Over the years, my mom has sported this bag in blue, brown, black and red, and when I left for college she gave me her red one. Its bright red leather had aged to a deeper hue, and it had a few scrapes and spots where the leather had begun to wear. I loved it.
I wore it until its blemishes began to look more like battle scars. Pretty soon, it only came out for dark, late night parties, but I couldn't bear to throw it away.
On a trip to Paris this fall, my mom and I visited Lancel. I tried on a fresh red Elsa and fell in love all over again. It looked just like the one my mom had given me (much like the one pictured above but smaller, with an adjustable shoulder strap). It reminded me of her, and I loved the idea of wearing in my own red handbag. All this said, I knew I shouldn't spend the money and decided to make the very difficult adult-decision to say 'no.' It was bittersweet - proud that I did the right thing but oh-so-hard to bid the bag farewell.
(Our story draws to a close.) This year, I was the lucky recipient of my very own red Elsa. A holiday gift from my mom, one of the most stylish women I know. It's a treasure that I'll have for years and years to come.
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