Netflix for Purses, Part III

[written by skirt account executive Staci LaTurno] 

Inside I always chuckled at the sight of a woman in head-to-toe comfy clothes (i.e. sweats) sporting a designer handbag at the grocery store. But it wasn't until I rented my third and most expensive handbag from Avelle that I realized just how odd it could feel.

My first two Avelle rentals (see Netflix for Purses part 1 and 2) were of the "I just got my tax return and I think I’ll spend it" variety, with bags from labels like Coach and Dooney and Bourke. Don't get me wrong, I love the arm candy these lines create, but they are definitely more widely affordable for mainstream America.

For my third bag rental however I felt the need to amp it up a bit on the ol' fashionista scale. I mean, what's the point in renting if a girl can't carry a bag she could never afford to purchase?

So while surfing the Avelle site I happen upon a gorgeous gold bag that was screaming, "pick me, rent me, love me!" And I did!

A few days later a familiar box arrived on my doorstep. I felt a little like Julia Roberts a la Pretty Woman (minus the hooker part) as I opened the box and unwrapped the large Gucci "D Gold" Hobo. That's right G-U-C-C-I. Glamour all the way!

Now when it comes to the Big 5 (in fashion, not football) Gucci is right up there in my book, along with Fendi, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and the Godmother of them all, Chanel. So I am utterly excited to spend the next week alongside my new Gucci BFF.

Which brings me to my initial predicament, how does one leave the house not looking fabulous when carrying a Big 5 bag? Is my college sweatshirt and Uggs to Shaws a slap in the Gucci face?

So I find myself coordinating just the right outfit and accessories to play up my 24K arm candy. But keeping up this charade is about as exhausting as keeping up with those Kardashian sisters – too high maintenance!

So by the end of my week with the Gucci bag, I become one of those women at the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon: hair tucked into a hat, workout pants on, sporting my boyfriend's sweatshirt with, you guessed it, a Big 5 bag on my arm.

What can I say? I love the designer label. But keeping up appearances 24/7? Kim, Kourtney and Khloe can keep it.