I never go into the Coach store because, let’s face it, their bags start at about $500 and who are we kidding? Plus, I don’t especially love their products so it’s not even worth a Drive-By Drool most of the time.
But I stopped in today because the shopping gods were being good to me (I scored two wonderful items that I really wanted on super sale at Lane Bryant and found exactly, precisely what I needed* at Macy’s, also on sale) so I thought I’d pop in to Coach see if they carried watches.
I’ve been looking at watches for about a year because I’ve never owned a really nice one and tend to switch back and forth from inexpensive, fun little items. That’s fine, but I happen to think that a watch is a Grown-Up Signature Piece and I’ve had my eye out for the perfect one for me.
I knew I wanted a two-tone style that I could wear with gold and silver. I knew I wanted a white, rectangular face. I knew I didn’t want anything too petite and girly, and I knew I wanted something contemporary but not so of-the-moment that I can’t wear it for many years to come. I knew I wanted something elegant enough to wear with nice outfits but classic for everyday. I knew I wanted something that felt gorgeous on my wrist and that would look good with my wide variety of rings.
I’ve looked online, I’ve looked at various stores and boutiques, I’ve looked on people’s wrists and nothing has really thrilled me.
But today at the Coach store, of all places, I found my dream watch.
(it’s so much prettier in real life!)
It’s also over 5 times more expensive than any other watch I have ever owned, so that’s a little daunting. But I’m an old responsible lady now. I very rarely lose or break jewelry any more and I hardly ever lose sunglasses or umbrellas either. I think it might be a perfectly acceptable goal to save up for this watch and to cherish it for many happy Grown-Up years. I remember the sense of satisfaction I got when I saved all my wedding fees for a long time in order to buy my first couch and dining room table. I still love them, even though the couch is getting kind of mashy and I really should re-stuff the cushions.
As I get older and more myself (not to mention that there’s literally MORE of myself), I find it harder and harder to find clothing, shoes and accessories that I really love and feel good about. I have learned that it’s much better to walk away from the store empty-handed rather than to collect items purchased out of desperation (“I hate everything in my closet and I NEED a new skirt for church!”) or delusion (“Even though the shoulders on this coat make me look like a linebacker, it’s a good deal and I’m sure I’ll wear it all the time”), even if that means weraring the same pair of black pants twice a week for three years.
I feel that we should shop carefully and only accumulate wardrobe pieces that truly work for us and give us a sense of confidence. It’s worth the wait to find something you really, really love. And if you find it and it’s beyond your price point, get out the ole piggy bank and feed it until you achieve your goal. As long as you’re not compromising your financial ethics to do so ( I mean, I hope you wouldn’t cut back your charitable contributions so that you could afford a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps– I mean, in my girlish heart I would UNDERSTAND, but I’d have to say “Hey, sister minister, let’s rethink how you’re going to feel if you make that choice, and have you noticed that Louboutin heels are all red, as in SATAN? Don’t go there, sister! Come back to Jesus!” And then we might have to do a shoe exorcism and invoke St. Franco Sarto or something… but I digress). The point, and I do have one, is …
God has made a good gift in you.
And you don’t bring an unwrapped gift to God’s party.
Wrap up that gift with as much beauty and care as you can muster.
‘Taint nothing wrong or vain about that.
And that, my friends, is the Gospel of PeaceBang. Amen.
* “Dear Fashion Fairies, it would give such a lift to my spirits if I could find a cute sweater that wasn’t a bloody cardigan, and a really great sleeveless blouse with a bow tie that I can wear under my blazers like I saw in Lucky magazine. Thank you for your help!”
As someone who worships value, don’t forget to check places like eBay. I think, for instance, that this is your watch, and for a whole lot less:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-Coach-Ladies-Two-Tone-Lexington-Stainless-Watch_W0QQitemZ110156667684QQihZ001QQcategoryZ31387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Web sites like Froogle can also track down the lowest possible price. And when you get it for less, it puts you one step closer to the next fabulous pair of shoes.
Hmmm, you didn’t say that you want your watch to keep time. How important is that?
Me, I go for the Timex. (Actually I wear the watch that Hubbo gave me for our first Christmas together, lo these 13 years or so. It still keeps time, and I don’t know what it cost, but if I’ve gotten 13 years out of it with only one new battery, it’s a keeper.
OK, this is almost spooky. I kid you not, I’m wearing a watch that looks VERY similar to that picture, though all silver-tone (as I wear almost no gold). But the truth is, mine was a Stein Mart special. I don’t care, though. The overall “look” of the thing was just right for my wrist and hand size and shape. I already have a very good, classic watch (a gift from my late grandmother), so I just go with the knock-offs for everyday and have fun changing them out every 6-12 months.
Anyhow, my compliments on the “look,” PB. I can certainly see why you fell in love with this one.
Beware of Coach — their quality does not equal their price.
A friend with a fashion-forward daughter tells HORROR stories of a Coach bag that fell completely apart within a few weeks of purchase — and when intrepid daughter went back to the Coach store (with documentation) and invoked their good-sounding “lifetime warranty,” was given an amazing run-around ending in a coupon for some percentage off her “next purchase” not a full refund. It turns out that “the life of the product” is only however long Coach thinks it ought to be — which may not match your definition of a lifetime.
Naturally, there will never be another purchase from said daughter.
Should you choose to do business with this company, hopefully your mileage will vary.
OK —
In addition to suggesting value in my first post, I now have to admit that I love vintage watches — I just think they’re way more beautiful, plus you get to wonder who had them before and where they’ve been. And wearing a vintage watch tends to spark conversation when people see it.
I’m currently wearing a 1939 Mido Gotham Super Automatic with a blue dial that’s just lovely. Another favorite is my 1918 Waltham, which was just when wristwatches were beginning to be taken seriously.
Perhaps someday the Coach watch will be a vintage classic — in the meantime, I’ll stick with my art deco, non-metal-band beauties.
Wow – what a lovely watch. Nice call!
And thanks for the Gospel of PeaceBang.
Peacebang, I’m with you. I was given a beautiful, classic, perfect watch for my 18th birthday by my parents. It’s from Tiffany’s, where I generally do NOT buy jewelry because it’s just too expensive and you’re really paying for the name. But I saw this watch on a trip to NYC and loved it…and somehow convinced my parents that it was The Watch I wanted for the rest of my life. I’m big on loyalty. Anyway, you can imagine it was also The Only Birthday Gift that year, and I think my parents gave it to me with great trepidation, fearing I’d lose it. I didn’t. It’s still the only watch I wear, I love it every day, I thank my parents for it yearly, and it gives me a strange sense of contentment to know that I’m Done Buying Watches because I have The Watch. Bizarre? Probably. Something I should work out with a therapist? Possibly. But you know, if a watch can bring a measure of contentment, why not?
PB – Mine is very similar to this – and I do feel like a grown-up wearing it – I have the Bulova version with a round face. I buy a really cheap, cute, and trendy plastic watch every summer for trips to the pool, mission trips, etc. – anywhere I will actually potentially harm the watch.
Beautiful.
I’m a Timex girl–
the big round analog ones, which are men’s watches according to Timex, though I know several other women who wear them. They’re great because you can be in a meeting and look at them discreetly, something you can’t do with those obnoxious tiny girly-girl watches.
What I like about your new watch is that it’s nOT girly-girl, but it does have a look that says “I’m a classy woman.”
I’m with Amanda. I had a mickey mouse watch before I married, and my husband is a watch guy so he has given me two Very Nice, Very Grown-Up watches. I wear one of them almost all the time, and I like knowing that they are of the forever sort of variety.
I’m also with Bay Bridge Episcopal in my love for all things art deco, particularly jewelery. I am on the lookout for a deco dress watch with a fabric band, but I have my hands in water too much during the day to wear such a piece daily.
Coach used to be a very good brand, but I’ve been dissatisfied of late because their stuff is so trendy and doesn’t seem to hold up like it used to (I had a green coach wallet for 15 years, and I bought a new one recently and it broke within a week). Ebay is a great place to get vintage coach–you have to be careful, but I’ve gotten two nice purses for steals over the last five years or so.
I wear the same watch mentioned by Caroline Divine – and have done so for ages. One trip to purchase a new one resulted in the clerk’s comment that those watches are for people with impaired vision – as if someone would not want it for any other reason. And I bought it in spite of her advice. I vary the look when I need a new band.