Letters: Why I stopped buying expensive bags

Does form matter more than substance?

I work in the corporate. A world where image matters. Where people’s respect is sometimes based on the brand of clothes you wear, how expensive your bag is, or if you have the latest and most expensive mobile phone. Where image determines how high you will climb up the corporate ladder. A place where form supersedes the substance. I have seen a lot of people way up the ladder with less substance than those below them, just because they can portray a certain image.

I grew up in a village, with my grandmas, and for most of my life, I was not even aware of any clothing brand nor have I seen any real fashion magazines until I went to the university. I was ignorant of the materialism that surrounds most people my age. Before, I thought of it as a disadvantage. I studied communication where image and knowledge of the trends would have come in handy, yet, I survived and somehow thrived in the university with just the basics.

Then, I moved to the big city for work. Fortunately, my first job was with a company that provided uniforms. I didn’t need to buy clothes for work. There’s no need to stand out since we wear the same thing. However, I still see some of my colleagues trying to make it more fashionable with a scarf or any other accessories they can think about. That was the easy part. I had to move on and find another job, again, I was lucky to find a company that’s not very corporate. It’s a small one and my boss is so chill and comes to work in his shorts and shirt. Yet, as the company grew, expectations also changed. Eventually, we had to meet with clients. We had to meet with the CEOs, COOs, CFOs, and all the other hotshots from other companies to close deals. Then socialization also happens. Going out on fancy dinners to entertain the clients and get their favor. From being chill, my boss started pressuring me to wear better clothes and be more corporate, which I did. I tried but it’s tiring.

We made it. Our company has grown big with thousands of employees. I hear employees talking about the clothes my colleagues wear, the bags they carry, the phones they have. It’s as if they will respect us less if we don’t have the most expensive stuff or if we don’t have designer brands in our closet. I started succumbing to it, fortunately, I also get paid to afford it. Yet, some get into debt just to buy a designer bag or the latest phone. I hear the news saying teenage girls selling themselves so they will have the money to buy the latest iPhone or that LV bag. I see my employees maxing out their credit cards just to buy that phone or that bag or those clothes. Deep inside me, I know that it’s not right but it’s how the system works.

Maybe I grew older or I just came to a point where I stopped caring about image. Maybe I got lucky that I reached a point when I didn’t need to prove myself anymore. Maybe I feel that I have accomplished enough to be sure about myself that I stopped caring what other people say.

Maybe I grew older or I just came to a point where I stopped caring about image. Maybe I got lucky that I reached a point when I didn’t need to prove myself anymore. Maybe I feel that I have accomplished enough to be sure about myself that I stopped caring what other people say. Maybe because I learned how to make my bags through crochet, I understand the value of handmade things and I appreciate the small sellers than the big brands. I started questioning the difference between a 2,000 watch and a USD50 watch. Both tell the same time. I stopped worrying about that expensive bag and just bought or made ones that would not make me worry when it got wet or dirty.

I appreciate substance over form. I appreciate the freedom to be myself over that made-up image, covered with masks and labels.

Slowly, I let go of that corporate mindset about image. I appreciate being debt-free more than the oohs and aahs over that new acquisition I made. I appreciate the uniqueness of the things I make despite their imperfections over the polished, machine-made products of the brands. I appreciate how much time and effort it requires to build a bag from scratch. I appreciate substance over form. I appreciate the freedom to be myself over that made-up image, covered with masks and labels.