Travel Airports and designer purses

I agree that it depends where i'm going - if I'm going to a major city, then I usually carry a designer bag but if i'm going on a cruise or to the tropics, then i'll usually carry something that is waterproof and that I don't mind losing or getting dirty.

That being said, the main reason I personally choose to carry a designer bag is because when I'm going on a trip, I prefer not to bring too many bags simply because of limited luggage space. So if I'm only going to bring one purse, I want it to count.
 
I use my Catherine Parra bag, when travelling. It's leather made, roomy and very light....
No screaming logo to attract attention from fellow passengers or Customs officers, particularly on the way back as we are not allowed to spend more than 420 euros outside Europe....

That's pretty absurd huh?
 
Exactly....An expensive bag can also mean you are wealthy enough to have spent a lot of money abroad....
A friend of mine had to pay 1800 euros in taxes when her daughter came back from LA!
She was dressed in designer clothes and the Customs officer (a lady but it could have been a man) asked her to open her luggage and found all sorts of expensive clothes, bags and wallets.... which she had bought in the US!

She should have thrown away all boxes, price tags and receipts. That way they can't be sure she bought it in a foreign country. I always do that when I travel and I never had any trouble at customs. I mostly travel with my Louis Vuitton luggage, with a Chanel bag inside and Chanel wallet and more branded stuff. They never suspect me of anything.
 
I don't care what everyone is carrying, i carry a nice non-designer bag when traveling..no way do i want to worry about an expensive bag getting dirty on the security belt and handled by security.. Getting dirty onthe floor of the airplane.. And attracting attention to myself.

I do the same with jewelry and other things that say "this is expensive"
 
She should have thrown away all boxes, price tags and receipts. That way they can't be sure she bought it in a foreign country. I always do that when I travel and I never had any trouble at customs. I mostly travel with my Louis Vuitton luggage, with a Chanel bag inside and Chanel wallet and more branded stuff. They never suspect me of anything.
Of course that's what most people do.....But some people are not even aware of the law....They think they can spend as much money as they want outside the European Community....
I remember talking to a French gentleman who had spent 6000 euros in Dubai...
He was sincerely astonished when I told him he might have problems when arriving in France...
 
Of course that's what most people do.....But some people are not even aware of the law....They think they can spend as much money as they want outside the European Community....
I remember talking to a French gentleman who had spent 6000 euros in Dubai...
He was sincerely astonished when I told him he might have problems when arriving in France...

I think that they should have find out before. Not to be mean, but even I do a little research before doing something, with anything. And I'm only 19. Think an older person would know a bit more about laws etc.
 
I carry both designer and non-designer handbags and luggage when traveling overseas. I've owned hard-sided LV suitcases, keepalls, and handbags since the 1980s. I've seen tons of LV suitcases, keepalls, and handbags on overseas travelers, at airports, since the early 1970s.

What type of handbags and luggage that I carry depends on where I'm going. When I'm off to Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, and tropical islands, I tend to pack the Kipling luggage and take Kipling and Kipling-style handbags, along with some rattan-type of summer bag for the evening.

When I'm off to Europe, it's a mixture of luggage and handbags. Which handbag and luggage depends more on the situation of how I'm traveling and where I'm going than if it will be designer or non-designer.

However, if I'm in a big city and am carrying a more high-end handbag and walk into a kind of shady situation, then I always just turn the bag around if there's a designer name, on the bag. Then I have the name facing my body instead of outward. When overseas, I'm out all day on public transportation and can't always get back to the apartment to change bags. However, I'm cautious whether carrying a designer handbag or a non-designer handbag.

As for coming through customs, one needs to be sensible. I have come home carrying my Chanel tote bag through customs and with no problems. But, then again, had I gotten stopped and luggage searched, customs would not have found a ton of obviously new designer clothes in my suitcase. And I still have many receipts to previously-bought items that I own and thus pack as many of them as possible which alleviates a lot of problems.
You are absolutely right. When I travel outside Europe I always take receipts from previous trips, especially for electronics or a watch....
 
I think that they should have find out before. Not to be mean, but even I do a little research before doing something, with anything. And I'm only 19. Think an older person would know a bit more about laws etc.
You are right. But a person who is not used to travelling can ignore the law.
Or pretend, in front of the Customs officers, that they didn't know...
 
I've never been questioned on what I purchased abroad! My dad has carried paintings on planes and hasn't been questioned! This thread is making me paranoid LOL

Right now I'm traveling with my Fendi carry on and a big Burberry shopper, because they're nice and roomy. I alternate between my biggest purses for travel.
 
I always carry whatever bag I'm using at the moment. I prefer designers that are more subtle (no monogram/big labels etc) so I don't think anyone even knows if I have a nice bag or not (unless you know designers). I do see lots of coach and LV when I travel, but I'd imagine most of it is fake. Ultimately for me I'm not going to hassle with separate travel handbags vs home--too much to deal with, imo.
 
I don't usually carry designer to airports and on planes, but I have to carry my Alexander Wang Emile because I'm getting tax off pit so I have to bring it, otherwise I would've left it at home because I don't want to risk damaging the bag or putting the bag on the floor on the plane...

The only time I've carried a designer was my MBMJ satchel, which isn't too bad plus it's a good bag to travel with.

I'm going on holiday in 5 days and I'm having trouble on what bag to carry during my short trip because I don't want to be carrying my Emile the whole time. (and I'm only having carry on). Sigh!
 
No screaming logo to attract attention from fellow passengers or Customs officers, particularly on the way back as we are not allowed to spend more than 420 euros outside Europe....

I understand the reasoning now. Has it always been this way? or did it change since you are having the some of the same issues we do in the US.

Gotta say in Vegas I see & hear from friends kids who work retail about Europeans & British that come in stores with empty suitcases & fill it up.