Whoever said looks don’t count was lying. And whoever said first impressions do count was absolutely bang on. Perversely, this has proven to apply to the purses we carry. When I retired, instead of presenting me with a boring gold watch, my employer surprised me with my very first and still favourite designer purse. I’d carried a picture of it around with me for weeks before I left and planned to blow my entire last paycheque on it.

It’s a Louis Vuitton Manhattan bag, which, by the way is no longer made so to me it’s extra special. It’s the epitome of everything I could ever want in a handbag. It’s not overly big or small and has two latched front pockets for my car keys and cell phone. When I walk into a store I feel like and am treated like a “somebody”. It shouldn’t be that way but it is. Based on the first impression created by my handbag, sales staff immediately assume I can afford whatever they’re peddling. They treat me with special attention while visions of commissions dance through their heads, while missing out on the real potential commissions from purses of lower status with more genuine purchasing power inside. Purses do not make the Boomer broad but they sure make her feel like a million bucks.