Rent the Bag - PolishedRaleigh

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Designer —EXT —FILM X
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THE NEWS & OBSERVER
MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2008
Carolyn Hax: Potential inlaws want a marriage. 3C
Comics ..................................8C
Movie listings ........................7C
Puzzles..................................2C
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www.newsobserver.com/life
‘27 Dresses’: The new movie tells the story
of one woman’s bridesmaid dress nightmares.
Maybe you have some of your own. Send your
photos to share.triangle.com/uglydress
STYLE&FASHION FASHION NEWS, STYLE MAVENS AND BEAUTY TRENDS, EVERY MONDAY.
Pay $665 for Louis Vuitton Neverfull
or rent it for $139.95 at From
Bags to Riches.
Members of Bag Borrow or Steal can rent these
Prada satchels for $208 a month.
This Chanel Quilted Caviar Tote
retails for $1,895. From Bags to
Riches rents it for $299.95.
Rent
the
bag
If you yearn for an
expensive designer purse,
consider a temporary fix
BY SAMANTHA THOMPSON SMITH
STAFF WRITER
Y
Triangle consultants Paige Crowther, left, and Lisa Marie Ferrell hold designer handbags that they rent to clients
through their company, Polished. They have Jimmy Choo, Hollywould, Goldenbleu, Valentino and Chanel.
chain.
But at $1,895, the bag’s price isn’t a reality for
you. It’s really two months’ rent. Five car payments.
Or four months of groceries at Harris Teeter.
It can still be yours, though. Well, sort of yours.
For a month or two, at least. You can rent that
Chanel tote — or the Marc Jacobs Stam, Chloe
Paddington, vintage Gucci satchel or Prada bowler you’ve been coveting — for around $300 a
month.
Handbag rental is becoming as common in big
cities these days as a Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 at
the mall. Just go online, order up the latest musthave bag and it arrives at home a few days later.
No one ever has to know it’s not really your Chanel, Gucci or Hermes.
“Women love it,” says Pat Hambrick, chief marketing officer of Seattle-based Bag Borrow or
Steal, one of several companies that rent and sell
handbags. “It’s a way to be able to get a better
handbag than you might be able to afford for an
occasion.”
It’s become so popular, two local wardrobe consultants, Lisa Marie Ferrell and Paige Crowther
of Polished of Raleigh, have brought the idea to
the Triangle by offering handbag rental service as
part of their business. Instead of doing it online,
they offer a more personalized touch. They’ll
deliver it personally and then pick it up.
STAFF PHOTO BY PAILIN WEDEL
STYLIN’
ou’ve been lusting over that quilted
Chanel tote for months.
The soft black leather. The interlocking Cs. The signature braided gold
SEE RENT, PAGE 3C
LOOK FOR THE GREAT 8
SAMANTHA THOMPSON SMITH KEEPS UP WITH THE TRIANGLE’S EVOLVING FASHION AND TRENDS, EVERY MONDAY.
Catch 22 casts a broad net
mini-department store of sorts
is taking shape on Raleigh’s
Glenwood South.
Heather Long opened her Catch 22
boutique in October in the space under
The Rockford, filling it with an eclectic
collection of a little something for
everyone.
She has pieces from Jennifer Lopez’s
youthful Just Sweet collection. There’s
a selection of denim, including styles
by Kasil, Rich & Skinny and Fortune.
She has Roar jackets, Ben Sherman
shirts and Obey Propaganda T-shirts
for men. She also stocks handbags and
A
locally made jewelry, including pieces
from Sonya Coulson Rook’s Metamorphosis Metals.
And even more locally made pieces
are coming when she adds ties from
Aaron Patrick Custom Clothier and
clothing from Lauren Smith’s LLLavender line.
You can also own some of Long’s
own designs — cocktail dresses and
high-waisted skirts with a distinctive
’40s flair that are chic and glamorous
without being too scandalous.
“I think you can be sexy without being revealing,” she says. “I’m kind of
old school that way.”
Each piece is made to order in about
three weeks, and you can pick the fabric or color to make it your own.
And if all of that isn’t enough to differentiate Catch 22 from other boutiques, this certainly will: a soon-to-be
installed Smashbox Cosmetics counter.
Long used to work for the company
when she lived in Los Angeles and
loved the products so much she wants
to sell them in her boutique.
The result is a store that reaches a
cross section of shoppers: hipsters,
stylish moms in their 40s, sorority
girls, trendy guys.
“There’s something here for everyone,” she says.
Long, who has a master’s degree in
business administration from N.C.
State University, worked on the concept for about four years before opening. She has decorated it with a mixture of edge and whimsy, decor
designed to make you “feel like you are
walking into your house.”
While the store is a boutique, don’t
expect traditional boutique pricing. ExSEE STYLIN, PAGE 3C
MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2008, 1C, FINAL
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In What’s Up this week, it’s our
annual Great 8 issue, where we’ll
reveal eight local acts you should
know. Plus, exclusive performance
video, behind-the-scenes action and
a chance to win 5 CDs.
Friday in What’s Up and at www.
newsobserver.com/great8
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Life, etc.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER
MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2008
RENT
3C
RENT A BAG AT:
www.bagborrowsteal.com
www.polishedraleigh.com
www.frombagstoriches.com
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1C
The timing couldn’t be better. Handbags are closing in on shoes and jewelry
as one of the top accessories in a woman’s
outfit. And with more women than ever
willing to pay $1,000 or more for a designer bag, it’s become a $7 billion business in the United States, making handbags the fastest-growing segment of the
fashion industry, according to retail
analysts.
“Handbags are the new shoes,” Ferrell says. “They’re a way to show your
unique personality. But some people
are nervous about making that big
investment.”
Think globally, rent locally
Animal print bags, such as this one by
Dolce & Gabbana, are popular rentals
on Bag Borrow or Steal.
No closet full
Budget-conscious fashionistas are
just part of the potential customer
base.
Hambrick says a big part of the Bag,
Borrow or Steal’s business is the true
fashionista who buys an expensive designer bag, uses it for three or four
months and then sticks it in her closet,
never to use it again. With the rental
option, she can rent the same bag for a
few months, often at half the cost of
buying the bag, before moving on to
another “it” bag.
“Women like it because it keeps
them from having a closet full of
bags,” Hambrick says.
Some women use the sites to check
out a particular bag they’re thinking
about buying. And why not? If you’re
planning to spend $2,000 for a bag, it
makes sense to give it a test drive to
know for sure it’s the right size or not
too heavy, says Kara Richter, a cofounder of From Bags to Riches based
in St. Paul, Minn.
Renting also appeals to those who
are just fickle.
“A lot of customers just like the
idea of switching their bag every
month,” Richter says. “They always
like to have something new and
fresh.”
On her site, the popular Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM, which retails for
$ 665, rents for $139.95 a month, and
includes free round-trip shipping and
$100 of insurance. At Bag, Borrow or
Steal, the Neverfull MM, a similar
but smaller bag, rents to members for
$113 and $151 to guests. The roundtrip shipping charge is $ 9.95.
The concept got started in 2004,
when Bag, Borrow or Steal co-founders
Greg Pippo and Lloyd Lapidus watched
their wives and sisters raid one another’s closets, borrowing bags for certain
outfits. From Bags to Riches started its
online site about six months later, offering customers a similar service but
without membership fees.
The only hitches of the services: You
can’t accidentally spill coffee all over
the bag (because, again, it’s not really
yours) and you’re responsible for sending it back.
This Juicy Velour Daydreamer tote,
which retails for $195, costs
$34.95 a month to rent.
That’s where Ferrell and Crowther
step in. They’re offering their collection of 40 handbags to anyone who
wants to spice up their week or month
with a little designer chic. It’s a small
(but growing) collection, compared to
the nearly 500 styles at From Bags to
Riches and 3,000 styles at Bag, Borrow
or Steal.
But with the money they’ve made
from consulting in the last year, they’ve
been able to reinvest back in the company to buy more handbags to boost
supply. Their collection now includes
clutches, handbags and evening bags
by Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo, Valentino, Goldenbleu and Chanel. They even
have three vintage Guccis.
Some bags, including the muchsought-after Hollywould bags that were
at Target over the fall, cost as little as
$5 a week. Prices go up depending on
the retail price of the bag and the
length of time you want to rent.
“I think it’s a drop in the bucket for a
fun evening bag,” Ferrell says.
Liz McLean, a senior at Meredith
College, rented a metallic evening bag
from Polished last fall for a school social. She was a first-time renter who is
now sold on the concept and is planning to go back for more bags for a series of spring weddings.
“Yeah, I could go buy a $20 bag that
I would use a few times, but why would
I when I can go rent a Chanel bag,”
McLean says. “No one is going to know
it doesn’t belong to me.”
Confidentially yours
This silver Gucci ‘Indy’ bag rents for
$234 at Bag, Borrow or Steal.
That’s part of the Polished service as
well.
Ferrell and Crowther don’t show pictures of their bags on their Web site. Instead, send them e-mail and they’ll send
you a picture. It’s all for the sake of confidentiality, a savvy move considering
vintage Gucci or a Marc Jacobs handbag aren’t common sights in the area.
And if you end up loving the bag and
don’t want to part with it, Ferrell and
Crowther give you the option to buy.
They’ll also deliver the bags to you,
and then pick them up a week or
month later. And as an added bonus,
they’ll even help you decide which
one might be the right fit for a special event, as they did for McLean.
(Their main business is as style consultants, after all.)
“A lot of customers really want a
nice handbag,” Crowther says. “This
is just a nice way to do it. And it’s so
affordable when they don’t feel like
sinking hundreds of dollars into something they’re not sure about.”
This blue patent leather Fendi B. bag
rents for $295 a month.
Heather Long’s designs have a distinctive ’40s flair.
STYLIN’
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1C
cept for the jeans, the prices are
reasonable, with many of the
pieces under $100.
Maybe you’ll see
Samantha there
Just how far will you go for fashion? The right answer could land
you two passes to the upcoming
New York Fashion Week.
Fiji Water and Time Out New
York have teamed up with a contest offering seven fashionistas
each a chance to win two insider
passes to seven fashion shows
during Fashion Week, Feb. 1-8.
All you have to do it go to www.
timeoutnewyork.com/fashionweek
and answer this question: “How
far will you go for fashion?”
Runway shows will include Jill
Stuart, Charlotte Ronson, Benjamin Cho, Yigal Azrouel and Edun.
Winners will be picked each
week for three weeks.
Stay up for style
A haircut at 3 a.m.? A blowout at 4 a.m.?
Better bring the coffee and
under-eye concealer.
The North Raleigh hair salon Blo is having its annual
24-hour Cut-A-Thon starting
at 11 a.m. Sunday.
The owners are asking each
person who comes in to donate at least $30 donation to
Triangle Family Services,
which helps families in
crisis.
To encourage people to get
out of bed for the event, Blo
owners are offering hourly
door prizes for rounds of golf,
dinners out or haircuts for a
year.
Walk-ins are welcome, but
you can also schedule an appointment at 484-8600 or go
to www.justblo.com .
Got news or a tip for Stylin’? Let
Samantha Smith know at (919)
829-4563 or samantha.smith@
newsobserver.com.
Hilarious.”
“
[email protected]
or (919) 829-4563
Brett Martin, CBS-TV/Atlanta
TOLDYOUSO
OUR ADVICE COLUMNISTS ANSWER READERS’ QUESTIONS SIX DAYS A WEEK.
Boyfriend’s folks
want them to marry
ear Carolyn: My boyfriend’s very attentive
and caring parents left
this morning after a five-day visit to our house. My boyfriend
told me he’s receiving a lot of
pressure from
them and others for us to
get married.
He said his
parents love
me and want
me in their
life
Carolyn Hax son’s
“forever.”
This
is
something we’ve talked about
... but I do not feel any rush.
I’m 27 and don’t want kids in
the near future. The idea of a
wedding freaks me out (I’m
kind of shy, don’t have money
or time to plan, etc.), even
though the thought of being
married to him is wonderful.
My philosophy is: Why change
anything when things are pretty great right now?
On their way out, both his
mom and dad hugged me and
said they loved me. They’re
nice. I like them. But it just felt
weird. Why don’t I love them?
And should I love them before I
marry their son? — Love Thy
In-Laws?
So, to recap: You don’t like
being the center of attention/
affection, and your boyfriend
is a wuss in the face of his parents’
displeasure.
Close
enough?
D
These are two legitimate
problems that aren’t serious as
long as they’re out in the open.
Using them as the framework
for a marriage discussion — or,
worse, a marriage — instantly
puts them into an overheated
room on a platform in foofy
dress getting fitted for serious
problemhood.
Would you marry him, today,
in a courthouse special? Yes/
No.
Would he marry you, today,
if his parents weren’t pressing?
Yes/No.
If it’s Yes/Yes, then, congratulations/congratulations.
Anything short of two yeses
means the only proposal that’s
ripe is the one your boyfriend
presents on bended knee, kindly but firmly, to his parents:
“Butt out.”
As for loving your maybe-inlaws, give it a week and it
might not even seem like an issue. You’re an introvert recovering from five days of overnight guests with agendas;
give the oxygen a chance to
make its way back to your
brain.
Carolyn: Recently we took a
family picture at my mother-inlaw’s. I have two daughters
with boyfriends (one with a
baby). My unmarried sister-inlaw — who, with her daughter,
4, lives with my mother-in-law
— blurted out, “Smiths only”
— meaning, the two boyfriends
were not to be in the picture.
When I told her we were insulted, she said they were not
allowed in the picture because
they weren’t married. She felt
their relationships were not
on “solid ground” and that it
is proper etiquette not to include nonmembers in a family
picture. She said it was her
house and her camera. My
daughter with the baby is
planning on getting married.
I never heard of such a thing.
Is this true? — M.
What, that some people will
make excuses to protect their
own interests, to the point of
silliness? It’s true.
We can all see this wasn’t
about etiquette, even without
your underlining it in red crayon. But I’m not going to help
you score points against your
sister-in-law.
When someone takes a hard
stand without much justification, your choices are the
same regardless of motives:
Either you enter the debate
knowing she’s more committed to winning than to making sense — thus joining the
pettiness, not combating it —
or you bring your own camera
next time.
Write to “Tell Me About It,”
c/o The Washington Post,
Style Plus, 1150 15th St., NW,
Washington, D.C. 20071
or e-mail
[email protected].
WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP
Get your advice fix: Monday: Carolyn Hax Tuesday: Ask Amy Wednesday: Carolyn Hax
Thursday: Ask Amy Friday: Ask Amy & Carolyn Hax Sunday: Ask Amy
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