Should your age determine your handbag style?

Christiane Northrup says a lovely thing about getting older - that it's not the same thing as aging. Getting older is just moving through time. Aging is wearing down and degeneration.

Great quote QuelleFromage!

.

+1 . You have stated this so well! Totally agree. Age is just a number. Wear what fits your own personal style.

QuelleFromage ~ I agree. I am not in the "younger" group and think "age" is just bunch numbers reflecting how I appreciate my life experience... Not how I dress myself.

OP ~ In terms of bag style, I would say as long as I carry myself properly and be truthful to my own style. As I am aging I can still enjoy all the fun. Of course there are few styles that I would not like for myself not really because of my age just I don't find them attractive to my taste.

Oh! By the way, as for the "plump" or "sloppy" people ruining the look of a handbag- post baby, with my extra pounds, I rocked my Hermes!!!!!

And to the posters with wonderful things to say about aging and style, "well said!":woohoo:

I don't want to stray off topic, but this seemed to resonate. Here's the Christiane Northrup article. I believe she has written a book and given quite a few speeches on the subject of aging vs. getting older:
http://thechalkboardmag.com/goddesses-never-age-5-priceless-tips-for-growing-older-in-style

I'm still reasonably young but I found this really inspirational as I would like to "grow up" gracefully and healthfully.

And since I misquoted Dr. Northrup a bit :P:
"Understand the difference between getting older, which is simply moving through time, and aging, a term we use to describe decline and decay."

I do think this is apropos to the thread, as the core is whether you define yourself by a number or an outside perception, or set your own definition.
I believe quite strongly that if you boldly make your own choice to be whom you want to be, you will not fall into the trap of someone else's preconceptions.
I BASE jump, which is a fairly scary sport requiring a lot of training; there's a 102-year-old woman who BASE jumps, too, whom I have seen on expeditions. I don't think she worries if her bag is suitable for her age :biggrin:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bethwithabagproblem
Thank you birkel and papertiger:smile:

papertiger, I think you really hit on something with the updated colors. They are also adding some trendier hardware as well. The latest thing seems to be using a bag strap that is of a color that you would not expect. I rather like this trend and it does take a traditional Kelly and make it a bit fresh looking. Many are currently resisting this idea and when Hermes came out with the Amazone multicolor strap, the majority of tPFERs were not thrilled with it. I loved it and had the minority position:smile: I believe that this is part of this trend and we know that Fendi has embraced this as well. Some of the Fendi straps have been showing up on the thread as well as those made by other companies. i say YAY to this! It shows less rigidity with the wearing of a classic brand and bag.

I totally agree about the bag straps: I want to get one of Valentino's, which I prefer to Fendi, and use it on all my Kellys, whatever colour!!!
 
i think as we age it's more important to choose handbag colors that compliment age moreso than styles. a hot patent pink crossbody bag won't look the same on someone 62 as it will on someone 22. it's just common sense.
 
She looked and dressed like a fishmonger (no joke) carrying a longchamp(nothing wrong with the longchamp here). She is quite plump, not wearing any makeup. I don't mean to judge how another person dresses, but can't help but to feel that a hermes bags will be totally ruined with her kind of dressing as well as how she carries herself. I have seen very simple dressed women with just a T shirt and shorts carry herself very well with a birkin, but not that kind of sloppiness. I am not sure if you guys know what m saying. I am definitely for cheap outfits with expensive handbags, but not sloppy, crude, erm totally indifferent to one image or mannerism. A good branded bag can bring out the beauty of your cheap outfits, but not the case when the outfit and mannerism totally ruin your beautiful bag. If u can't keep up the image, don't ruin the bag.


I think sloppy fishmongers of any age should be able to carry an Hermes without judgment.
 
I don't think there is any such thing as an age-appropriate bag. If you like and it suits your needs, carry it. After all, the purpose of any bag is to hold the things you want to bring out with you regardless of what the bag looks like.
 
I don't want to stray off topic, but this seemed to resonate. Here's the Christiane Northrup article. I believe she has written a book and given quite a few speeches on the subject of aging vs. getting older:
http://thechalkboardmag.com/goddesses-never-age-5-priceless-tips-for-growing-older-in-style

I'm still reasonably young but I found this really inspirational as I would like to "grow up" gracefully and healthfully.

And since I misquoted Dr. Northrup a bit
"Understand the difference between getting older, which is simply moving through time, and aging, a term we use to describe decline and decay."

I do think this is apropos to the thread, as the core is whether you define yourself by a number or an outside perception, or set your own definition.
I believe quite strongly that if you boldly make your own choice to be whom you want to be, you will not fall into the trap of someone else's preconceptions.
I BASE jump, which is a fairly scary sport requiring a lot of training; there's a 102-year-old woman who BASE jumps, too, whom I have seen on expeditions. I don't think she worries if her bag is suitable for her age
LOVE this QF. And, I agree this goes along with the topic.;) Aging is a mind set as well as a biological issue. I am not a spring chicken:roflmfao: And, not that I care to discuss this often...I have Chronic debilitating health issues. That being said...I'm planning on rocking any bag I want!:cool: Along with you 102 base jumper:graucho: I also have to post the title of the
Article for everyone QF. GODDESSES NEVER AGE: 5 PRICELESS TIPS FOR GROWING OLDER IN STYLE
Don’t be normal. Be optimal! Dr. Christiane Northrup tells us 5 ways to become ageless, no matter what your age is… For those that don't know me look at my avatar name;)
Thank you birkel and papertiger

papertiger, I think you really hit on something with the updated colors. They are also adding some trendier hardware as well. The latest thing seems to be using a bag strap that is of a color that you would not expect. I rather like this trend and it does take a traditional Kelly and make it a bit fresh looking. Many are currently resisting this idea and when Hermes came out with the Amazone multicolor strap, the majority of tPFERs were not thrilled with it. I loved it and had the minority position I believe that this is part of this trend and we know that Fendi has embraced this as well. Some of the Fendi straps have been showing up on the thread as well as those made by other companies. i say YAY to this! It shows less rigidity with the wearing of a classic brand and bag.
LOVE the straps!!!! I just bought the Valentino camo/butterfly strap;)
I totally agree about the bag straps: I want to get one of Valentino's, which I prefer to Fendi, and use it on all my Kellys, whatever colour!!!
Hello my friend! I have been meaning to write you a long email....soon:biggrin:
Of course we have the same taste in this as many other things:roflmfao: I just bought the butterfly/camo and adore it. Love that it is long enough to use as a cross body option! Now I just need many H bags. Lol
 
I don't want to stray off topic, but this seemed to resonate. Here's the Christiane Northrup article. I believe she has written a book and given quite a few speeches on the subject of aging vs. getting older:
http://thechalkboardmag.com/goddesses-never-age-5-priceless-tips-for-growing-older-in-style

I'm still reasonably young but I found this really inspirational as I would like to "grow up" gracefully and healthfully.

And since I misquoted Dr. Northrup a bit :P:
"Understand the difference between getting older, which is simply moving through time, and aging, a term we use to describe decline and decay."

I do think this is apropos to the thread, as the core is whether you define yourself by a number or an outside perception, or set your own definition.
I believe quite strongly that if you boldly make your own choice to be whom you want to be, you will not fall into the trap of someone else's preconceptions.
I BASE jump, which is a fairly scary sport requiring a lot of training; there's a 102-year-old woman who BASE jumps, too, whom I have seen on expeditions. I don't think she worries if her bag is suitable for her age :biggrin:

Great article, QF! As someone who will be having a milestone birthday in a couple of months, this was great to read.

I think some of what we're all talking about here has to do with confidence. A friend of mine who is a therapist has a saying that she believes most women grow up in their 40s. I think this is very true. When you see someone who knows themself and their style, and carries themselves with grace, that person stands out in a positive way.

I pretty much carry the bags I like with more thought to whether I like it and how functional it is than worrying if it's "age appropriate." Although I will admit, I dress fairly simply and worry more about looking too conservative than I do about looking too young. Then again, the Hello Kitty line was never for me, even when I was much younger!
 
LOVE this QF. And, I agree this goes along with the topic.;) Aging is a mind set as well as a biological issue. I am not a spring chicken:roflmfao: And, not that I care to discuss this often...I have Chronic debilitating health issues. That being said...I'm planning on rocking any bag I want!:cool: Along with you 102 base jumper:graucho: I also have to post the title of the
Article for everyone QF. GODDESSES NEVER AGE: 5 PRICELESS TIPS FOR GROWING OLDER IN STYLE
Don’t be normal. Be optimal! Dr. Christiane Northrup tells us 5 ways to become ageless, no matter what your age is… For those that don't know me look at my avatar name;)

LOVE the straps!!!! I just bought the Valentino camo/butterfly strap;)

Hello my friend! I have been meaning to write you a long email....soon:biggrin:
Of course we have the same taste in this as many other things:roflmfao: I just bought the butterfly/camo and adore it. Love that it is long enough to use as a cross body option! Now I just need many H bags. Lol

Hi sweetie! Yayy, that's exactly the one I want, I loooove it! Send me some modelling pics!!!
 
i think as we age it's more important to choose handbag colors that compliment age moreso than styles. a hot patent pink crossbody bag won't look the same on someone 62 as it will on someone 22. it's just common sense.

Certain things look gross at any age and just because the dreadful taste belongs to someone younger does not make it attractive .
I'm fine with people doing what suits them but I don't expect me to like it !
 
i think as we age it's more important to choose handbag colors that compliment age moreso than styles. a hot patent pink crossbody bag won't look the same on someone 62 as it will on someone 22. it's just common sense.

Sometimes age and style go hand in hand and not always in a good way from the majority point of view. I have known some women who even when older, dance to the tune of their own drummer and would wear that pink bag in a heart beat. They are forever young in their head, even if the body has moved on:lol: We may not like what they wear, but it is their right to do it. I think most of us have a gene that is buried in the subconscious, what you are calling common sense, that tells us that what we did when we were 25 is not the thing to do at 45 or 65. So to return to the theme of the thread...whatever your age is will determine the color of your bag choice and how you decide to dress it up or not. I think the some of the bag charms are darling, but I will not be hanging a bear on my bag anytime soon as I would feel like an idiot. By the same token, I like to wear a silk pochette on my bag and a younger women might feel it was too staid a look. That's all fine! It is taking the bag and personalizing it and let's face it, age is a determining factor in that.
 
I think its up to personal style... My closet is more monotone than my mothers' closet. I tend to stick to neutrals and toned down,classic purses and my mom loves the bright and colorful seasonals. My grandma, even more so.

I was at a coffee shop in Toronto and I saw the most beautiful lady in her late 70s in a powder blue skirt suit, matching pillbox hat, giant pearl earrings and a matching powder blue purse. She looked exquisite.

I was at Dover Street Market in Ginza and one of the SAs were at least 65+ and she had a chic grey anna wintour bob, dressed head to toe in black Rick Owens and some sick Givenchy loafers. She looked exquisite as well.

At the same time, I am barely over 30 and wearing a cardigan, some slacks and running shoes with my handy goyard st louis tote :sweatdrop: :giggles::giggles:

I don't think there's such a thing as age determining style.

I like to think my style will get even BETTER as I age since I'm that much more experienced with life and style.
 
Sometimes age and style go hand in hand and not always in a good way from the majority point of view. I have known some women who even when older, dance to the tune of their own drummer and would wear that pink bag in a heart beat. They are forever young in their head, even if the body has moved on:lol: We may not like what they wear, but it is their right to do it. I think most of us have a gene that is buried in the subconscious, what you are calling common sense, that tells us that what we did when we were 25 is not the thing to do at 45 or 65. So to return to the theme of the thread...whatever your age is will determine the color of your bag choice and how you decide to dress it up or not. I think the some of the bag charms are darling, but I will not be hanging a bear on my bag anytime soon as I would feel like an idiot. By the same token, I like to wear a silk pochette on my bag and a younger women might feel it was too staid a look. That's all fine! It is taking the bag and personalizing it and let's face it, age is a determining factor in that.

i was just having this conversation w/my mother recently... asking her if at age 80 i could still wear little pink bags :smile: i have the theory that women in the higher age bracket (maybe 65+) who still dress very young-ish (think Betsey Johnson here) were in creative fields during their work years as opposed to just trying to recapture their youth. i happen to think women who are in extremely artistic/creative fields just cannot help but to dress a bit bizarre as they continue to age b/c it's entirely authentic to them.
 
I don't think it should, one should be free to carry whatever bag they want no matter their age.

Personally though, my answer is yes, my age determines my handbag style. I've been constantly curating and purging my collection until I ended up with 7 bags that suit my style, and those that I feel are age-appropriate for myself. I don't impose that on others though, so I don't really pass judgment on others.

When I was in my 20s, I owned a number of Coach bags (those with monograms) and Prada nylon backpacks with chain straps. Then I started to buy Longchamp Le Pliage totes.

As I got older, I felt that I should get myself a leather bag, so I bought a Marc Jacobs crossbody (I think it's called the 'Werdie' bag). Then proceeded to buy LV mono & DE bags, and added more Longchamp totes. When I hit 30 I got myself LV Epi bags.

Fast forward to today, I sold all except my Epi bags and 2 Longchamp totes, and bought 2 bags that weren't popular brands because they were bags I needed to complete my needs, were affordable, and well-made.

I was left with 3 LV Epi bags (my grown-up bags), 2 Le Pliage totes (my extreme weather bags), 1 clutch, and 1 crossbody that can be transformed into a clutch.

I have all I need now, and I am not lusting for any more bags. Maybe when I hit 45, I'll get myself an Hermès Kelly. [emoji1]
 
Last edited: