The Holy Grail of Fashion

Status symbols come in many forms depending on the person: for a balding, middle-aged man, it might be a tall, pretty 20-something girlfriend; for a new mom it might be some kind of high-tech stroller; and for the average fashion-conscious girl, it's a Chanel bag, every time. 

A Chanel bag is a woman's way of saying "Hey everybody, look at me!! I'm classy and better than everyone, so fuck you!" It's an elite group of people who "summer" and go to Fashion Weeks and sign prenups, and now, I belong to it.

Naturally, as I imagine I'll only take this baby out for very special occasions and eventually want to pass it down to an equally self-absorbed fashion-obsessed heir of mine, I wanted something classic, which is why I opted for the quilted black foldover bag with gold hardware. This is from the 2012 Fall collection, so there's an extra touch that sets it apart from everyone else's status symbol: the chain link hand strap.

I was initially weary of the chunky chain strap--I thought it took away from the classic-ness of it all--but when the sales woman told me I could rest it over my wrist and wear it almost as a bracelet, I didn't stand a chance. It was almost like Chanel was running a BOGO campaign: buy one bag, get one bracelet free!

 Of course, Chanel doesn't do "BOGO". It does gold hardware and lambskin leather...

 ...the classic crossed "C" logo latch...

 ...and elegant ruby interiors.

What I'm saying is, Chanel does the Holy Grail of fashion.

 The bag that's often imitated...

 ...but never duplicated.

And now I have one. I can only imagine this is what it feels like to have a child. Except better.

 What's YOUR Holy Grail of Fashion item???