Angela Tafoya is Sugar Inc.’s Community Assistant and a freelance writer. Her work has appeared everywhere from Refinery29 and Chictopia to Angeleno Magazine. She tweets about nothing here.
"I’ll start by saying that this true-love tale (not unlike some relationships) is a little bit bipolar. Yes, I once neglectfully set down my beloved bag in a San Francisco bar, where Champagne spilled and soaked
its surface (it survived!). Also, there was the time I cheated with a beaded tote from Thrift Town, and coldly left it in the dust bag for months—oops. But despite my lapses in judgment, I truthfully cherish my floral Balenciaga more than any other item I own. It’s my sartorial jack-of-all-trades. It is fitting as an accent piece or added to a getup packed with prints. And regardless of the daily wear-and-tear it endures, the candy-colored, impressionistic print never fails to inspire me.
"The semi-serendipitous story of how I obtained it goes something like this: I was on winter break from school, visiting my parents in the Bay Area from Los Angeles, and decided to longingly roam a local consignment shop. I wasn’t looking for anything other than a cure for midday boredom. After staring lovingly at a crop of designer bags, I spotted it—a pink, green, and white sack of gorgeousness. Upon further inspection, it came to my surprise that my new love had been thrown to the side and marked down to $600. I had always wanted a Balenciaga to call my own, but this spring 2008 piece was unlike anything I could imagine, and for that price—amazing! So naturally, I had a major case of the za-za-zsus. I quickly rationalized the purchase (it was Christmas), and then scurried to the counter and completed the purchase.
"After whittling down my bank account, I became the proud owner of a floral Balenciaga! Even though it may have been a tad mistreated (at times) and our owner-item affair has been chock-full of ups and downs, this piece has and always will be my main squeeze!"