Do you buy for the "style" or for the "name"?

photomj

photomj

Rocker Chic
O.G.
Aug 30, 2007
1,717
6
#1
I'd like to hear other's opinions...do you buy a bag because you LOVE the style and perhaps found it at a great price, or do you buy the bag for the "name" so others will know what you're carrying?

I have just recently turned to purses as my addiction. I started with Coach and bought the large Black Sig. Carly at full price but then found the others at outlets and a few on Ebay like the Optic Signature Shoulder Tote, Chelsea Field Optic, Black Messenger Bag, Brown Signature Optic Tote, Optic Swingpack, etc. Whenever I wear a Coach bag (especially the Carly) I get compliments everywhere but, there are so many fakes and so many people wearing cheap knock-offs now that I have somewhat turned against Coach because of that perception.

Then I "discovered" Kooba and bought a Brown Carla which I adore! I also bought a funky cream leather Kenneth Cole on sale at Nordstrom's and a funky black leather Calvin Klein on sale from Dillard's. And, thanks to this board, I just bought a Hayden Harnett Olive Inka at the last sale!

Now I've found a Cynthia Rowley black leather bag on sale at Off Fifth.

All of these bags are in the $400 - $650 range but I've purchased them on sale in the $100-$200 range.

My anguish is, I LOVE all of the purses as they are quite eclectic and each have their own personality and look. But, no one knows who the "other" brands are! (When I wore my Kooba out, the only girl who noticed was a Nordstrom's SA!)

So, even though I am finding great deals on all these purses, I am still spending hundreds of dollars on them and sometimes it stinks if no one notices!

So, do you buy a bag cause you love it or do you buy it for the name?
 
#2
Hmmmm....good question. Well, as I've posted before I'm seriously NOT into logs. Can't stand them actually...and considering 80% of the ones I see are fake, I dislike them even more. I don't need to put a purse on just to have someone else notice it.
I happen to be a huge Kooba fan. But it's more than the Kooba name - the leather is TDF...and it's a pleasure to wear them. I enjoy how beautiful they are - especially my Lucys - and it's great that not everyone is wearing them.
If someone notices it, then fine. I usually get stares...MAYBE. Otherwise, it's just such a fine bag, I can't imagine who wouldn't appreciate the beauty, even if they've never heard of "Kooba". I can honestly say that I do enjoy when people seem to notice, but the biggest thrill is when I walk out the door and I feel good about me...and I know I look good. But I don't need anyone's validation to tell me it's true.....:heart:
 
#3
Thanks for your reply jchiara. I also feel good and know I look good wearing my bag collection. I wouldn't have bought them if I didn't like them.

I'm really not looking for "validation" from anyone. I'm in my 40's, own my own successful business and can afford to buy what I want. I don't own just one or two purses. I've invested a few thousand in them in the past few months which is why I made the post!

If a purses name didn't somewhat "matter" then there would be no market for designer bags and we'd all be buying purses from Target!
 
#4
I buy it for the style mostly. I do sometimes like the attention, but what initially attracts me to a brand is the appearance. If I ust wanted the most known highest status bag I would've just gotten an LV and a Birkin and maybe a Chanel right away to be done with it.

Despite that I mostly go for style, I do stick to one house of fashion a lot. This is, I think, due to the fact that the houses produces things in the similar style. If you like one thing from a certain brand, there's a higher probability that you will like more items from the same brand.
 
#5
I buy bags based on 1. looks first 2. designer second. I tend to shy away from a blatant logo. If it is a designer bag that I half like vs. another bag that I love I am going for the bag I love. But of course having a designer bag is a status thing. I want people to notice my bags because I notice other people's. And let's be honest, we as women do like the attention. But it is not necessarily because of the designer name but for the style, leather, details. I don't care what anyone says, you can spot a lux bag from a mile away, and what I look for in a bag is the look and quality. At the end of the day though, I wear the bag for me and because I love it.
 
#7
To me it is like loving and collecting anything else. Does anyone on the street know if you collect Fenton glass? How about Coca Cola memorabelia? With MOST obsessions/hobbies/collections, other people do not know about them and we never think twice about that.

For me, if I am buying a bag because of its label alone, I am making a mistake. I really enjoy finding lesser-known designers and investing in bags that don't look like everyone else's. Any collector is about labels to a certain extent - even silver and glass collectors have their preferred manufacturers - but the point isn't so other people know; it is for the pleasure of the collector.
 
#8
I buy bags based on its quality and style. I pay a lot of attention on details and cannot stand loosen threads, unneccesary studs, patches or tags. Following those guidlines, ususally name brand is the way to go.
 
#9
Definitely style first. I couldn't care less if people on the street recognize my bag or not, as long as I like the style. That being said, if I had to make a decision between two similar-looking bags, the designer might sway me towards one over the other, if one had a proven track record for quality, or if I've owned other bags from that brand, etc.
 
#11
Style first for me. I actually made up a list of specifications of what I need in a bag before I'm going to buy it. For example, before purchasing my LV Carryall bag I came up with the following list:

- Maximum price of US$1300
- Must be of very high quality (Made in France/Italy/Spain/USA only)
- Material must be durable and resists scratches (treated leather or vinyl coated canvas or thick synthetic fiber)
- Must hold my MacBook Pro laptop
- No shoulder strap, because I have too many messenger bags already
- Classic timeless design

With the above list in hand, I browsed the shops. Cutting down from Hermes, Gucci, Prada and Burberry - I've finally picked a Louis Vuitton Carryall in Monogram Canvas.

The Carryall bag is perfect for my need. The Monogram Canvas, something I neither like or dislike and couldn't care less as long as it's durable was the only material available for this kind of bag. Therefore I bought it for functionality/style over brand name/logo.

P.S. I've come to love the monogram canvas after extensive research on the background of Louis Vuitton etc.
 
#13
I go for style, size (must be a fairly big bag) and comfortable to carry, as l tend to put them over my shoulder due to having had tennis elbow twice through the weight in them!!!
 
#14
Definitely style (and purpose sometimes) are the key drivers behind my bag purchases. My taste are finicky so I'm not into bags just because a designer's name is slapped on it. IMO, an ugly bag is an ugly bag regardless if it's made by Target or Hermes.
 
#15
Definitely for style but of course the designer has something to do with it. I agree with you that if we didn't care about the "name", then we WOULD all be carrying bags from Target. I think it has to do with three things actually: style, name AND quality.
 
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