Has Your Bag Changed Your Life?

prepster

prepster

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Mar 4, 2016
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#1
A friend of mine told me recently that her purse changed her life. The "Aha!" moment came when she looked in her closet and saw row after row of structured, dressy bags that all looked a lot like briefcases. She said, “Obviously I had not been buying bags for the life I had, but for the life I wanted. I realized at that moment that I wanted to go back to work. My choice of bags was a window into my desires."

So here’s my question: Has your bag helped you realize a dream? Is it a visual reminder to stay centered on your path? Be more serious? Have more fun? Have you used it as a reward for a job well-done, or incentive to become more closely aligned with who you want to be?
 
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#4
papertiger said:
^ That's fantastic. So glad her handbags gave your friend such insight

My bags are possibly reminding me I need to earn more money and go out to parties and social events more LOL
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Lol! Or we can just party in your closet!

I was thinking about this today running errands. In some cases it is possible I've received better help in shops when I'm dressed in jeans but carrying a good bag. On a more philosophical note, beauty seems to beget beauty. The first good bag I ever bought (long before they went out of business and came back again) was a black box calf bag from Mark Cross. Smooth and lovely, it was a thing of beauty. In one fell swoop it raised my expectations for quality in the rest of my life.
 
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#5
prepster said:
Lol! Or we can just party in your closet!

I was thinking about this today running errands. In come cases it is possible I've received better help in shops when I'm dressed in jeans but carrying a good bag. On a more philosophical note, beauty seems to beget beauty. The first good bag I ever bought (long before they went out of business and came back again) was a black box calf bag from Mark Cross. Smooth and lovely, it was a thing of beauty. In one fell swoop it raised my expectations for quality in the rest of my life.
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Come on over :happydance:

I can see how a Mark Cross bag would spoil you for life, how lovely. Borrowing my mother's bags from an early age ruined me for life ;)
 
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#6
Love this thread. Yes, my bag changed my life, I think! Or at least my aesthetic. Carrying my LV Speedy every day made me start paying more attention to the beautiful details and small tactile luxuries that I encounter throughout my day. It made me feel tremendous gratitude for all these small things, and just as beauty begets beauty (love that!) gratitude also begets gratitude. Carrying it made me feel surrounded by abundance and beauty. I hope that I'm able to shine those things outward into the world when I feel that way inside. :smile:

It also elevated my style, in general, and made me start articulating to myself: what's important to me? What do I want to project to the world? What does my lifestyle require? What makes me feel good and why? A lot of self-examination and self-discovery resulted from receiving that first LV bag!
 
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#7
prepster said:
Lol! Or we can just party in your closet!

I was thinking about this today running errands. In some cases it is possible I've received better help in shops when I'm dressed in jeans but carrying a good bag. On a more philosophical note, beauty seems to beget beauty. The first good bag I ever bought (long before they went out of business and came back again) was a black box calf bag from Mark Cross. Smooth and lovely, it was a thing of beauty. In one fell swoop it raised my expectations for quality in the rest of my life.
Click to expand...

I just had to respond because my first high-end bag was also Mark Cross! It was called the Murphy Bag, from 1993. A friend of my future DH had one, and I just swooned over it. Before that, it had been no-name brands or maybe Coach. DH responded to my swooning by getting me a Murphy bag of my own for Christmas that year. I still have it, along with the Mark Cross Crescent bag (in that smooth black box leather you referenced) and a small camera bag. The quality of all three is right up there with anything produced today (with the possible exception of Hermes). Like with you, the brand instantly elevated my expectations and hopes for every bag that followed. It also changed my view of myself and having luxury goods -- somehow, that Murphy bag changed things for me, and my perspective shifted from someone who saw luxury as frivolous and a waste of money to something of true value that I deserved and appreciated.
 
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#8
I would hope not, otherwise that means I've had no life lol (which is very possible). My bags however make me feel more put together, and confident about the outfits that I choose to wear with them. Regardless, I know (with or without my bags), that I'm a career woman who has to do something outside of the home; as much as I admire stay-at-home-moms, I absolutely need a job to keep myself in shape. Hopefully my obsession will help me look extra professional and get hired for a new position that way! Haha :lol:
 
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#9
Yes and no. I stopped at two designer bags before realizing how quickly their sheen wears off before I'm back to business as usual. Buying them apparently scratched some kind of itch, and just having them as my first really nice things demonstrated to me the limits of what physical possessions can do (I still enjoy carrying the bags, but I'm happy to go back to Kate Spade, etc.).

On the flip side, I am motivated to put together a more polished wardrobe because the quality of my current clothes lag uncomfortably behind the quality of my high end bags.

Hmm, it seems my real answer to OP's question is truly "yes", but in a slightly different way than for others here.
 
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#11
Probably, yes.
A few life changes:
1) I pose dog with designer bags/goods, for whimsical portraits.
2) I weave travel plans to include favorite bag shops worldwide.
3) I favor clothing purchases which compliment owned bag colors.
4) I finally figured out what "slg" means.
5) I own 2 bag hooks--using them is work in progress.:P
6) I met some dear friends on tpf.
7) I pronounced, "hermes" correctly--but still dislike most of their bags.
8) I developed habit of stuffing my snout inside leather bags & snuffling nice fragrances.
9) I learned to run in terror from white bags.
10) I decided to wear bags, rather than them wearing me--so ignore lots of "rules."

But, on the whole, life did not rocket into an incredible alternate universe. Where I am a fashion diva, who doesn't swear or spill liquids all over herself. When chanel or mulberry flopped over my shoulder.:lol:
I still hop along as my imperfect self.
My biggest accomplishments--well, they aren't about bags. ;)
 
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#12
remainsilly said:
Probably, yes.
A few life changes:
1) I pose dog with designer bags/goods, for whimsical portraits.
2) I weave travel plans to include favorite bag shops worldwide.
3) I favor clothing purchases which compliment owned bag colors.
4) I finally figured out what "slg" means.
5) I own 2 bag hooks--using them is work in progress.:P
6) I met some dear friends on tpf.
7) I pronounced, "hermes" correctly--but still dislike most of their bags.
8) I developed habit of stuffing my snout inside leather bags & snuffling nice fragrances.
9) I learned to run in terror from white bags.
10) I decided to wear bags, rather than them wearing me--so ignore lots of "rules."

But, on the whole, life did not rocket into an incredible alternate universe. Where I am a fashion diva, who doesn't swear or spill liquids all over herself. When chanel or mulberry flopped over my shoulder.:lol:
I still hop along as my imperfect self.
My biggest accomplishments--well, they aren't about bags. ;)
Click to expand...

Very well said, I'm sure you get tired of hearing that!:nuts:
For me my bags simply elevate my very simple and plain wardrobe. I don't spend a fortune on clothes so I prefer to "spice" up my outfits with my accessories....bags, scarves, jewelry, boots, etc.
I feel blessed to own the bags I do even though they aren't what many consider high designer bags.....the important thing is that they work for me and my lifestyle and that's all that matters.
 
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