Why do people love/buy Chanel, LV, Gucci, expensive bags?

[soramillay]

Love Sparkle's coffee explanation. Drinks are such great analogies for taste and luxury shopping. My husband loves his indie artisan coffee and snubs Starbucks. I down pots of instant coffee but am picky about beers and love craft beers... And remain completely uninformed about wine despite attempts by friends to educate me.

My collection ranges from no name pleather to premier brand leather bags, although the large bulk is contemporary. There are arguments for bags of all levels. First of all, there are some well made durable no name bags, and I enjoy using them and not worrying about their longevity. Then, you start getting into the contemporary brands. I think once you develop an appreciation for fine leather and good design, you can't turn back. For example, I can never accept untidy stitching in my bags now that I am used to seeing neat even stitching.

And then after that, you start to appreciate the quality, the workmanship and heritage of the higher end bags, and it's a spiral into madness after that. I would say that if you can't justify a Gucci Soho to yourself right now, don't spend the money. It may be that you never feel the price to be justified. Or maybe you will, down the road, at which point it is not too late either to pick one up on the resale market.

 

[bakeacookie]

I like the design, how it's been iconic in pattern (monogram, quilting, etc). I find them to last longer than in relevance and quality than a contemporary brand. I also like the history and stories these brands have.

 

[tenKrat]

I buy expensive leather handbags because they give me pleasure. And, I am fortunate that I can afford them.

 

[pillerih]

And I don't think brands have a lifetime guarantee anymore. The market is different now, and with many new money people coming in without a care in the world about quality, brands can afford to alienate those that are willing to pay for a quality product and a brand that stands by their products.

They don't but atleast they offer a chance to get your items repaired. I've been disappointed in the higher end of mid-range brands as in,eg. hardware wearing out so quickly and there's no way you can fix it since it's basically a cheap thing despite the cost in the shop. With other brands you have this option and these brands tend to be more expensive.

However, I still feel a bag should be usable so I'd be more than disappointed to see, for example, Chanel stitching coming undone sooner than expected... And that you should have some personality, and bags you love, in your collection rather than wanting stuff just because everyone else has it.

 

[bernz84]

This might sound crass and pedestrian, but I love buying labels because of the name. Years ago, I tried to convince myself that I bought for the quality but ultimately quality is secondary to me. Not that quality is unimportant (I'll explain next), but the real motivating factor for me getting a premier label is buying something that appears elusive and expensive in my own eyes (FYI, I know not everyone would agree with my choice of labels).

With that said, I've become much more selective with what I buy now that I'm familiar with certain brands. In my own experience, most premier labels hold up pretty well, more or less. I haven't come across any premier brand that has been significantly better or worse than its competitor (ie, Gucci vs Louis Vuitton). Yeah, there are tpfers that will state their reasons as to why they think premier Brand X is better than premier Brand Y, but I've yet to see what people are really talking about. I've found the most problems in quality with contemporary designers like Dooney (canvas only, can't speak for the leather Dooneys, although I hear they wear extremely well), Coach (both leather and canvas), and Longchamp (nylon only). My Coach leather bags show wear within 3-6 months of use, and my nylon Longchamp bags are already fraying at the corners after only owning them for a few months (!). I've never had any issues with my nylon Pradas or my coated canvas Gucci/LV bags within that short amount of time...heck, even my LeSportsac bags (which are dirt cheap) wear better than the Coach and Longchamp!

 

[ladysarah]

This is where I believe there is a difference between fashion companies that offer handbags as part of their fashion vision and leather goods companies that offer a line of RTW to increase publicity.

Although I own quite a few Chanel bags I haven't bought one for literally 10 years, partly that's due to their increasing disregard of attention to the longevity of their products. Basically I make to with what I have from Chanel or occasionally buy vintage.

I can only answer (positively) as longtime happy owner/lover of Gucci, which is a leather good company.

For example, a 1980s hobo (first carried by my mother and then by me) had to be repaired for the first time last year. It had been carried so much the stitches had actually worn away on the strap (which after 30 years of Summers is pretty good going). The repair took 2 months and cost £40 (approx. $60). That's preferable to throwing away what was an excellent bag or employing someone 'unknown' repair person to 'have a go'. They have also cleaned suede and nubuck and resoled shoes, replaces straps on old belts etc.

So far I have found Gucci have stood behind their products. Under a new Creative Director and CEO I hope they will in future too as I only buy from companies with good aftercare services. If you are thinking of a Soho Disco perhaps ask questions about aftercare before buying and make it a condition of purchase .

Great imput. Do you really find Chanel not so good on after care? I've never had to ask them for anything so I don't know. I was very disappointed that Hermes refused to order me a strap on an older single ring Kelly. On the plus side, longchamp never fail to impress me with their service, even if I buy a key ring!

 

[papertiger]

Great imput. Do you really find Chanel not so good on after care? I've never had to ask them for anything so I don't know. I was very disappointed that Hermes refused to order me a strap on an older single ring Kelly. On the plus side, longchamp never fail to impress me with their service, even if I buy a key ring!

Chanel used to spa bags. You could inherit/buy/have a C bag in any condition and they would literally bring it back from near-death. Nowadays, they're only interested in selling new (and not so interested in even that sometimes )

 

[catsinthebag]

This might sound crass and pedestrian, but I love buying labels because of the name. Years ago, I tried to convince myself that I bought for the quality but ultimately quality is secondary to me. Not that quality is unimportant (I'll explain next), but the real motivating factor for me getting a premier label is buying something that appears elusive and expensive in my own eyes (FYI, I know not everyone would agree with my choice of labels).

With that said, I've become much more selective with what I buy now that I'm familiar with certain brands. In my own experience, most premier labels hold up pretty well, more or less. I haven't come across any premier brand that has been significantly better or worse than its competitor (ie, Gucci vs Louis Vuitton). Yeah, there are tpfers that will state their reasons as to why they think premier Brand X is better than premier Brand Y, but I've yet to see what people are really talking about. I've found the most problems in quality with contemporary designers like Dooney (canvas only, can't speak for the leather Dooneys, although I hear they wear extremely well), Coach (both leather and canvas), and Longchamp (nylon only). My Coach leather bags show wear within 3-6 months of use, and my nylon Longchamp bags are already fraying at the corners after only owning them for a few months (!). I've never had any issues with my nylon Pradas or my coated canvas Gucci/LV bags within that short amount of time...heck, even my LeSportsac bags (which are dirt cheap) wear better than the Coach and Longchamp!

I appreciate your honesty re. labels! I am personally conflicted about labels, wanting to be seen as carrying something stylish/recognizeable, while also not wanting to be in-your-face. So I tend to carry bags that are probably recognized by other handbag lovers but not covered in logos. I love Chanel reissues and certain Hermes bags, and also carry a lot of Longchamp. By the way, Longchamp will repair those corners once in a bag's lifetime.

 

[catsinthebag]

Chanel used to spa bags. You could inherit/buy/have a C bag in any condition and they would literally bring it back from near-death. Nowadays, they're only interested in selling new (and not so interested in even that sometimes )

Great imput. Do you really find Chanel not so good on after care? I've never had to ask them for anything so I don't know. I was very disappointed that Hermes refused to order me a strap on an older single ring Kelly. On the plus side, longchamp never fail to impress me with their service, even if I buy a key ring!

Yes, unfortunately Chanel said recently that it will no longer service bags that are over 5 years old. Hermes must have had a good laugh at that one!

LadySarah, I'm with you re. Longchamp -- great quality for the price. I've always had great service in my boutique and have never had a quality issue.

 

[Kitty157]

Yes, unfortunately Chanel said recently that it will no longer service bags that are over 5 years old. Hermes must have had a good laugh at that one!

LadySarah, I'm with you re. Longchamp -- great quality for the price. I've always had great service in my boutique and have never had a quality issue.

For that reason alone, I will stick with LV. For what Chanel charges, they should go way beyond 5 years.

 

[bernz84]

I appreciate your honesty re. labels! I am personally conflicted about labels, wanting to be seen as carrying something stylish/recognizeable, while also not wanting to be in-your-face. So I tend to carry bags that are probably recognized by other handbag lovers but not covered in logos. I love Chanel reissues and certain Hermes bags, and also carry a lot of Longchamp. By the way, Longchamp will repair those corners once in a bag's lifetime.

Yes, Longchamp offers to repair corners which I like. The only problem I have with it is that I've only owned the le pliage nylon bag since April (I think), so it has been only 2 months. It's disappointing because I have owned expensive and cheap nylon bags (re: lesportsac and Prada), and I've never had issues with corners fraying within that short of time frame...or rather, even at all. For a bag over $100 and is loved by so many members, I expected more. Oh well, I guess it's not a brand for me.

Worse problems I've come across with lesportsac and Prada is that the zippers get jammed, but that only happens after some years of major use and I can easily fix it.

 

[Whirlpool]

For me it's the same as why you would buy diamond or gold when you can get CZ or gold plated for almost the exact same look.
The subtle differences that make it just that little bit better (e.g., better leather, better sewing, is the original design you love that the other is a derivative of, etc.) make you feel significantly happier. You feel you are luxuriating, it's like a spa day versus taking a bath (something mid-tier maybe would be like a bubble bath, and when you don't even like the bag but you just have to use something, that's a quick shower). You always end up clean, which is the main point, but because they make you feel that much more luxurious, the subtle differences can actually seem like big differences when you have it. Nobody needs a spa day, but if it's an option, you might choose to splurge so you can feel that luxury sensation. And some people (I'm imagining a stereotypical cowboy, or just anyone who really strongly values "no-nonsense") are never going to understand your choice and think you are foolish for it. However I bet there is something non-practical that most "no-nonsense" people would splurge on too if they have the funds. Maybe for my hypothetical cowboy it would be something that was once owned by a very famous cowboy. That would make him feel luxurious.

Now, if the upper tier product is not actually better than the more affordable alternative (and this does happen) I personally wouldn't buy it, and I figure that when people do, they are specifically buying it as a status marker (this would be like going to a spa or restaurant or something that you actually have a kinda lousy time at, but it's highly exclusive and that's specifically why you go). It shows to others that they can afford it, which could be important if the people around them judge people primarily by what they can afford, and that person is perhaps newly wealthy and needs to show that they belong, etc. I can understand that urge not to be left out.

 

[catsinthebag]

Yes, Longchamp offers to repair corners which I like. The only problem I have with it is that I've only owned the le pliage nylon bag since April (I think), so it has been only 2 months. It's disappointing because I have owned expensive and cheap nylon bags (re: lesportsac and Prada), and I've never had issues with corners fraying within that short of time frame...or rather, even at all. For a bag over $100 and is loved by so many members, I expected more. Oh well, I guess it's not a brand for me.

Worse problems I've come across with lesportsac and Prada is that the zippers get jammed, but that only happens after some years of major use and I can easily fix it.

I've had Le Pliages that are YEARS old with no signs of corner wear. Assuming you haven't been unnaturally hard on the bag (and by that I mean, you haven't run over it with your car!) I wonder if you got a defective bag. If I were you, I'd take it to Longchamp and ask for a replacement. I know those bags don't last forever, but corner wear that soon is not normal.

Sorry to be OT!

 

[Sparkletastic]

I appreciate your honesty re. labels! I am personally conflicted about labels, wanting to be seen as carrying something stylish/recognizeable, while also not wanting to be in-your-face. So I tend to carry bags that are probably recognized by other handbag lovers but not covered in logos. I love Chanel reissues and certain Hermes bags, and also carry a lot of Longchamp. By the way, Longchamp will repair those corners once in a bag's lifetime.

I think handbag lovers do appreciate when someone else has on a great bag. I know I like spotting a fun bag on people.

Where I live, the only bags anyone would recognize would be Michael Kors, Coach or Louis Vuitton mono. My current collection has lots of Chanel, Prada, Dior and Gucci so I am happily invisible. People don't know or comment on what I'm carrying unless I'm on vacation outside of my hometown Fashionless Ville. LOL!

So brand cache does matter to me but it's really just for me. It's like my own happy inside joke. I get to make me happy withouy any consideration of others. And since premier bags make me happy for a multitude of reasons and I can afford them, I buy them.

 

[bagidiotic]

I would say
Lifestyle
Financially comfy
Exclusivity and quality