Carmino bags on the "mature" woman

[bags'rus]

I'd like to know your opinion about whether or not the carmino looks good on the more mature woman. Let's set the bar at 50 years old, just for discussion.

FYI,I am 53, professional and moderately conservative. I wear lots of Eileen Fisher type clothes, sometimes Anne Klein, Jones of NY, Ellen Tracy. I personally prefer the neutral colors (more practical), but find the carmino to be simply gorgeous. Would I buy it? Hmmm, its tempting.....

Do you think the red looks better on the younger, more contemporary woman?

Weigh in on this, whether you are over, or under 50. And don't be politically correct, be honest!

[LLANeedle]

I'm closer to the six zero mark and I love red bags. I too dress conservatively wearing some of the labels you mentioned. I go for neutrals and almost always wear black shoes. I think a pop of color in a handbag really makes an outfit. If I didn't already own two red bags I'd buy a carmino BV. Go for it!

[Syma]

Honestly, I think the Carmino is a very classic red and not too bright or fire-engine loud. I think it would work very well on a mature woman, especially if you wear neutral colours. What style were you thinking of getting??

[lawbabe]

Dear bagsr'us,
I am "just" 36 in January -which is, I am sure considered as mature in the eyes of someone much younger - but I already know that I will wear vivid colors at the age of 70. Last night I was at a business dinner with a 60 something pair, the women looked really nice, she was wearing a beautiful colored (somewhere between red and pink) nail varnish- I was thinking that I would not have choosen that color myself, because I considered that too daring, but it looked classy on her and envied her that she was brave enough to choose that. So life is fun, let's enjoy it.
I used to wear a lot of black ( I mostly wear suits too), but as time passes, I tend to go for brighter colors (even died my haair form black to honey color) and everyone compliments.
So do not hesitate, go for the carmine, you'll see it will brighter your days and bring sunny thoughts to you. (just be careful not to pet your bag at a meeting, I have already found myself stroking my beautiful veneta

[Mid-]

First off, 50's are new 30's, no?

I know it's a cliche but I think it's really all up to the individual, some look fabulous with red (or any other popping colours) regardless their age and some look off on proportion (and kind of intimidated).

Also, if you are specificly thinking of the colour Carmino, I think it's a classy, chic, and more "mature" red.

So, what are you getting?

[ms piggy]

I agree with the posters here. Carmino is a classic red. If you're concern abt the attention, go for a compact size and classic designs like Veneta or a intrecciato flap bag.

[bags'rus]

I am not sure carmino is in MY immediate future. As you may have read, I am stalking the Old Ball in Nero as my very next, very soon to be purchase. But if I were to buy carmino I would most definately go for the medium veneta. I think it is beautiful.

My personal hesitiation, is that I do not wear alot of black. I wear brown, anything in the purple family and in the summer, pastels. If I did wear mostly black, as many of my friends do, I would not hesitiate. The practical issue would be moot, as the carmino works beautifully with black, grey, winter white etc.

Your responses are most interesting and enlightenng. Keep 'em coming.

[armcandyaddict]

hi bags'rus, the shade of red that is the carmine is a classic, timeless pillar-box red. not many reds get truer than this. imho, this sort of red will look gorgeous regardless of whether one is 18 or 80. so if your collection already has blacks, browns and creams i recommend a pop of colour nothing quite pops like the carmines by bv!

[mistikat]

bags'rus, what an interesting question! I am 48 and I do wear a lot of black, mostly because after 25 years working in PR, I buy and sell vintage costume jewelry and it's just easier to not have to worry about colour coordinating jewelry with clothing. (I joke that I don't own a car but I'm VERY well accessorized!) I often wear very large pieces and they do command attention. I can see your hesitation at putting red with purple or brown .... but I think it would look great as long as the colour palette works. If you were dressed all in shades of purple then yes, I would likely skip the red bag. I think the bigger thing to be aware of as we age isn't the use of colour as much as the overall effect. I call it Dorian Grey syndrome - from the back, you see a woman and she looks like she's in her 20s. Then she turns around and - eek! she's in her late 70s and the look is wildly inappropriate. It's very possible to be stylish and fashionable and still be age appropriate, I think. And the use of colour is part of that!

Good luck with your decision!

[catabie]

i never thing age should define the style you have, or color for that matters. my mother is probably fall in the same category as you do and probably similiar style as well. she looks great with red bag, with that said it also has to be complemented with the right outfit.

red bags are very classy. under certain circumstances i believe they are even more practical than toting a black bag. not only it adds color to an outfit, it also brings out the youth of a person. the carmino is such a gorgeous red and definitely one of those head turning color.

with that said, i hope you snatch a carmino now because the supply is running low. good luck!

[NWpurselover]

I am in your same age group and I wear colored bags all the time as generally I wear dark colored clothes. I like the way a colored bag gives any outfit a little pop! I love carmino and think it is a classic, wearable color for any age and is one of the best BV colors that I have seen. I also love the fact that carmino can span seasons as well.

[armcandyaddict]

hi bags'rus, i would have no hesitation pairing a carmine veneta, montaigne or campana with a dark brown outfit. i think that all colours can be worn at any age - it's just a question or finding the right shade, and coordinating it with the right clothes and accessories. and of course matching it with the right attitude!

[kiss_p]

A red bag is classic, no matter the individual's age.

[Mystiletto]

I am in my late 20s and as you can probably tell from my other thread, I'm in the process of deciding on a carmine bag as this is truly a classic color that I will use for many years.

I think red matches any color including brown and purple. The only color I might hesitate wearing red with is pink and orange.

You will look fabulous with a carmine bag.

[Syma]

I saw a pic of a vogue editor last week with an aubergine coloured sweater with a red bag, she looked gorgeous, sometimes even unlikely colours can be paired together with amazing results!