My name is Tiffany and This is My Story About Tiffany's (Tiffany & Co)

Member Name: i_heart_elo

Product:	Tiffany & Co
Date:	05/03/09 (227 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relatively Affordable, Classy, Beautiful, Well Made, Something for Everyone

Disadvantages: Are you kidding me? How can there be a disadvantage with Tiffany & Co?

It's not easy going through life with your first name being "Tiffany".

Whenever i'm introduced to someone it usually goes something like this;

" Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Joe".

"Hi Joe, nice to meet you too, i'm Tiffany."

At this time, Joe is smirking. He may or may not realize his face is showing a smirk, but it's definatly a smirk.

"Tiffany, eh? Like "BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY's the movie huh?"

If I had a penny for everytime someone said this too me, I'd have at least 200.00. You know that's an idea, maybe I should make everyone give me a penny when they say this statement?

"Yeahhhh....I guess it's like that. Only, you can't have breakfast at me".....

I can't help but drip with sarcasam at this point. It gets annoying how often my name gets the "jokey-joke" treatment. They of course mean the movie. While I can appreciate the movie and Audrey Hepburn. It's aggravating to think you've been named after a movie.

If they aren't saying,

"Oh like, Breakfast at Tiffany's" they'll say......

"Your name is Tiffany? Ha, like that singer "Tiffany" from the 80's?" (Then they start busting out singing " I think i'm alone now". ) Generally when someone says this. I say nothing and simply walk away.

Or on the rare good occasion, a few will actually say....

"Your name is Tiffany? Just like the jewelry store right?". This is usually said with an interested and non-smirking face to which i'm always grateful. I always respond with.

"YES! Just like the Jewlery store!" , I say with a broad smile. I instantly now like this person. Oh, if everyone could think i've been named after a high class, first rate, gorgeous jewelry store......

***** Tiffany and Co......without all the history mumbo jumbo.... *****

I'm not going to tell you detailed historically sound info about this company. If you are interested in it's background, simply look it up via Google or on Wikipedia. It does have an interesting beginning, and has worked hard throughout the years to make a name for itself.

I think the aura that surrounds Tiffany and Co, is what's missing in most reviews or opinions about it. Not much is usually mentioned on the way society views it, and why women are so drawn to it.

The stigma attached to Tiffany's, is rare indeed. With the exception of places like The Ritz, or companies like Ferrari and Rolex, etc.. , not many can match the lavish style of Tiffany's.

I remember the first time I'd ever been inside a Tiffany & Co store in New York City. I was 18 and incredibly independant. I was also very.....non-conformist. =)......I had become a Vegitarian, only shopped at Second-hand stores, and listened to punk and new age music. To say Tiffany's style and my own were diametrically opposed is very close to the truth. Still, I was on vacation, and I at least wanted to see the store that shared my own name.

In an effort to fit in somewhat, I wore my most normal outfit. A vintage dress from the 50's that was blue and white polka dotted. It wasn't exactly Audrey Hepburn'esque. It was more Sandra Dee maybe? I'm a Short, Curvy, and Blonde. There is no way I could pull of Audrey Hepburn even if I tried. I went in with my boyfriend at the time, who was very nerdy beatnik and loved turtleneck sweaters and cords.

We didn't really stand out, but we didn't really fit in either. The store was flooded with tourists. People were told not to take pictures and the loud obnoxious ones were given the evil eye by the stores employees and soon left feeling uncomfortable. It was as if the store was a holy place or a library. I personally felt like I was in a museum and treated it as such....facinated, and intrigued.

As my boyfriend and I looked through the immaculate cases, a couple next to us were wedding ring shopping. The man looked almost pained as his bride-to-be was trying on rings he probably couldn't afford but would still be forced to purchase. Another women nearby in her 40's/50's/60's (she had so much plastic surgury it was hard to tell), was drinking a glass of champange and trying on necklaces. It was obvious she was a spoiled egocentric.

It felt wrong to leave the store without buying anything, but we did. Come on....I was 18 ,my boyfriend was 20 and we were poor college students. NYC was being done on a budget and did NOT include any Tiffany & Co purchases. We had 2 more days still of sightseeing and I had about $200.00 given to me from my grandmother as spending money. I could buy some super nice new shoes, or tons of cheap souvenirs, but...I really didn't. Instead, I purchased a few keychains for friends, a scarf for my grandmother , and tee-shirts for my parents. They all totaled around $50.00. I had $150.00 left.

While Dave (boyfriend), was still in bed at our friends Apartment in the city....I snuck out and went back to.....Tiffany's.

I guess I was brainwashed by it. There is no other excuse for it. I had to buy something from there. Was it just to tell people " I've bought something from Tiffany's?".....No.......Did I do it because I saw something I couldn't live without?.....No......I just did it cause I felt impelled to.

This is the aura Tiffany & Co has over you. To say it's brainwashing really is apropos. Now I understood why women wanted a Tiffany's engagement ring. Now I knew why Truman Capote wrote Audrey Hepburn's Character eating outside of it while looking longingly inside. Have you ever met a person that your just drawn too? You can't put your finger on why your drawn to them, you just are. This is the same feeling, Tiffany's has.

I think if I lived in NYC, or near a Tiffany & Co, all of my jewelry money would be spent there. What am I saying, it'd be more than just my "jewelry money", it'd be any spare shopping money I had. I don't even know what i'm saying either because I rarely ever shop for jewelry. I have two rings I wear all the time that are silver, a long black and brown big bead necklace I wear with almost everything and a Pearl set my father got for me......oh and everything i've bought at Tiffany's since that first day I set food on it's hallowed ground. =)

I have three Tiffany's necklaces, one ring, two pairs of earrings, four keychains, and one anklet. Total all of these have cost me a whopping $1000.00....(it'd be more than that if my parents and boyfriends didn't buy half of these for me.)

What's ironic is that if you knew me and my style, you'd never in a million years assume I would ever buy or wear something from Tiffany & Co.....I may not be that 18 yr old hippie non-conformist anymore.....but I still have some eccentricities. I'm outdoorsy and natural hardly wearing any makeup unless it's on a night out. That doesn't mean though, that I don't like to have a little bit of surrounding upscale class.

When I wear my jewelry from Tiffany's, I feel classy. There's no other way to put it. They can transform anything.....from jeans and a tank top to a simple black dress. Probably the greatest thing of all......wearing Tiffany's....gives you confidence.

Not the kind of "oh look at me look at me!" selfish and haughty kind(although, i'm sure it gives some people that). But, the kind where you walk with better posture, and could care less if your at a party in a room full of people you don't know.

If you want a confidence boost.....go to Tiffany & Co and just buy SOMETHING. It can be anything. A Keychain, a bracelet, anklet, a necklace...doesn't matter, just buy one. If your on a budget you can still afford something. You can buy one of their keychains for around 75 pounds. Their least expensive of necklaces run around 100 pounds. Even if you don't have 100 pounds to spare right now, you can save that up in a few months if you cut out that clothes or shoe shopping you spontaneously do.

If this credit crunch is depressing you or you haven't been having a good 2009 so far...maybe it's time you gave yourself a little treat?

***** The Blue Boxes *****

Ok dont' laugh but I painted my bedroom Tiffany Blue.......your laughing right now aren't you? Alright maybe that was a little ridiculous on my part, but it IS a very pretty blue color. Plus, it matches my Tiffany Boxes. I've taken several of my smaller boxes and have put them in a metal shadow box frame set right behind my bed. The rest of my room is full of Black, Silver, and White items with a few splashes of Tan and Neutral colors. I love it.

Whenever someone sees my flat, they never expect my bedroom. The rest of my flat is done very....Earnest Heminway Antique. I have an old comfy brown leather couch and chair with a vintage ship trunk as my coffee table and other trunks scattered throughout. ( I love old trunks). My bathroom is full of old bottles filled with soaps and shampoos and I have vintage metal tins on shelves that hold all my tolietries. It doesn't really fit my Tiffany & Co bedroom.

These boxes though are fun to decorate with. Plus, they're indicative of they brand itself. Classy yet not in your face, Feminine but not frou frou. The marketing crew of Tiffany's back when they created the signature color and box design.....were geninuses. They realistically , should have lived out their lives in relative luxury for creating such an iconic keepsake.

You can buy these boxes on Ebay for an outragous amount, but, why do that? Do like I mentioned above and buy something from Tiffany & Co, and then you can get a box of your very own.

***** Wrapping Up *****

A friend of mine told me that my bedroom is a bit egocentric since my name is Tiffany, and I decided to decorate it in the "Tiffany & Co" style. Well, maybe subconciously , it is. I have no idea, i've never been ultra egomanicial so that doesn't make much sense to me, but who knows, I could secretely be incredibly full of myself.

But .....I know that if Tiffany's was called "Rebecca & Co" or "Heather & Co" ....I'd still love it just as much. The only saving grace ABOUT my name, is that this company is associated with it. Other than that, I really don't like my name. If my friends and family wouldn't make fun of me until the day I died...I'd change it to something else.

This store has a majestic quality about it that hovers over everything it touches. I know the world is changing, and companies we've known as a child, are starting to fall apart (Woolworths, etc..). Yet, I think a great injustice would be done, if Tiffany's ever shut it's doors. There is nothing else to replace it. In a perfect world, every woman would have at least once piece of jewlery from Tiffany's.

If I could afford to be a Philantropist, I would do just that. Do you hear that Bill Gates? Maybe instead of building your One BILLION + mansion, you could have used that money to buy every woman in the world something from Tiffany's. I'm sure the company would have given you a discount. =)

Summary: An Iconic Store and Brand that should Stand till Time's Indefinate