Being a product of middle class America, luxxe celebrity handbags appeal to me, but do not belong to me. A leather carryall by Miu Miu can be identical to a leather carryall by Francesco Biasia, yet one costs $2,000 while the other is $500. Celebrity style websites and entertainment shows would like to make the public believe that the $500 bag is a steal, and it is. It steals from your wallet to make you unable to buy lunch for a month. If they don't feature a bag for half the price, they feature a cheap pleather rip off that rips to shreads after being used for two months. Today's Live Richly, Shop Thrifty tip comes thanks to Dillards, Marshalls and TJ Maxx.
If you want to carry a leather bag that looks expensive, feels expensive, but ISN'T expensive, then these retail chains are your best bet. While some of their leather purses can hit upwards of a C-Note, they're really good at red-tagging after a few weeks. Dillards is the best place to find a perfectly pretentious purse at $259, that is reduced 50% with an "additional 30% off of already reduced merchandise." Dillards brands include Kate Landry (hit or miss at times with styling, but highly recommended), Antonio Melani and Gianni Bini. Fair warning with Kate Landry: you will not find the most attractive of her collection online; in store is the best way to catch the fab bags and deals. Marshalls and TJ Maxx are the best places to find last season's MICHAEL Michael Kors purses and wallets for over 60% off. This at times can still put the bags around $129-$179, but the best part about Marshalls and TJ Maxx is that they exercise LAYAWAY, which allows you tuck away your find for 30 days and pay in installments. All they require is $5 to store it.
Image c/o Dillards and Brand Antonio Melani "Luci" leather clutch for $74.50.
