Chanel vs. Romanek or $39K vs. $2K

I know the virtues of Chanel, so no need to preach me on the quality, its heritage or the allure of the brand. After all, I have been collecting all things Chanel for over 20 years and still make my regular rounds at Chanel boutiques from Paris, London, New York, Vegas, LA, Dallas etc (I know every boutique Director by name and have most on my speed dial). Suffice it to say, I am a Chanel addict. I am also a crocodile/alligator addict so when I saw this new chain bag for Chanel, I paused–if for a moment. Then I had déjà vu, this looked just like my Romanek midnight clutch except it’s black, has chain straps and a clasp (and yes, I am fully aware that the full tail alligator clutch bag has been around since the ’50s but let’s not forget it was Brigette Romanek who brought it back to the limelight on the red carpet a few years ago). Anywho, I was marveling at the scales and thinking to myself that a black alligator Chanel chain bag is what’s missing in my bag wardrobe until I got the email from Chanel that it was $39,450. I’m sorry, WHAT? Double the cost of a crocodile birkin and a gazillion times the cost of a Romanek Rock Star clutch? I know it does look a lot better but does it look $39,450 better? I’d understand if this thing was blinged out in diamonds and took 400 hours to construct but isn’t this just a gator tail wrapped around itself? Granted, it is a very beautiful gator with perfect scales and fancy chains but I don’t see the workmanship here nor the justification for this price– even the Bag Snob has her limits and I draw mine right here! My recommendation is, if you like the look, head over to Barneys New York and grab a Romanek clutch for $2,195.