bag shopping

No trip to a shopping area would be complete without buying something. The goods at the Bonifacio High Street, however, did not fit the price range we'd set for ourselves (that's me, Ate Bing, Ate Mary, and Carina). I, for one, had to buy a bag that will be durable (to last several years), that is classically designed (I didn't want to change bags just because the trends change), and that is of the right size (to avoid carrying too much stuff). The catch: it had to be REASONABLY PRICED.

You see, I'm a picky bag-buyer. It's been several weeks since I've started hunting for my next bag. Despite the numerous bags on display in the different shops that I've visited, none of those bags waved at me beckoning me to buy them. I'd searched all over: from the bag racks of SM and Landmark to the boutiques of Louis Vuitton and Burberry. The bags in SM and Landmark failed to convince me that one of them was the ONE because the designs were not what I was looking for. In Louis Vuitton and Burberry, though, there were a lot of bags that made me take a second look. Yes, a second look only because once I saw the price tag, my poor wallet fell deeper and deeper into my weatherworn handbag, refusing to go out.

Luckily, we trooped to Market! Market!, a shopping mall just a few minutes' walk away from Bonifacio High Street. As luck would have it, a Filipino leather goods shop, Our Tribe, has a branch in Market! Market! That's where I saw them.

Them being two bags; a tan bucket and a black tote. Both of them had the simple yet classy feel that I've always been looking for in bags before I buy them. After a few minutes of mulling things over and letting my friends take a vote, I ended up with the black tote bag.

What I like with Our Tribe is that its bags have clean lines and are very durable. My mom's Our Tribe bags have stood the test of time (even the canvas ones still being used after five years) while my pair of leather sandals also lived a long life. The bags may be quite expensive than what's found in department stores but their durability, in the long run, makes them a reasonable buy.

Now, if only I had bought a matching business card case...

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