Stylish with Substance

In the world of iPhone "couture", so far we have at least Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade and Lilly Pulitzer, with more to come, of course, for phone and pad. (Have you found more brand-name cases? Let us know!)

Shoppers’ Guide: With Louis Vuitton covers, you can imagine what they look like: logo’d. It’s classic monogram on a case with surprisingly little function for a “case 3G”, as one must remove the phone from the simple fabric containment in order to use. Its austere luxury goes for $250 (/£155). Buy it here (actual working product link).

Then Lilly Pulitzer covers are just affordable cute ($20). They have girly, colorful patterns that could appeal to any lady, fashionista or not.

At least one of the Kate Spade covers is ultra-chic (pictured, $40). The others are “cute, too”. Go Kate! (Shop all small goods here.)

But then there are Marc Jacobs’s covers, which are only coming soon. The company’s president tweeted recently about their October 2010 debut:

"MJ iPhone covers will be in stores in october!! [sic]" (screen cap below) (Ahh, Twitter. Kudos to Robert Duffy, a rare tweeter, for his short period on the site.)

I’d love to dress m’iPhone up in a new lovely cover, but in which love of mine?

With prices ranging like any items of different brands do, and starting lower than good shoes, a consumer still has a huge decision of which one, and only one, phone cover to purchase. Like a ring tone, this at least seemingly un-changing accessory might say a lot about a woman.

Even as a raging fashionista, your blogger truly is not sure if I personally want a designer cover at this point. Sure, my ring tone is "Fashion" by Lady GaGa, but I'm so much else aside from a fashion follower. (Why double-up a possibly shallow impression? Not a fair one, but it’s a real impression.)

My current cover is hot pink, but if I needed one right now, I'd be thinking pale blue (and not even trendy turquoise). I potentially would love a chic designer cover if it isn't all logo'd, and I do love Spade's, but ... well maybe it's that I don't drink martinis, as the illustrated girl is doing. Can it still call out “me” when the only real representation of myself is that it’s from the same maker of my sunglasses? Perhaps I just haven't met the right designer cover. (Close, but no martini!)

Thing is, even though I’m “over pink”, getting a new case might fall under the category of over-consumerism, even if the “splurge” is for $15, when my current one is holding up so well. And what about next year, another new case then? Hmm. I still plan for pale, pale blue; at some point. I just have priorities.

What about you? What do you think of these covers and what would/did you buy for your gadgets?

OK I just had to share this possibly unrelated photo I edited... Below I fit it in to the theme, I think ... right?

Princesses are never satisfied...

Inspired by my Charlotte, who's passed onward.

And oh I needed to get some satisfaction! And I've got it. Mostly.

Now* we're putting our money into organizing/decorating our home, building up credit/paying off debt, and saving for a car down payment and then monthly car bills. And after those things are settled, maybe, just maybe, we can complete our family. (With a furbaby, in our case.) ... Currently dreaming of other (non clothes) things because buying shoes (like I did last week during a DSW Memorial Day sale), and then looking at the empty shoe boxes makes me want to fill my heart and cart with more shoes. Too addictive - trying not to look at fashions (that I don't already own, that I can always do, of course). ... Just trying to live my life for love right now, too! *(OK recently there was that horrible/wonderful thing of the COACH discount event, and more recently the completely horrible eBay economy continuing or else said event would cost $0. Le Sigh.)

You take a girl's credit card, threaten her with having to move back in with the parents. And maybe actually give her the hope of happiness in love - but just be good, girl! Also needed are good teachers and lessons. And then well, she can grow. But you give that girl a new stable home, the hope of more credit and wahoo, slowly-increasing 0s on her paychecks ... and well.

Hey, I'm Ella. And I have a problem.

But that's OK! I have it mostly under control. I know I can't stop any time, and I can admit I have this problem. And that means I can shop ... Yes, I wrote "can't stop". No, I didn't say "I can stop", that's "shop". Gosh I could almost fill a blog with gushy stories of how I just wantwantwant COACH, Miu Mius, Louboutins, Calvin Kleins, Badgely Mischkas, Manolos ... as if those were to truly save my life and not just make my day. But just like how it's not just "stuff" - don't say that! It's, well, not just *about* the stuff.

It's the rush. And it's how shopping is a powerfully-healing drug. Addiction.

I don't want to stop, just slow down. Care to take a ride with me?