A kind of cheap bag made out of interwoven plastic straps and usually reserved for lugging around household items has become a surprise fashion hit with wealthy women in Taichung, according to the vendor who sells them.
Hsiao Hsiu-er says she’s flattered that her durable bags, which remain intact even after a thorough wash and a good scrubbing, have become such a hot item.
The unusual trend is due to a crime wave in Taichung, which has left many women scared to be seen out shopping with a branded handbag that obviously cost a pretty penny.
By carrying their branded handbag inside these inconspicuous decoys, they hope to deflect attention and avoid falling prey to thieves, says Hsiao, adding that some of her customers have been robbed in the past.
Hsiao says that the price of the handmade bags depends on the shape and size, but they typically cost between NT$100 and NT$400. Custom-designed bags, which are particularly popular, can retail at over NT$1,000.
However, one Taichung hospital worker says that one of her colleagues is so worried about being robbed again that she carries her purse wrapped in two supermarket carrier bags so that potenitial thieves can’t see what she’s carrying, which is a cheap solution at only NT$2.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
在台中販售打帶包的業者蕭秀娥指出,被歐巴桑們拿來裝物品、蔬果,可以水洗、刷子用力刷的「打帶包」,最近竟被貴婦相中,讓她受寵若驚。
原來這些貴婦是拿「打帶包」來裝名牌包,貴婦們告訴她,現在搶風太盛,帶名牌包包出門壓力很大,曾有被搶的痛苦經驗,買個看來「俗擱有力」的打帶包帶在身上,歹徒就不會盯上,可以安心帶名牌包包逛街。
蕭秀娥表示,打帶包以手工編製,售價依大小及花色不同,每個從一百元到三、四百元不等,即使花色特殊、費工費時,頂多一千元就不得了,深受婆婆媽媽青睞。
不過,中市一家醫院工作人員表示,她的一名同事被搶怕了,出門只敢用超商的塑膠袋裝小錢包,怕歹徒看穿裡頭放什麼東西,還套了兩層,費用不過兩元。(自由時報記者徐夏蓮)
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