hard to get

Currently (and historically) I have two lasting loves: George Clooney and the Hermes Birkin bag.

In a lot of ways, they're one in the same.

My crush on Georgie presents no threat to Jim. Even if I dream of being held in his arms, Jim knows that my time with Clooney will never come.

Similarly, even if I dream of holding a Birkin in my arms, my time with it will likely never come. Therefore, the purses on my shelves, like Jim, do not feel threatened.

Beyond the threat factor, though, George Clooney is a classic. He's almost so classic that he's a cliche. Birkin is the same way.

Sure, lots of girls want one, but it's not even creative. Go for the Speedy 40 or something. It's at least a little controversial. (Kind of like having a crush on Matthew Mcconaughey. We all know he's cute, but at least he's not everyone's taste).

Finally, if you were to see George Clooney on the street, you'd stop and stare shamelessly.  

The metaphor holds true with Birkin.  The other day, I was at the mall (with Jim, ironically) and I saw a real live Birkin bag.  And for just a minute, I had a strong desire to follow the woman carrying it, just so I could watch the bag in action.  

This elusiveness comes with the unattainability that both Clooney and the Birkin maintain; it makes them desirable.

This unattability is often underrated. I used to date a guy that always said the key to getting a boyfriend is getting a boyfriend. And he's exactly right. Once you have a boyfriend, suddenly all the other guys, who thought you'd be waiting around for them forever, are interested. You're unavailable. You're hot! You're the Birkin bag!

Apparently, just like getting a boyfriend, the only way to get Hermes is to get Hermes.

Huffington Post blogger Michael Tonello wrote in his book, Bringing Home the Birkin, how he managed to get his hands on many Birkin bags:

"I would go into a store with a list in my Hermes Ulysse notebook and pile up scarves, shawls, bracelets, worth about $2,000. This made me seem a regular Hermes client," Tonello told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"Once I had that pile ready to buy at the last moment I'd ask for a Birkin and they would usually produce one of the back room. In 2005 I bought 130 Birkins in a three-month period -- and you tell me there is a waiting list?"

Not just a waiting list, but a two year waiting list, according to Reuters.

Essentially, Birkin bags are like boyfriends. If you want one, just prove you already have one (or at least a lot of Hermes).

Unfortunately, Birkin bags still range between $9,000-$34,000 and I don't think the theory will work for George Clooney.

shhh.

I have the most fabulous flapper dress that I bought at a vintage store for Halloween one year. It's so legitimate that when I wear it, I can almost smell Daisy Buchanan's perfume.
Actually, I doubt socialite Daisy wore flapper dresses at all. But maybe one of the women Gatsby met while making his fortune wore my dress.

An obsession with trends of the past, including flappers (and the eighties, of course), is commonplace. But one trend I never thought I'd see return (especially from the eyes of a college student) is Prohibition.

How could something that began as a law- the 18th Amendment, specifically- and evolved into what is now considered the unhappiest cocktail hour of our nation's history- become trendy?

Recently, some of the hottest bars have been modeled after speakeasies. These bars, though far from illegal, aim to feel like those during Prohibition. Some of them ask for passwords when guests call to make reservations. PDT (Please Don't Tell), a bar in NYC, requires guests to enter through a hot dog shop, then step into a phone booth and identify themselves by speaking into the receiver. A buzzer then opens a secret door, revealing PDT.

With the economy down, and so many businesses struggling to stay open, it seems odd that these bars can afford to be so secretive. I guess that which is exclusive is always more appealing (the outside looking in never has quite the same view).

And even if it's not illegal anymore, when something is forbidden, it's always more appealing.

Just ask Eve. She could have had it all, but she fell for the lonely apple.

Now take that forbidden fruit and throw it in an apple martini and you've got the perfect Prohibition cocktail.

Even if alcohol is not banned, these bars have a certain appeal that keeps the bad boys coming and the good girls wanting more.

However, the authenticity only goes so far. Their alcohol isn't poisoned (the opposite, in fact, it's as pure as the magical pre-Prohibition cocktails from 1890-1910) and their activity isn't in violation with the law. And, while flappers were once thought of as a new breed of women, changing the scene for traditional females, if I were to arrive in my flapper dress, I think they'd quickly change the password and deny me.