2018 resolution - shopping my own bag and wallet collection. Any one else?

[HopelessBagGirl]

In other words, the opportunity cost of each bag is 12.5% of your family experience (because you mentioned you’re an economist )

Exactly!

 

[HopelessBagGirl]

About large bags. YES to a large, light as a feather canvas tote. But then I’m using it as a combo with a mini/micro bag (WOC size or less) inside with my true essentials that are ready for quick crossbody portability so I don’t feel like I absolutely always need it with me and I can alternate between carrying larger items and having smaller valuables (cards, keys, phone, lippy) on my hip without being weighed down. For example in winter if I go on outings with my girls it’s nice to have a big roomy tote with me so I can stuff their hats and gloves and even ball up their winter coats and stuff them in, and then kind of leave it in the corner of whatever room I’m in, or in the shopping cart at the store, etc, but can grab out my personal effects in a compact crossbody and keep them on me within grasp. So YES to big roomy purses but only in combo style. I would never want to carry a big bag that was not a bag within a bag Russian doll style setup, just with small loose items rolling around the bottom, or even small and medium pouches and wallet, phone, etc in it because it would be way too much space for those size items and they probably all fit in the inner wall zippered pocket anyways but then the purse is off kilter in terms of weight if everything is suspended in such a pocket, with nothing in the bottom, and it will fall over and then it’s all just weird. So it makes no sense with what I carry for myself to have a big purse that’s kind of my only purse, if that makes sense, but it does make sense to have a large catchall that has a mini purse for me, plus a few bulky items for the family when I’m not solo. Or even when I am solo, in winter, so I can stuff my scarf/wrap there, my own hat and gloves, etc.

 

[Miss_Dawn]

Yes, that makes a lot of sense to pop it inside a tote/laptop bag for daytime use. I think it's going to work beautifully for you.

I'm intrigued at the thought of it as an evening bag. When I'm wearing something very dressy, I never think about carrying a bag on a chain... I carry a clutch. But then that's a pain, because it ties up one hand. And if it's an event where you want to hold a plate, it feels like a juggling act. When you go out to a dressy event (and it seems from your posts here that you go to quite a few) do you carry little shoulder bags instead of clutch bags? I'm going to a very dressy gala next spring, and while I haven't even bought the dress yet, I'm already wondering about my bag!

I attend a fair amount of dressy things. Since a lot of people in my life and work are from Oxbridge, we’re used to black tie (or even white tie). I have no qualms about carrying small shoulder bags to these things. Carry what you like - as long as it’s coordinated with your dress and shoes, I find people tend to be complimentary.

What options are you considering?

 

[Kendie26]

I guess there is no reason not to share what it is. It’s not like it isn’t on its way. I’m being silly level cautious. Lol!

I just bought the Diorama Ultra Black Studded WOC
View attachment 4280908
I’m soooooo excited. This is the bag Mr S. tried to get me to buy but, in the medium size. I said no because felt I didn’t need another black bag. And, even though my YSL Sm Mono Cabas is a very different style, it is black w/ black hardware. So it felt like a lot of money for something that would make my black bag habit worse and not add a lot to my collection. But, I’ve thought about it ever since.

Then @Miss_Dawn showed her Dior WOC and I LOVED it. And we talked about how much it held, etc. which made me even more interested (I have to have function.)

@Kendie26 shared how useful her Chanel WOC is for business and let me ask a ton of questions about that usage.

So... when I saw this WOC version on Fashionphile a month ago, I REALLY wanted it. But I was stupid and waited and someone bought it. I was extra bummed because I went to a black tie event shortly thereafter and it would have been perfect. Then I was hunting on Fashionphile in the middle of the night, LO AND BEHOLD!!!! It was back!!! I thought I was seeing things.

I’m super excited!!! It’s in excellent condition with the box, bag, etc. YIPPEEE!!!
The lack of organization is one of the things that’s kept me from the super pretty SDJ. Also, when it first came out, it was so heavy with the leather lining.

And, yes, the YSL sales teams in TWO cities were completely unhelpful. I refuse to believe it was reasonable to have to wait 2-4 months just to get the hardware and THEN they were still iffy about repair.
Let us know how the sale goes. Fingers crossed.

I forgot most white bags go yellow. I wonder if there is a way to stop that.

I’m all about limiting my purchases too. You and I are going to end up at about the same place. I’ll have 3 bags / 0 SLG’s in this year.

And just FYI - I think all but the largest Diorevers are a shoulder bag. (Image from Google) This is another bag I love but like with the SDJ I’ve heard it’s heavy.View attachment 4280923
And of course I’ll squeal with joy when you get your lambie!!! It’s fun to see my pocket friends add bags that make them joyful. I just don’t need to lurk the Chanel (or any other) thread and see endless reveals. It gets boring after a while. I prefer conversations about wearing, storing, playing with, selling, repairing, gifting, etc. bags vs just the buying moment. I absolutely agree with you that they need to be sensitive and thoughtful as an image company.
I love to hear stories of good customer service.

I’ve just found the SL store staff to be completely uninterested. It’s like they are all terminally bored. I tried on shoes in the one in Nassau a couple months ago and got no energy. Looked at bags at the one in Dallas this month. Same thing. It’s not motivating at all to buy - especially given my service issues. Which is a shame since I love several of their bags like the SDJ and the LouLou tote.
YES! I adore this bag. But again, this is another bag I’ve heard is heavy. Plus it’s arm / hand carry. I just can’t make myself take the plunge.
Thanks for the bday wishes!! And double Yay! For this thread!

I’ve been lucky in that during the my no purchase period, I received two bags as gifts even though I didn’t request them. But, it was still really tough at times not to buy.

I had posted earlier about how I don’t find it quite as much fun to be on tPF since I’m not in active buy mode. I first joined because I needed information. Now I’m very knowledgeable about the brands I tend to buy and have enough info in my head about others to know what I’ll like and what I won’t. And, sometimes, I feel a little silly showing the same bags over and over.

But, seeing bags (for the most part) doesn’t really tempt me because I love what I have. So, happily, I don’t feel the need to leave for that reason.

That all being said, I do still get great info that I can use. In fact, my new purchase is a direct result of insight gleaned from really helpful conversations with @Miss_Dawn and @Kendie26.

So, I don’t really visit nearly as many threads and forums as I used to. As much as I love them and am happy for people who get them, how many times can I ooh and aah over another black Chanel flap reveal? Lol! But, my favorite thing is chatting with the girls on this thread. I like seeing everyone talk about what they are doing whether it’s about bags or fashion or just going about living our days. HTH and I hope you stay around and keep the conversation going.

And, whoo hoo on starting your Masters!!! Please share what you get beforehand!!!

OMG Yay you Sparkle for trying a WOC!! That Diorama studded woc is a TOTAL babe like you!!! LOVE it & hope you will also love it & find it useful, as I’ve found mine! Happiest Congrats & please post more pics when it arrives. I believe we are same height (& somewhat close in size/frame)so I’m hoping you love the proportion. Hey- did you ever check out Lululemon for some cute workout clothes? (Oh & my bday was in Nov before yours per your other post question)

 

[Kendie26]

Just a quick helloto all of my wonderful friends that are on this thread (boo me as I haven’t been here for way way too long....the speed of this thread always amazed me

 

[Kendie26]

I’ve been thinking about how mini and small bags have stayed in style muuuuuuch longer than I would have thought. And, it’s incluenced me. I still don’t want a lot of mini bags. But, I can now see how they can have a function.

I wonder when big bags will come back into style. Not the ridiculously big ones we’ve seen lately that are more runway statement pieces but, the large bags that were in vogue say 12-15 years ago. I used to love the look of a big bag. But now I just don’t have anything to put in them. I’m not sure if I would go back to big bags.

Do any of you have interest in seeing / owning more large bags?

Well said dearest! The mini/small bag trend HAS gone on longer than I would have guessed & it defintely influenced me as well. My larger bag usage has pretty much been next to nil/zero this past year. I’m a minimalist at heart so mini/small has become “my speed” in bags

 

[Kendie26]

When I see Kendie ‘s name mentioned here, I guess it’s a Chanel then. [emoji16]
Lamb jumbo single flap in like new condition? I’m not up to date on the thread anymore so I maybe wrong?

Ok dearest darlin Vink, I THANK YOU for this laugh!! OMG too funny. Am I THAT transparent (w/ chanel?) Gosh, I do have other brands that I use & adore but yes, I guess I still am under the spell of crazy Karl BUT, to my defense, I have not bought any new chanel, or ANY new bags all year long w/ just ONE exception (my mini Gucci Marmont) & I have zero plans to add anything. Again, I do thank you for making me laugh HARD at your comment

 

[Kendie26]

Yes, that makes a lot of sense to pop it inside a tote/laptop bag for daytime use. I think it's going to work beautifully for you.

I'm intrigued at the thought of it as an evening bag. When I'm wearing something very dressy, I never think about carrying a bag on a chain... I carry a clutch. But then that's a pain, because it ties up one hand. And if it's an event where you want to hold a plate, it feels like a juggling act. When you go out to a dressy event (and it seems from your posts here that you go to quite a few) do you carry little shoulder bags instead of clutch bags? I'm going to a very dressy gala next spring, and while I haven't even bought the dress yet, I'm already wondering about my bag!

Biggest, happy helloto 1 of my long-lost fave Mulberry friends!! HOW ARE YOU sweetest Elaine?!!!
What you described above is another perfect use of a WOC item. I was at a wedding last weekend & I typically would have taken my So Black Chanel WOC, but I changed my mind & used a clutch. As the night went on, I cursed myself saying “Why didn’t I bring my WOC?”(to make things easier) SO fun seeing you/your avatar ....I’ve not visited this thread in a super long time but that darn funny Sparkle lured me over by tagging me so I read a few pages & saw you!

 

[ksuromax]

What a fashionable snowman

We need a love button.

thank you!

 

[catsinthebag]

I think I've found something 'worthy' to direct my bag buying urges towards. I can't just decide to be a miser and have that work.

So I'm worried about my 13 year old's fortnight addiction in general and have been trying to figure out how to make next summer in Tennessee more positive quality family time and less teenagers lounging around grandma's staring at devices and complaining about being bored because they have no friends.

I've spent hours researching camps in Tennessee and comparing schedules, Costs, location, and most importantly how much I think it would engage my sons in the real world especially the younger son. I think I've found an amazing collection of camps, both overnight and day camps, to make the summer a really great mix of family time and breaks from each other doing exciting and enriching things. One week for the whole family is on the agenda which I'm particularly excited about!!! As my eldest will be 16 next summer there aren't many more summers with all 4 of my kids minor children that I can plan activities for so I have to seize the moment.

Point is, that all these camps add up to 4 grand all in all. I'm going to start saving up now so it's only about one $500 bag per month and doable. But that will help when I'm tempted by a purse think to myself, "would I rather pay for teen science camp for one of my kids or buy that bag", ya know?

That’s a great idea! A couple of years ago I was thinking of taking a course, and bemoaning the (college-tuition-level) expense. Then someone pointed out that the class was basically the cost of a bag to me!

 

[ElainePG]

I attend a fair amount of dressy things. Since a lot of people in my life and work are from Oxbridge, we’re used to black tie (or even white tie). I have no qualms about carrying small shoulder bags to these things. Carry what you like - as long as it’s coordinated with your dress and shoes, I find people tend to be complimentary.

What options are you considering?

Well, until I get my dress (which needs to be long, so I'll need to buy one) I don't know for sure yet. I have a vintage clutch bag from the 1940s that I just love, which I think would be fun to carry onless it's a definite "no" with the dress. It's made out of fabric, with a lucite handle. Don't know if I've ever shown it here?

The one thing I've decided for sure about the dress is that it will NOT be black!!! Everything I own is black. For once I want to break out in a bit of color. But I don't want something all froufrou and ruffles... that's just not me. There's a small boutique in my (very small) town that gets one-of-a-kind dresses from France, and I dropped in to speak to the owner a couple of weeks ago. She told me that if I find something I like, but it's too large, she can get it made for me in a smaller size if I give her enough lead time. So I'm going to go back after the Christmas and New Year scramble and really start to take this seriously.

This is the bag. The ripple-y fabric was called cordé, perhaps because it looked a bit like corduroy. But it's not corduroy, it's individual pieces of gimp stitched to a fabric background. It was a very hot item back in the 1940s.

 

[whateve]

For me the search of bags is like a stress reliever. It is something I enjoy and takes my mind off other things. It is a hard habit to get out of. Though lately most of the bags I see don't do anything for me, so maybe things are slowly changing.

I think it is both a stress reliever and a stress causer for me. I feel guilty about spending the money so when I get close to purchasing, I get nervous and back off.

(sing along) Do you wanna build a snowman?

Wow, you've gone from one weather extreme to another! I love all your Christmas photos. You are so creative with the placement of your bags.

That’s a great idea! A couple of years ago I was thinking of taking a course, and bemoaning the (college-tuition-level) expense. Then someone pointed out that the class was basically the cost of a bag to me!

We just bought a $2000 down comforter, and I realized that could have been a very nice purse!

Well, until I get my dress (which needs to be long, so I'll need to buy one) I don't know for sure yet. I have a vintage clutch bag from the 1940s that I just love, which I think would be fun to carry onless it's a definite "no" with the dress. It's made out of fabric, with a lucite handle. Don't know if I've ever shown it here?

The one thing I've decided for sure about the dress is that it will NOT be black!!! Everything I own is black. For once I want to break out in a bit of color. But I don't want something all froufrou and ruffles... that's just not me. There's a small boutique in my (very small) town that gets one-of-a-kind dresses from France, and I dropped in to speak to the owner a couple of weeks ago. She told me that if I find something I like, but it's too large, she can get it made for me in a smaller size if I give her enough lead time. So I'm going to go back after the Christmas and New Year scramble and really start to take this seriously.

This is the bag. The ripple-y fabric was called cordé, perhaps because it looked a bit like corduroy. But it's not corduroy, it's individual pieces of gimp stitched to a fabric background. It was a very hot item back in the 1940s.

View attachment 4281511 View attachment 4281512

I love this!

 

[Sparkletastic]

I'm the same way. It is easier to stay on the ban if I don't buy anything. Once I buy something, I can't stop looking. This happened to me a few months ago. I started looking because I had ebay bucks to use up. But once I found something to spend them on, I didn't stop looking. I bought several things. I guess that is why alcoholics can't even take one drink.

Yes! I had the same thought - this is why alcoholics can’t just take one drink. One bag purchase stirs up all the feelings and positive associations I have with bag hunting. The fun in talking about options, the thrill of the hunt, the feeling of victory when I find the bag... Interestingly, those give me more of a “high” than the actually receiving and wearing of the bag. I get more true satisfaction and pleasure from wearing the bag. But the addictive high that I imagine must feel like a the rush a drug addict gets comes in the hunting / purchase process.

It’s like the hunting and buying process is the bad boyfriend who is super fun to be with but no good. The owning and wearing go the bag is the amazing husband you actually can do life with.

Happy birthday spark!

Thank you!

What a fashionable snowman

IKR?! @ksuromax - I’m not sure how to feel when your snowman looks better accessorized than I ever do in the snow. Lol!

That’s a great idea! A couple of years ago I was thinking of taking a course, and bemoaning the (college-tuition-level) expense. Then someone pointed out that the class was basically the cost of a bag to me!

I also think of everything in Cost-of-Bag terms. Lol! I want new dining room furniture but all I can see is 4 or 5 lost bags. LOL!

Well, until I get my dress (which needs to be long, so I'll need to buy one) I don't know for sure yet. I have a vintage clutch bag from the 1940s that I just love, which I think would be fun to carry onless it's a definite "no" with the dress. It's made out of fabric, with a lucite handle. Don't know if I've ever shown it here?

The one thing I've decided for sure about the dress is that it will NOT be black!!! Everything I own is black. For once I want to break out in a bit of color. But I don't want something all froufrou and ruffles... that's just not me. There's a small boutique in my (very small) town that gets one-of-a-kind dresses from France, and I dropped in to speak to the owner a couple of weeks ago. She told me that if I find something I like, but it's too large, she can get it made for me in a smaller size if I give her enough lead time. So I'm going to go back after the Christmas and New Year scramble and really start to take this seriously.

This is the bag. The ripple-y fabric was called cordé, perhaps because it looked a bit like corduroy. But it's not corduroy, it's individual pieces of gimp stitched to a fabric background. It was a very hot item back in the 1940s.

View attachment 4281511 View attachment 4281512

Oooh! That store sounds super cool you have to shar your dress here when you get it.

And, I love that bag. I remember you telling us the story behind it before. Super cool and a must wear!!!

 

[catsinthebag]

Well, until I get my dress (which needs to be long, so I'll need to buy one) I don't know for sure yet. I have a vintage clutch bag from the 1940s that I just love, which I think would be fun to carry onless it's a definite "no" with the dress. It's made out of fabric, with a lucite handle. Don't know if I've ever shown it here?

The one thing I've decided for sure about the dress is that it will NOT be black!!! Everything I own is black. For once I want to break out in a bit of color. But I don't want something all froufrou and ruffles... that's just not me. There's a small boutique in my (very small) town that gets one-of-a-kind dresses from France, and I dropped in to speak to the owner a couple of weeks ago. She told me that if I find something I like, but it's too large, she can get it made for me in a smaller size if I give her enough lead time. So I'm going to go back after the Christmas and New Year scramble and really start to take this seriously.

This is the bag. The ripple-y fabric was called cordé, perhaps because it looked a bit like corduroy. But it's not corduroy, it's individual pieces of gimp stitched to a fabric background. It was a very hot item back in the 1940s.

View attachment 4281511 View attachment 4281512

That is such a cool bag! In the top photo, the lucite detail looks like a swan. I’ll be really interested to see what you get for a dress.

 

[Miss_Dawn]

Well, until I get my dress (which needs to be long, so I'll need to buy one) I don't know for sure yet. I have a vintage clutch bag from the 1940s that I just love, which I think would be fun to carry onless it's a definite "no" with the dress. It's made out of fabric, with a lucite handle. Don't know if I've ever shown it here?

The one thing I've decided for sure about the dress is that it will NOT be black!!! Everything I own is black. For once I want to break out in a bit of color. But I don't want something all froufrou and ruffles... that's just not me. There's a small boutique in my (very small) town that gets one-of-a-kind dresses from France, and I dropped in to speak to the owner a couple of weeks ago. She told me that if I find something I like, but it's too large, she can get it made for me in a smaller size if I give her enough lead time. So I'm going to go back after the Christmas and New Year scramble and really start to take this seriously.

This is the bag. The ripple-y fabric was called cordé, perhaps because it looked a bit like corduroy. But it's not corduroy, it's individual pieces of gimp stitched to a fabric background. It was a very hot item back in the 1940s.

View attachment 4281511 View attachment 4281512

This is a great little clutch! I look forward to seeing what dress you choose as well!