What I Didn't Buy #4: The Luxury Edition

A bi-weekly roundup of things I left in the cart.

Ciao, bellas! I am back from Italy, where it rained the entire time but Rome and Florence were as beautiful as ever. I ate pasta, gelato, and an excessive amount of Florentine steak and walked over 50 miles sightseeing. It was, for lack of better words, bellisimo! But now we return to our regularly scheduled programming. 

Originally, I had planned to keep track of everything I didn’t buy in Italy and take photos along the way. My brain, however, overcome with wine and cornetti, had other plans, and I took photos of none of the gorgeous leather goods and gold jewelry I quietly salivated over. 

I was, however, inspired by my time spent on Via de Tornabuoni in Florence and Fiumicino airport to write a luxury edition of What I Didn’t Buy. Now, it may go without saying, but I would absolutely never spend the amount of money listed below on any item. Ever. Regardless of any future income, I could never justify it. 

But isn’t it fun to dream? I was rather into the fashion world in high school (huge fan of Style.com and Man Repeller iykyk) and loosely keep up with the industry now, though being a plus-sized woman I do feel a bit jaded with the industry as a whole. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the craftsmanship and ingenuity behind haute couture and higher-end brands. As such, there are always things that catch my eye and ruin my Instagram ad algorithm.

Has anyone else watched Industry on HBO and absolutely loved it?? It feels like Grey’s Anatomy meets Succession, and I devoured every episode. I was also immediately taken with everything ultra-wealthy heiress Yasmin wears, from her coats to her dresses. In particular, these Linda Farrow sunglasses ($540). Yasmin wears them constantly, and they caught my eye immediately. To me, they are the perfect tortoiseshell sunglasses. They are wide and rectangular enough to be on trend, but still tall enough to skim the brow. They have lived rent-free in my head for months, but the idea of spending even $100 dollars on an accessory I am so likely to forget at a cafe table is nauseating. That being said, if I ever suddenly came into a large sum of money these sunglasses would be the first purchase I would make.

Chris Zou on TikTok is hilarious. He is also on a mission to “upgrade his life” (his words). It started with nicer sheets and more luxurious bedding. Then he got into Aesop handsoaps, which eventually led him to Diptyq candles which ultimately led him to the Loewe Tomato Leaves candle ($495). Now, if I thought $540 for a pair of sunglasses that could theoretically last forever was ridiculous, a nearly $500 candle would have to feel like an outright joke. And it does. But it is also intriguing. Chris raves about the tomato leaves candle. He seldom burns it, savoring it to the extent of accidentally causing tunneling because he was not burning it for long enough. His loving descriptions of the candle’s scent–like walking into an Italian garden–intrigue me. A richer woman would buckle and buy the insanely expensive candle (though there are smaller sizes–the smallest comes in at $120). But I am not a richer woman.

Cooler weather is upon us, and so is my thirst for a good ol’ sweater. Every year, I find myself purchasing one sweater that I wear to the ground. Last year, it was a fairly ridiculously oversized white cable-knit. This year has yet to be found. But, if I was in the market so drop a few hundos on a sweater, this red wool and cashmere blend from Loulou Studio ($400) would be the one I would buy. Red is one of my preferred colors to wear (right after black) and I am looking to incorporate more bright, cheery red pieces and burgundy items in my wardrobe this winter. This sweater, consisting of two high-quality fabrics, is stunning. I love the oversized style and the slits up the sides (very big butt friendly). It even comes in more generous sizing than most designers found on Net-A-Porter. Sigh. If only it didn’t cost the same as a splurgy trip to Costco.

I was watching Love is Blind recently and a scumbag contestant is talking to the woman he is paired up with. He says something to the effect of “you don’t seem high maintenance, I won’t have to buy you something like a Kate Spade bag.” The woman, aghast, threw about as much shade as possible toward the designer, scoffing and saying “Never buy me a one of those. Buy me YSL.” 

I am no Kate Spade hater. In fact, I type this post on a laptop that was transported to this desk via a Madam Spade original. However, when I laid eyes on this Saint Laurent burgundy leather bucket bag ($2,990), I had to agree with her. The beauty of YSL does eclipse the approachability of a Kate Spade bag. This purse in particular has me in a chokehold for several reasons. For one, the craftsmanship of this bag is obvious from just looking at the photos online. The stitching is beautiful, the calf leather is exquisite. There are two ways to carry the tote, and the gold hardware bearing the brand’s initials is classy rather than tacky. If you’re going to spend several thousand on a bag, you really can’t go wrong with Saint Laurent. I, however, will never spend anywhere close to that amount on a bag, no matter how beautiful.

In April, my sister-in-law is getting married in a garden. I am, somewhat blessedly, not in the wedding party. You know what that means. Time to find a dress. I could theoretically wear one of the same two dresses I cycle through for most weddings. But, having been in several weddings in the past few years, I rarely get the chance to express myself via wedding guest attire. Now, for the next few months, I will spend my free time exploring my options. And this is what led me to what I am referring to as the “kaftan fantasy.” 

In the kaftan fantasy, I show up to a wedding in a fabulous kaftan. It gives Palm Springs in the 60s. It gives wealthy widow in her late 80s. It gives “Cabana boy! Another mai tai, please!” It gives “Oh darling, I just couldn’t be bothered with a waistline these days,” while taking a drag from an elegantly long cigarette holder. And for some reason, this is the vibe I want to bring to a wedding one day. And if today was that day and I was a wealthy widow sitting on millions of dollars from my husband’s unexplainable passing, I would purchase this Taller Marmo emerald green kaftan ($1,260). Now, Taller Marmo describes this as a “one-size maxi dress,” but don’t get it twisted. That’s just design speak for kaftan. And this one is luxurious in a stunning emerald tone and delightful fringe details. I could see myself being very comfortable in this while also feeling inexplicably elegant. What’s there not to love, besides the $1,200 price tag?

In the end, by not making these purchases (which, as previously stated, I was never in any real danger of doing), I saved myself $5,685. Which is a lot of money! Cheers to those luxury folks out there saving for investment pieces or simply splurging and squandering their retirement money away. It could never be me though! 

I hope you enjoyed this special edition of What I Didn’t Buy. I certainly had fun putting it together, as it is always fun to step into a delusional fantasy for a couple of hours. 

See you next time with more reasonably priced products!