THE $39,000 BACKPACK CONTROVERSY

Posted Aug 13 2011 @ 02:39 PM

Stepping out from her NYC apartment on August 11, Ashley Olsen made sure to keep hydrated as she carried along a bottle of Evian for her day's adventures. Outfit wise, AO opted for a pair of rust colored Textile Elizabeth & James jeans (go the colorful route with a shade that's perfect to segue from summer to fall, such as Tag Jeans' Potter High Rise in Grape or Rich & Skinny's Legacy Jeans in Desert Gold) and a baggy, oversized tee (for a polished version of the oversized look, check out Joe's Jeans' Rexi Pullover in Black), and then added on a pair of Chanel sandals with a kitten heel and a black clutch. Jewelry wise, Ash wore her favorite gold Rolex along with a long gold necklace (try Danielle Stevens Jewelry's Peace Out Necklace in Gold), a gemstone ring, and a delicate bangle. A pair of classic Ray-Ban aviators polished off Ashley's NYC ensemble. While the Olsen twins are cognizant of keeping the prices on their various apparel lines affordable - i.e. their line of StyleMint t-shirts which retail for $30 each - it also seems as though the girls can't resist marking up certain items to the max. Case in point, the $39,000 crocodile backpack from their handbag line The Row. $39,000 for a backpack??? As Joan Rivers recently said on "Fashion Police," "There better be $38,990 inside the backpack!" But really, is this for real?

Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen seen in New York, NY on Aug 11 2011.