COST OF COOL
Three digital It girls share their shopping strategies and must-haves, starting at $30. By SHAWNA COHEN
Co-founder, Snob Essentials
SHOPPING M.O. Invest in blue-chip bags with serious ROI. Tina Craig talks about handbags the way a real-estate agent talks about property value. “There is no better investment that increases in value, that you can literally wear every day,” she says of the coveted Hermès Birkin bag. “You can invest in land, in blue-chip stocks—but you’re not wearing it, it’s not bringing you joy every single day.” Craig would know. As cofounder of Bag Snob, a popular blog that, since its inception in 2005, has grown into a full-on lifestyle brand called Snob Essentials, she has spent the past decade writing about the intricacies of designer handbags. A lifetime collector of bags, Craig owns dozens of Birkins—the first of which she bought 15 years ago for $4,500. “It was an investment piece, for sure, but they now sell for $10,000. My advice is to save up for a piece like that. Chanel is another great investment because it will keep its resale value. I always say, ‘Never sell your Hermès, Chanel or diamonds.’ Everything else is negotiable.”
A former jewellery designer and MTV Asia VJ, Craig, now in her 40s and based in Dallas, has become the voice of authority on handbags. She pens a weekly column for China’s Mini app, highlighting her latest handbag obsessions, and is a regular on U.S. television shopping network HSN, where she and partner Kelly Cook tout their own line of handbags (the collection retails for under $130, and Sarah Jessica Parker recently sported a “Jewel Box” cross-body while dropping her kids off at school). But Craig’s proficiency in style extends far beyond handbags. She is a master of high-low dressing, often mixing luxury items like a Birkin with a basic tee and vintage jeans. On the day of this interview, she had just purchased a $48 embroidered peasant top on Asos—she shops almost exclusively online at sites like Farfetch, Net-a-Porter and Shopbop—which she plans to wear with a wardrobe staple she’s had for five years: wide-leg, highwaisted trousers by Alexander McQueen.
Craig’s philosophy is simple: splurge on classic, well-tailored pieces that suit your body type and save by shopping vintage or buying trendier items once they go on major sale (in the U.S., post-Thanksgiving and Memorial Day weekend are the best times to shop). She also tailors everything, from the beloved Michael Kors sheared mink coat she bought half off to a pair of $50 Zara pants. “Hiring a tailor is worth the investment,” she says. “Sometimes it will cost more than the item, but a good tailor can make anything look great.”
OLD NAVY CULOTTES