Eleanor Florence Lecocq #7 Always a bragsmaid, never a bride

[Seri]

Eh I think let people be. If they want to buy designer bags, even if they need to save up for them or scrimping on other things, then what's the harm. We all have our guilty pleasures. The world is crazy enough right now, some people take solace in the things they like. I agree, most of Gucci and LV are ugly, but many obviously have a different opinion since they're the most popular brands. And that's fine, people can like different things.

We might think financially irresponsible, they might think they're treating themselves for their hard work. If the money comes from their parents, then so what, there are parents who are spoilers (and frankly if they are, that's their problem) or maybe the parents have a lot of money and they love to share with their children. We don't know the whole situation, and I am not just talking about Elle, but in general.

Now if the money is coming from stealing or scamming people, then that's obviously a different story.

But yes, most of her bags are hideous. The only nice ones are the YSL Loulou medium, toy, college and the Chanel navy boy that she made a whole video about.

 

[greenbear]

I totally agree. I bought some silver jewelry from online stores that were a fraction of the cost of Tiffany's. I also got some pearls in Chinatown for cheap. They make my outfit pretty and that's all I want.

Also, to me personally, I find designer bags such as Gucci and LV are not worth it - Gucci bags don't have the best quality leather IMO and LV sells overrated canvas bags. I'm not knocking anyone for having designer bags but at my salary, I don't think designer bags are in my budget. So I bought some Rebecca Minkoff and Coach and it suits me fine. Also I don't like heavy handbags and a lot of designer handbags are very heavy so I prefer LeSportSac. I think Elle constantly buys because she gets a high from the rush of shopping and unwrapping, not because she uses the bags.

I follow another luxury youtube guru who has a lot of bags and shoes. She's not that rich, probably same level financially as Elle. She says when she wears her Chanel flap out once or twice a month, she makes sure she is driving or in a cab, never on public transport. She is really careful to baby her bag (that she bought pre-loved). I'm there thinking, "some way to live." She also says that Tiffany's diamonds are not worth the cost and that at the same cost, you can buy a much better and bigger diamond elsewhere.

I get the feeling that Hollywood stars and super rich people (I mean really rich people) wear Chanels like the average person wears Coach outlet stuff - to most people Chanel is a luxury handbag that is to be babied but to them, it's just a handbag. I remember reading about this super rich Russian heiress who married a billionaire who purchases 40 Tod's bags in one go. She never even looked at the cost. Maybe if you have to save and scrimp for a bag, that bag is too expensive for you. I'm just saying.

For me personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable buying luxury handbags unless I had $5 million in the bank. Because realistically, I'd want match your bags with the seasons, outfits, etc... so I'd need a few.

I also remember going to a consignment store and looking at the tons of Chanel and other luxury handbags there. All the bags were literally stacked right next to each other. Somehow, without the lighting, decor of a real Chanel store, the bags just seemed bland.

I agree, if I have to save and scrimp for what is just a bag I am not their target market.

 

[202leda]

So I am of two minds when it comes to this. Fashion in and of itself is classist (and racist), but it’s also a business that is targeted to an aspirational (re: middle class) audience. The people who run these houses know that what sells are the cosmetics and leather goods (which also tend to be their “cheapest” and entry level products)...RTW only make a fraction of most fashion houses’ sales.

I definitely think Chanel has been trying to change their customer base, but it wasn’t that long ago that their classic flaps were less than $3K and a lot of their small leather goods were priced relatively the same as LV and Gucci. Maybe I’m old, but I do remember when Chanel was in outlets and a couple of their seasonal bags went on sale. Chanel stopped doing that less than 15 years ago and it was around the time they started doing these obscene price hikes...they’ve always done price increases, but not with the frequency and percentage they do now.

I guess my point is...if they didn’t want middle class people to own them, they shouldn’t have marketed to them in the first place. It’s a joke if they think they were ever “exclusive” when they have been catering to an aspirational audience for years.

Also there are a lot of true luxury brands that offer bespoke and are specifically catered to the rich (re: Pickett and April in Paris). I’ve actually looked at a couple of them, not because I want to buy but I wanted to see how the prices compared to fashion brands like Chanel and Hermes. I was surprised how much less expensive they were. Clearly there is a marketing element to these obscene price points in a lot of these famous brands.

Anyway, going back to what people should buy vs not buy. I think it’s a huge problem if someone is constantly flipping handbags to give off an image of wealth...a lot of Youtubers do this and I think it’s a reflection of a shopping addiction more than anything. Otherwise if someone has to scrimp to save for a bag they’ve always wanted for years and is pretty diligent with taking care of their expenses...it’s not really my problem...? I’d be a hypocrite if I felt otherwise.

ETA: I realize how poorly written a lot of this is but I hope that makes sense! Been running low on sleep this entire week.

 

[Sheepsmeadow]

I agree, if I have to save and scrimp for what is just a bag I am not their target market.

In my case, I enjoy art, home furnishings, and fine jewelry so much more than a handbag. And as far as jewelry goes, I don’t buy overpriced name brand jewelry that people on Instagram like to show off. I would never spend $6,000 on Cartier Love bracelet, for example! I do own a Cartier watch, but that’s because it’s not like you can go to your jeweler and have them make you a watch . On the other hand, I have a few custom-made 18k gold pieces that I did not spend a fortune on but are better quality than Elle’s silver Tiffany pieces (Now, I do also have an 18kgold Tiffany & Co. Diamonds By the Yard necklace, but it’s practically glued to me — I never take it off, so I can definitely consider it money well spent ). To me, luxury handbags are overpriced, but if that is where your priorities lie, to each their own as long as you’re not going into debt (or sacrificing other things that would truly make you happier).

 

[Juliezzz]

I think the whole discussion on Elle’s spending habit is a result from her nasty personality. Like one of the posters mentioned here before, we all have our guilty pleasure. I personally love designer handbags, clothings, home decorations etc and I don’t think I judge people based on if they have similar or different desires. Elle‘s spending habit seems unfathomable to most people, but at the end of the day, different people take pleasure in different things and if shopping can truly make her happy, short term or long, it’s her decision to do it and if there will be bad consequences, it’s herself who will take it. I personally believe that if she’s a decent honest person without her nasty snobby personality, lots of us wouldn’t even bring up her crazy spending as a topic.

 

[MissGlam21]

Eh I think let people be. If they want to buy designer bags, even if they need to save up for them or scrimping on other things, then what's the harm. We all have our guilty pleasures. The world is crazy enough right now, some people take solace in the things they like. I agree, most of Gucci and LV are ugly, but many obviously have a different opinion since they're the most popular brands. And that's fine, people can like different things.

We might think financially irresponsible, they might think they're treating themselves for their hard work. If the money comes from their parents, then so what, there are parents who are spoilers (and frankly if they are, that's their problem) or maybe the parents have a lot of money and they love to share with their children. We don't know the whole situation, and I am not just talking about Elle, but in general.

Now if the money is coming from stealing or scamming people, then that's obviously a different story.

But yes, most of her bags are hideous. The only nice ones are the YSL Loulou medium, toy, college and the Chanel navy boy that she made a whole video about.

I agree, if I have to save and scrimp for what is just a bag I am not their target market.

I also agree, but I also don’t feel bad for those, like Elle, who frivolously spend money that isn’t theirs. In the future, I definitely peg Elle as the kind of person to put on a sob story because her husband left her with the kids. She’d position herself as some “charity case” who feels she deserves money for all of the “hardship” she had to endure and to spend said money as a means to “treat” herself. It’s quite astonishing how differently ppl perceive money as they grow up and it’s even more shocking when they realize at an older age that material tit and financial status is fleeting, esp in times like now.

 

[MUALover]

My favorite bag of Elle's is (ironically) her rose gold Rebecca Minkoff. I think it's absolutely stunning. It is also a young and fresh looking. Her white and black Rebecca Minkoff is nice too.

 

[APoppy]

My favorite bag of Elle's is (ironically) her rose gold Rebecca Minkoff. I think it's absolutely stunning. It is also a young and fresh looking. Her white and black Rebecca Minkoff is nice too.

Does she even have these bags? I’m surprised she didn’t include stuff like this in her affordable bag collection. She could have really shown some great options instead all I remember from that video was the dinosaur bag and longchamps. I love Rebecca Minkoff and while its not super affordable it’s definitely more within range to her viewers than Chanel and more fashionable options than what she showed.

 

[MUALover]

Does she even have these bags? I’m surprised she didn’t include stuff like this in her affordable bag collection. She could have really shown some great options instead all I remember from that video was the dinosaur bag and longchamps. I love Rebecca Minkoff and while its not super affordable it’s definitely more within range to her viewers than Chanel and more fashionable options than what she showed.

I feel Rebecca Minkoff bags, at least the MAC bags, have a edge to them. I love the navy Chanel boy bag for that reason - they make you look younger. Heaven knows Elle needs to dress younger. She looks so matronly. The Rebecca Minkoffs look way better than her blue Chanel plaid boy bag or the stingray boy bag.

The bags are probably in storage somewheres. She has so many bags she probably forgot about them.

 

[RedPinkPurple1]

I totally agree. I bought some silver jewelry from online stores that were a fraction of the cost of Tiffany's. I also got some pearls in Chinatown for cheap. They make my outfit pretty and that's all I want.

Also, to me personally, I find designer bags such as Gucci and LV are not worth it - Gucci bags don't have the best quality leather IMO and LV sells overrated canvas bags. I'm not knocking anyone for having designer bags but at my salary, I don't think designer bags are in my budget. So I bought some Rebecca Minkoff and Coach and it suits me fine. Also I don't like heavy handbags and a lot of designer handbags are very heavy so I prefer LeSportSac. I think Elle constantly buys because she gets a high from the rush of shopping and unwrapping, not because she uses the bags.

I follow another luxury youtube guru who has a lot of bags and shoes. She's not that rich, probably same level financially as Elle. She says when she wears her Chanel flap out once or twice a month, she makes sure she is driving or in a cab, never on public transport. She is really careful to baby her bag (that she bought pre-loved). I'm there thinking, "some way to live." She also says that Tiffany's diamonds are not worth the cost and that at the same cost, you can buy a much better and bigger diamond elsewhere.

I get the feeling that Hollywood stars and super rich people (I mean really rich people) wear Chanels like the average person wears Coach outlet stuff - to most people Chanel is a luxury handbag that is to be babied but to them, it's just a handbag. I remember reading about this super rich Russian heiress who married a billionaire who purchases 40 Tod's bags in one go. She never even looked at the cost. Maybe if you have to save and scrimp for a bag, that bag is too expensive for you. I'm just saying.

For me personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable buying luxury handbags unless I had $5 million in the bank. Because realistically, I'd want match your bags with the seasons, outfits, etc... so I'd need a few.

I also remember going to a consignment store and looking at the tons of Chanel and other luxury handbags there. All the bags were literally stacked right next to each other. Somehow, without the lighting, decor of a real Chanel store, the bags just seemed bland.

I worked at Nordstrom for years and seeing all the merchandise in the back, getting unwrapped and racks upon racks upon racks of the same thing...it loses its magic.

 

[MUALover]

I worked at Nordstrom for years and seeing all the merchandise in the back, getting unwrapped and racks upon racks upon racks of the same thing...it loses its magic.

There was another youtuber who claimed she worked at the counters of one of the luxury designer stores and at the end of season, she was able to buy designer handbags selling retail for thousands (including Chanel) for a few hundred dollars.

 

[notsoposh]

There was another youtube who claimed she worked at the counters of one of the luxury designer stores and at the end of season, she was able to buy designer handbags selling retail for thousands (including Chanel) for a few hundred dollars.

I have heard LVMH doing sales for employees at 60-90% discount.

 

[MUALover]

I have heard LVMH doing sales for employees at 60-90% discount.

Yeah, the youtuber said she bought a Chanel handbag for $600 (not a SLG). I know $600 is a lot but considering the price of Chanel handbags run in the $4000-$6000, it's a great deal. Oprah was also gifted LV bags by the designer.

Designer brands / fashion houses trying to scam middle class buyers out of money - no thanks.

 

[poopettemetis]

Yeah, the youtuber said she bought a Chanel handbag for $600 (not a SLG). I know $600 is a lot but considering the price of Chanel handbags run in the $4000-$6000, it's a great deal. Oprah was also gifted LV bags by the designer.

Designer brands / fashion houses trying to scam middle class buyers out of money - no thanks.

I used to work for Saks corporate and once a year we’d have access to a Chanel sample sale. I got a $5000 blazer for $450. If there had been Classic Flaps or other heritage styles, they all sold before I got there, but lots of the one-off seasonal pieces (like the jug from Cruise 2015), clothing and other random non-SLG accessories.

Snapped up some good pieces at the Celine sample sale too

I think there are a few luxury brands that are still worth buying new, but honestly, quality and craftsmanship have decreased with the rise in demand. If you can, buy secondhand from a reputable source.

 

[Katrina_AK_0099]

Now if the money is coming from stealing or scamming people, then that's obviously a different story.

I mean... Elle's channel is, essentially, based on a scam (being a #girlboss lawyer who makes jewellery sourced from Seattle merchants -- all lies) so I have no qualms calling her out for her over-the-top purchases and crazy shopping habits.

The reality is that when you makes videos about your shopping, you are inviting people to comment, judge, and evaluate. It's not like Elle's videos are actual reviews, they really exist just to make her feel good about herself and get excited about her ugly bags.

And you're right, we don't know Elle's financial situation. But we can certainly make some assumptions based on the evidence -- her mother supports her to some degree, she spent way more when living with boyfriends, and she is obsessed with shopping, at least compared to the average human.

Her scamming of her fans - claiming she was a lawyer, claiming to be a law professor, claiming her pearls were made with local merchants from Seattle -- makes the shopping open to criticism, in my opinion.

 

[Seri]

I mean... Elle's channel is, essentially, based on a scam (being a #girlboss lawyer who makes jewellery sourced from Seattle merchants -- all lies) so I have no qualms calling her out for her over-the-top purchases and crazy shopping habits.

The reality is that when you makes videos about your shopping, you are inviting people to comment, judge, and evaluate. It's not like Elle's videos are actual reviews, they really exist just to make her feel good about herself and get excited about her ugly bags.

And you're right, we don't know Elle's financial situation. But we can certainly make some assumptions based on the evidence -- her mother supports her to some degree, she spent way more when living with boyfriends, and she is obsessed with shopping, at least compared to the average human.

Her scamming of her fans - claiming she was a lawyer, claiming to be a law professor, claiming her pearls were made with local merchants from Seattle -- makes the shopping open to criticism, in my opinion.

Exactly why I wrote if the money comes from scamming, then that's another story. If she is indeed scamming, then yeah. But the previous discussion wasn't entirely about Elle (hence "and I am not just talking about Elle, but in general") some posts were about buying designer bags when one (not just Elle) has to save up/scrimp to afford them which I do not agree with because so what, no harm in treating yourself, people are allowed to have nice things.

Oh and by the way, she's a lawyer and a law professor, so those aren't part of her scams.

 

[notsoposh]

Oh and by the way, she's a lawyer and a law professor, so those aren't part of her scams.

Has she renewed her license in BC? Because I remember someone mentioning here that she hasn't. The renewal was previously sponsored by her company, not anymore. Also she's not a professor. She uses the term loosely, to be a professor one needs years of teaching experience /have a Ph.D/ have been an associate professor/ exceptional in their field. Elle doesn't have a single criteria to her credit. She is a visiting faculty/ guest lecturer at most. Above all she isn't licensed to practice law in the U.S. So yes that is part is of her scams as well.

 

[Wheelsbaby]

Elle is not a lawyer. She has had one job in her entire career, her job title is fraud investigator. She has never worked anywhere where she can be referred to as lawyer or in house counsel. Her only time at a law firm is as an intern or a trainee.

Public documents confirming this - she is a Investigator: https://mfda.ca/reasons-for-decision/reasons201637/
Her colleague on the other hand is enforcement counsel, she is not. Many people have found job descriptions for her role & her colleagues with the same investigator title, a law degree is preferred but not required.

She teaches an online course part time. She is a part time online lecturer. To call her a professor is making a mockery of all the hard working academics who have worked extremely hard to get to their position.

Elle has a law degree and a masters. But she has never worked as a lawyer. Nothing wrong with that, many people in the UK have law degrees and choose another profession because it is an undergraduate degree (unlike in the states where law is a graduate course and requires a lot more time/money/commitment).

Elle intentionally misleads and profits off her fake image as a practicing lawyer. Elle has a 9-5 job, can take Long Nordstrom lunches and doesn’t work weekends. An investigator job is perfectly respectable. The way she lies about it isn’t.

 

[thecatlass]

Elle is not a lawyer. She has had one job in her entire career, her job title is fraud investigator. She has never worked anywhere where she can be referred to as lawyer or in house counsel. Her only time at a law firm is as an intern or a trainee.

Public documents confirming this - she is a Investigator: https://mfda.ca/reasons-for-decision/reasons201637/
Her colleague on the other hand is enforcement counsel, she is not. Many people have found job descriptions for her role & her colleagues with the same investigator title, a law degree is preferred but not required.

She teaches an online course part time. She is a part time online lecturer. To call her a professor is making a mockery of all the hard working academics who have worked extremely hard to get to their position.

Elle has a law degree and a masters. But she has never worked as a lawyer. Nothing wrong with that, many people in the UK have law degrees and choose another profession because it is an undergraduate degree (unlike in the states where law is a graduate course and requires a lot more time/money/commitment).

Elle intentionally misleads and profits off her fake image as a practicing lawyer. Elle has a 9-5 job, can take Long Nordstrom lunches and doesn’t work weekends. An investigator job is perfectly respectable. The way she lies about it isn’t.

I second that. While she is qualified to work as a lawyer (in Canada - she holds relevant degree and passed the bar, she'd have to renew her license, though), she never worked as one (her traineeship took place before she got called to the bar).

Teaching an online contract law course on one evening a week doesn't make you a professor. You could call such person a part- time instructor or part-time lecturer.

BTW, looks like Smelle's 'friend' is her competitor The mask-making girl is selling scarves now. Wonder if the hiking and pumpkin patch trips will soon come to an end and when someone asks Smelle about the 'friend who was selling masks', she'll pretend she doesn't know who they're referring to hahaha

 

[Seri]

She's a lawyer. She has the degree, she's been admitted to the bar, she's qualified to work as a lawyer. That makes her a lawyer.

Ok, maybe the law professor is a stretch, but no matter how much we are annoyed at her, she is a lawyer.