This Mother’s Day, I managed to treat my Mom to a little bit of luxury, something I love to do whenever I can. If I can make her life a just little bit easier, I jump at the chance. Moms do so much for their children, after all, and my Mom is no different.
This particular Mother’s Day gift was several months in the making and something I’ve wanted to do for her for years. It was all about sentimentality and practicality with a touch of luxury: to surprise her with a Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 in the classic monogram logo.
While plotting for months to locate the perfect pre-loved LV purse, it also provided a somewhat unexpected opportunity for me to reflect on what luxury means to not only me, but to my Mom.
Meaning of luxury
luxury
/ˈlʌkʃərɪ/
noun (pl) -ries
1. indulgence in and enjoyment of rich, comfortable, and sumptuous living
2.(sometimes pl) something that is considered an indulgence rather than a necessity [source]
Luxury, finding its origins from the Latin luxus, can mean very different things to different people. For some, it means five star hotels. For others, it can mean to add the guacamole. After all, luxury is a relative definition, as one person’s indulgence is another’s necessity.
But one thing is for sure: most everyone loves a little bit of luxury in their life.
A common thread
When it comes to luxury fashion, I’ve read countless blogs, watched Youtubers, and spoke with friends who recall saving up for their first designer purchase. One common thread I noted is that the purchase of a luxury item is not necessarily all about the item itself.
Sure, for some, buying luxury item X is solely because it’s expensive or perceived to be a status symbol; it’s true that purchasing luxury things or experiences can meet otherwise unmet needs. A good example of this is the difference between flying coach and first class: both arrive at the same destination at the same time, but polar opposite experiences. Of course, flying first doesn’t make a person’s worth more than flying coach.
A splurge purchase can promote a general sense of well-being, an intrinsic feeling of accomplishment and attainment.
But I posit that, for my mom, for me, luxury is about a snapshot in time. It’s about how in that single moment, a luxury item is indelibly timestamped in your life.
It’s amazing how sentimental a luxury purchase can be.
My first luxury purchase
My first luxury purchase was made many years ago as a young professional in Chicago; I still remember falling in love with a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo pumps and the sheer exhilaration at finding them on discount. It was the quality of the leather, the classic silhouette, the Ferragamo lipstick red.
Looking at them today, I still remember shopping to find something I love to celebrate my successful climb to the next rung on corporate ladder. On the heels of the promotion, I remember the accompanying elation, deep joy, and sense of confidence – all associated to those Ferragamos that I cherish to this day.
And thus began my love affair with what I call budget luxury. What is budget luxury, you ask? Well, it’s about finding those luxury fashion items, those timestamps in life, for a fraction of its retail price.
I’ve always been a bit thrifty. This shows in my deep love of DIY and desire to nurture the neglected. When it comes to shopping, I thrive on the thrill of the hunt; I gather coupons and pounce on sales. I shop second hand for that diamond in the rough.
And I realised this love, this concept of budget luxury, comes from my Mom.
Budget luxury for Mother’s Day
Though some now consider the Louis Vuitton Speedy to be the gateway designer handbag, the Speedy 30 is particularly special to me. Growing up, my hardworking Mom had very few designer fashion luxuries in her life.
I, however, remember one fashion staple she carried throughout my childhood: the Speedy 30 in the classic LV monogram.
She loved this bag, fondly remembering how she bought the purse from a designer handbag boutique going out of business. Always one for a good deal, she snagged it on discount and used it almost every day of my childhood. To work. On weekends. Garage sales. Dance recitals.
I remember it was in tatters when she finally parted with it. The seams were busted, holes in the corners of the bag. The condition was not from misuse, but from over 25 years of being her go-to bag. I remember she was disheartened to part ways with it, to lose such a staple in her wardrobe.
For various reasons, her deteriorated Speedy was never replaced and I’ve wanted to get her another classic LV purse when I could.
Now, after all these years, I’m finally in a position to do so.
The perfect gift
I plotted and planned for months. I found the perfect Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 on Vestiaire Collective, cleaned the leather, restored the brass. It came in the original box, dust bag, and with all authentication.
When I gifted her the purse for this Mother’s Day, I will always remember the excitement in her voice as she animatedly told me about how she used to have one just like it; she shrieked at the sight of the monogram, at the Louis Vuitton name on the box.
I choked up and said I know, I remember.
It was in that instant I realised just how much the purse meant to her as it did to me. Anyone can buy luxury for the sake of luxury; for me, though, when it stops holding meaning it’s just a really expensive piece of leather.
The purse transported my Mom back to that moment when she purchased her first luxury handbag in that small boutique, when she was a working Mom who needed just a touch of luxury in her everyday life.
Now that my Mom’s retired, she deserves no less a daily reminder, a tie to her past to carry her into the future.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.
Vestiaire Collective Speedies
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I’m a Chicagoan living and working in London who loves running and currently training for my 14th marathon. I’m a keen bargain hunter, slow-cooker enthusiast, and DIYer who blogs about the meeting the challenges I set for myself.
