The investment bag - Cambridge Satchel Co

Being a bargain-hunter, with a penchant for a certain type of style that I like to call 'charity shop chic', there are few satorial items on which I would blow £85. Indeed I only stretched to £250 for my wedding dress, which was, of course, second-hand or 'pre-loved' if we are to use the current preferred euphemism.

But even I, a magpie on a budget, recognise that some things are worth the investment. Things that will last a lifetime, retain their value and grow old gracefully.

These very justifications for the purchase of 'it' bags see women part with hundreds and thousands of pounds for arm accessories - and me the slightly smaller sum I received for my first Guardian piece.


My 'it' bag of choice is the vintage-loving fashion bloggers' favourite - a handmade, leather satchel from the Cambridge Satchel Company.

Having seemingly been around since satchels were the sole preserve of school children, the brand owners must not be able to believe their luck now the practical geek pieces have become 'must-have' fashion accessories. They probably thank the Lord for Alexa Chung and her awkward school boy guises each morning.

But, judging by their 1990s-style website design and functionality and the charming presentation and packaging of my bag, all the attention hasn't gone to their heads.


My satchel, in my favourite colour - grass green, conveniently conforms to this season's colour pop trend, and apparently attracted a compliment on its first outing - missed during a public micro-argument with the husband, who kindly informed me afterwards when we were friends again.

The leather is hard and rigid at the moment, giving the colour a brashness perfect for summer, but give it a few years of constant companionship and it'll soften, with cracks and quirks familiar only to me.

If we're going on cost per wear, I think this one will pay for itself before the year is through.

Next's fur clogs/is fashion melting my brain?

I'm no slave to fashion. I follow the trends - it's part of my job - but my style pretty much remains the same, with the odd experiment. Neither I am a killer heels kind of girl - I'm just not willing to suffer for style and therefore spend most of my life in boots or pumps. So, it is with these facts in mind that I find myself utterly confused by my fervent attraction to Next's A/W season fur-trimmed clog boots.

This is try-hard footwear - so on-trend that it hurts. Ever since Alexa Chung stepped out in Chanel's S/S 2010 prairie-girl clogs, they have been a constant in the fashion press's 'must-have' lists, being paired with everything from Seventies-style maxi dresses to denim hotpants. And with Karl Lagerfeld focusing on fur as the look for A/W 2010/11, it's no surprise that clogs are toughening up for the colder months.

So yes, bound to be a big hit with fashionistas, and already championed by fashion bloggers such as Emily O'Brien over at www.myfashionlife.com. But would I be able to walk in them? Most probably not for more than five minutes. And what would I wear them with? My black skinnies is the only item which doesn't conjure up ridiculous images in my fashion-addled-mind. More worryingly, does my lust for Heidi/yeti-hybrid footwear mean that I am turning into a stereotype? Is my flat soon to be filled with hilariously impractical shoes which appear to be feats of engineering genius?

I can't explain myself - I just think they're great, and at £55, affordable too. Am I going mad? Please, someone, reassure me.