Every woman wants to feel sexy and desirable, but should we really be defined by our handbags? Here are 9 reasons to stop carrying those logo-covered, designer handbags.

1. Ladies, let’s be honest, these handbags are ubiquitous. Everyone seems to have one these days! Do you really want to look like everyone else? They just aren’t that original, nor are they exclusive. There’s nothing unique about luxury goods sold by large multibillion dollar corporations focused on growth, brand visibility, awareness, and profits (how do you think they buy those full-page glossy advertisements in the fashion mags like Vogue?).

2. Is it really necessary to spend $1000 on a handbag? Really? This is a bag that’s thrown over your shoulder, and on the floor of a subway or a restaurant (and probably its bathroom), the movie theater, or the bar where soda, coffee, alcohol and who knows what else has been spilled, only to stain that expensive purse. As you get older and wiser, someday you’ll look back and ask: “Why did I spend all that $$$$ on those ridiculous designer handbags when I could have put it towards my kids college tuition, or invested it, or taken a trip of a lifetime?”

3. The replicas coming out of China are so good, no one can tell the difference between the real ones and fake ones! So, why bother with the expensive real one when people will probably think it’s just a cheap knock-off in the first place?

4. Flashy, luxury items are out. Subtlety and an understated lifestyle are in as the new face of luxury.

5. Thanks to award winning journalist, Dana Thomas, who called Louis Vuitton “the McDonald’s of the luxury industry” in her book, “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster,” the bags are now a running joke among top fashion industry designers because they’re so common these days.

6. Conspicuous consumerism is out. Saving is in.

7. Smart luxury consumers are tired of the logo-covered standbys because they are so 1999. Their taste has become more discriminating and they aren’t buying them anymore. How many handbags do you really need, anyway? Collecting more stuff is out. Collecting luxury experiences, though, is in.

8. Sorry ladies, carrying an expensive bag does not mean ‘you’ve arrived’ or are superior. Do you really believe that carrying an expensive handbag will deter other women from hitting on your man? (One study says this is true. Really?). Come on ladies you have more self-confidence than that!

9.  Let’s face it: oversize handbags don’t impress men. Women carry them to impress other women. When men see a woman carrying an oversized, expensive hand bag, they simply wonder and chuckle, “Is that an overnight bag she’s carrying?” And by the way, have you ever noticed that carrying oversize handbags hurts?! The weight starts to hurt your neck, shoulders and back!

Lesson: Feeling fabulous and desirable doesn’t come from a status symbol. Too many women make the mistake of entering a room with her handbag first, instead of leading with her gorgeous, confident self, with the bag in tow.

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 Image credit: wavelab.be

The post 9 Reasons to Ditch Those Logo-Covered Designer Handbags (They’re So 1999!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

As major rebranding efforts receive large-scale public pushback, we question the role of the punditry in brand decision-making. Should we really have a say in these matters?

In modern society, brands have become a huge part of our daily life, to the extent that we see something like 8,000 logos every day. Naturally, when one of those change, we experience a reaction — for better or for worse.

Lately, a few big brands have experienced major pushback from the public after changing their logotypes. But is it really up to us to decide what direction is right for a company or organization?

American Airlines branding, before and after

According to Wikipedia, “Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors, and competitors. Often times, this involves radical changes to a brand’s logo, name, image, marketing strategy, and advertising themes. Such changes typically aim to reposition the brand/company, occasionally to distance itself from negative connotations of the previous branding, or to move the brand upmarket; they may also communicate a new message a new board of directors wishes to communicate.”

UPS branding, before and after

When introducing a completely new look, American Airlines issued this statement: “We’ve changed our look on the outside to reflect the progress we’ve made on the inside, revealing our new logo and the refreshed exterior of our planes. Now, we’re taking the next step in our journey to create the new American.” This rebrand was brought on in much part due to AA’s merger with US Airways, but was a particularly hard one for the design community to accept since the previous American Airlines logo, which has been around since the ’60s, was designed by Massimo Vignelli, a design world icon in his own right. Much like the UPS logo, which was originally designed by the great Paul Rand and redone by Futurebrand (who also did the American Airlines rebrand and recently also rebranded themselves) in 2003, these are marks that designers have all studied in school, putting them in some kind of untouchable brand-pantheon. But, we have to stop and ask ourselves, are they still relevant in the 21st century? Was there something wrong with the old logos? Not really, but as times change, brands often choose to change with them; and instead of being overly nostalgic we can also choose to embrace that change with open arms.

The University of California branding, the real before and after

A few months ago, the University of California introduced a new branding system that stirred up serious emotions among university students, alumni and beyond. Although the system was (in my opinion) wonderfully executed (by the university’s in-house design team) the logo received an unfair amount of attention. Due to misinformation in the press, it was assumed that the newly introduced logo would replace the old (and seemingly beloved) seal. This was not the case; the logo was simply an addition to the system, introduced mainly to protect the integrity and value of the seal and ensure that it only be used in very special situations (think diplomas and official letters).

University of California Identity from University of California on Vimeo.

After a petition started by a student managed to get more than 54,000 signatures protesting the new logo, the University of California submitted to the pressure and withdrew it, and shortly thereafter, the entire visual identity system. The same thing happened to the a new logo for the GAP, which was introduced in 2010 and then, just 8 days later, quickly retired. Signing a petition, or posting critical blog commentary on a split-second reaction to something new is easy, but what we forget to consider is all the work that went into these rebrands.

GAP branding, before and after

We are used to having opinions about everything beneath the sky these days, but this becomes dangerous when we allow a mob of pundits to influence informed decisions made by professionals after months (sometimes years) of hard work. “To be perfectly honest, writes Armin Vit of the UC logo on his highly popular blog Brand New, “I don’t care if this logo withers and dies or if it survives and prospers. I have no vested interested in it. And I don’t know the designers behind it. What I do care about, deeply, is the danger this mob mentality poses to the practice of logo and identity design, which is, in no way, a democratic process: People in leadership positions make these decisions; it’s their responsibility to get buy-in from whatever number of people they feel is required to push their decision forward — sometimes it’s five people, sometimes it’s endless focus groups. But the process and the final decision is between client and designer. Not between mob and online petitions.”

It’s about time we step away from the snobbery and status quo. Things change, and, like in all other parts of life, we have to deal with it. It’s a brave new world, and if that world requires gradients and nondescript sans serif type, then so be it.

Images courtesy of the brands featured.

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