Showing posts with label Queen Elizabeth II. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Queen Elizabeth II. Show all posts

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Launer Is A Handbag Fit For A Queen


The public rarely saw Queen Elizabeth II without her Launer handbag. According to Gerald Bodmer, Launer's CEO, Her Majesty bought 10 - 11 of them during her lifetime in the Traviata style from Sully & SullyThe purse's manufacturer was founded by Sam Launer in 1940 and received its royal warrant in 1968.


Each bag is handmade and takes about eight hours to finish. The structured bag of 
fine-grain calf leather with superb craftsmanship and a signature gold-plated twisted rope emblem lock sells for $2,700. 

The purse is pricey, and yet it's 1/3 cheaper than an Hermès Kelly, and without the nonsense and games its French competitor puts its customers through to buy a bag. Also, a Traviata is much easier to reach into than either a Birkin or Kelly is and just as secure!

The Launer's other winning features include a back pocket, center division, interior pocket, inner zip, swede lining, leather-covered mirror, matching gold-plated handle hardware, and a long shoulder strap ... extras customers love!

Launer luxury bags are available in a range of colors and finishes with Queen Elizabeth favoring the black patent style.
 According to Vogue magazine, "To make the bags truly her own, she would modify them with additional pockets, a built-in coin purse, and longer handles to allow for easy handshaking." In the image above (courtesy of Getty), we can see how her top handle is longer than the standard Launer purse. In fact, each bag is made to order. The company offers all customers the chance to customize their bags without the additional costs of a customized handbag.


Queen Elizabeth II was a born Savvy Shopper with impeccable taste and class. She had no need for overpriced status handbags despite having the money to buy whatever she desired. One never saw her wearing a Cartier love bracelet or carrying a purse with a blown-up brand name across it like a YouTube influencer. What she bought was quality, durability, expertise... handbags that she kept for over 70 years, never tossing them out according to Launer's Mr. Bodner. She had no need to buy ever-changing, status merchandise, nor to show off because she was the Queen. Let it be a lesson for us all: When you've got it, there's no need to flaunt it as the fact is so self-evident everybody knows it.
With the Queen's recent passing, there's such a demand for Launer handbags, they are on backorder until January 2023. If I were to ever spend such a tidy sum on a bag, this could well be it ... in black! [Another contender is here.]


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Thursday, December 23, 2021

It's Nearly Christmas: Come Travel With Me

One of the Christmas trees at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Queen Elizabeth IIs official residence in Scotland. A painting of King Charles II looks on. For more about him go here. His father, King Charles I is the portrait on the right.

For our Christmas blog let's travel around the world, as well as, back in time a bit. On my bucket list is a return to Great Britain at Christmas time. With the numbers of the Omicron variant of COVID rising, it won't be anytime soon, so let us rely on the blog for our Christmas visits this year ...

The Royal Family's trees at Windsor Castile

How beautiful are Queen Elizabeth II's 2021 trees in Scotland and Windsor? Her Majesty's trees arrived and were decorated in early December.

On to the Middle East ...

 Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

One day perhaps tourists will again spend Christmas where it all began in Bethlehem. Maybe this December the locals can enjoy Bethlehem even more without the usual crowds, although sadly when people stay away the commerce won't be there for the town either.

Our next stop is New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art on December 9, 2021:

All photos at the Met: Carolyn C.

Here on the Upper East Side at the Met, my friend Carolyn invited me to see the new Walt Disney exhibit with her. She had an extra ticket for its opening. I had not visited the museum in 2+ years, and her company was the shot in the arm (no pun intended😊) I needed to go again. As it turns out, you do need your COVID shots in the arm, as well as, to show a state ID and wear a mask to get inside. Glad to oblige to keep everybody safe! 

We very much enjoyed the magic of Walt Disney consisting of footage of its animated films, movie posters, and various artifacts from the productions. As I mentioned to Carolyn, I didn't see Disney's Snow White (1938) or The Sleeping Beauty (1959) movies, but as a child, I had the records of the fairytales which I played over and over again; and the recordings came with Disney illustrated books so you could turn the pages as you listened to actors reading the parts, classical music, and dramatic sound effects. I remember the book images vividly as if I'd seen the films in theaters. Beauty And The Beast (1991) I also missed in theaters ... but I've seen enough Disney clips over the years to know all 3 animated films well.

Photo: Carolyn C. of The 17th Century Christmas tree at the Met

Naturally, we had to visit the 17th Century Christmas tree the Met always sets up at Christmas in the Medieval-Byzantine-Early Modern chamber complete with a soft Gregorian chant in the background. Every year it's become a Christmas tradition to walk over to see it. Like many other activities, I missed doing so in 2020.

Our last blog stop is a spot in my apartmentYou get music in my home too.πŸ™‚

I tried to give this Nativity Scene away as I have another one but didn't find a taker, and so I'm displaying it myself this year. Hey, maybe I do need two.:) 

"Go Tell It On the Mountain" is from my favorite Christmas album of all time recorded by the Ames Brothers (1957), which I reviewed the year I began the blog here. As a young man, my father bought the vinyl album, and it played every Christmas on my parent's {Dad's stuff always became our stuffπŸ˜€} stereo during my childhood, so when I moved to Manhattan, I bought a CD of it in a record store. Thus, the tradition continues! Unfortunately, record stores are another relic of the past.

Another glance at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland with Queen Elizabeth's decorating team.

I want to thank you, my lovely readers, for stopping by ... for your continued support ... and I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday in your own faith traditions. I'm happy to include you in mine by wishing you Peace, Love andJoy. 

We may be from multi-cultures and traditions, but everyone is accepted and valued on THE SAVVY SHOPPER. Here we are united as one human global family. Free to be a little bit serious and a little bit frivolous ... and spread kindness continuously. On these restricted days apart people need it!πŸ˜˜πŸ’‹

Merry Christmas Everyone!
xoxo



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