Cleaners . They worked true magic on Tracy ‘s beloved red Cole Haan , and were even able to spruce mine up. Never give up on a beat-up purse again. These people are wizards.)

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Dear Blog,
I’ve been neglecting you this week. I’m so sorry. It’s not your fault. Forgive me?

Dear Gym,
I miss you too.

Dear Doctor,
I haven’t been able to hear out of my right ear since I was out all day in the wind on Saturday. Do grown-ups get ear infections?

Dear English Language,
I hate it when people use “gift” as a verb. How can I make this stop?

Dear Santa,
If I promise to be really, really good for the next three weeks and not ask for anything ever, ever again, will the election turn out the way I hope?

Dear Guy with the Podcast on Improving Time Management,
When you tell me to shut everything off and do nothing for the next hour while I listen to you, I begin to suspect that you and I do not live in the same plane of reality. But when you tell me that your goal is to keep your inbox below 42 messages – and I have SEVEN – I realize that that the best time management is probably just shutting you off.

Dear News Media,
If I hear the phrase “Wall Street to Main Street” one more time, I will not be responsible for my actions. Fair warning.

Dear Jon Stewart,
I love you.

Dear Global Economic Crisis,
The only up side I can see is that it’s possible that you’ll push more companies with strapped marketing budgets into social media. Poverty breeds creativity, right? (In which case, judging by my latest 401(K) statement, I’m about to bust out in some Stephen-Hawking-level genius any moment now.)

Dear Pharmaceutical Industry,
It’s okay, you don’t need to figure it out anytime soon. We’ve got plenty of… oh wait.

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Last year I developed something of an art installation of calendars – just because I ended up getting seven or eight of them, so I figured I’d put them all up. Some were pretty nice… some were a little odd.

However. This year? No calendars! An issue that must be fixed.

I know they’re in clearance bins everywhere. And I bet only the peculiar ones are left.

So. Please help! Send all calendars! The more interesting the better. Photos will be posted.

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