2021 Resolution: Shopping my own bag and SLG collection. Any one else?

[Sparkletastic]

NOVEMBER ACTIVITIES

1. Bags by Brand Showcase!

Each week, share photos of your bags from the specified brands. Choose a posed “beauty” shot or get your bags out and about in action shots!

We highlight 3 brands per week: 2 premier and 1 contemporary in alphabetical order as listed on tPF. Any brands not listed are showcased in our last week. Brands change to the next set each Sunday.

Our first brand week starts now - Sunday, Oct 31. Please share photos of bags from these brands:

• Bottega Venetta
• Burberry
• Alexander Wang

Tip: Grab your photos from last year in the 2020 resolution thread. Search your user name and the brand to find your photos.

2. Special Stories
Thanks @Claudia Herzog for the suggestion

Wear a bag that has a backstory involving a person, place, or opportunity for which you feel grateful.

 

[880]

I spent time reflecting on why I exited bags from my bag wardrobe and identified key themes, including,

• Functional issues
• My style changed
• My lifestyle changed
• They are not being worn
• They are being replaced with something I like better

I was thinking about your key themes, which happen to differ substantially from mine (I love reading about the way all of us differ far more than when we are all the same).

Function/style/lifestyle:
re function and lifestyle even pre covid, a cc and sometimes phone in my cargo pants pocket and keys on a lanyard around my neck suit me very well. if I go out with DH, my bag may remain shut for the duration and so serve no actual function.

A key theme for me is universal aesthetics and closet placeholder function :
1. Does it serve as finishing punctuation for an outfit ( thereby encouraging me to utilize more RTW;
2. is the silhouette flattering and well proportioned;
3. Is it a platonic ideal of whatever category of bag (top handle; hobo; shoulder; crossbody; tote;
4. Does it’s presence in my closet render me bag content (no roving eye for a replacement

a period of 12 months of disuse is too short. I’ve purged items in the past using the 12 month cut off and deeply regretted it. whatever period of time one assigns is inversely correlated to how much space one has in the closet.

@jblended, agree. If an item will be an older version of me, then it stays.

i agree with @doni ‘s test: your themes, whatever they are, should answer the question is it me, and with @Purses & Perfumes, that our closets will have gaps and continually evolve. . . It’s about the process, not necessarily the end result.

re @PaperTigers passing on the barenia vibrato with oil stain, I would ask, did you have a trusted friendly leather professional (who knows your taste well) render a quick opinion as to the oil stain

I can go years without buying certain categories (sometimes it takes that long to resolve in my head exactly what I think I should want). And, I don’t shop when I feel discontented with myself (weight, out side stress, turmoil, etc) in my own head. So, when all the conditions are right, i tend to acquire rapidly. Since I buy mindfully, sustainably, and responsibly during the acquisition cycles, my wardrobe naturally shapes itself ( number, items, colors, types). As I grow older, I doubt that I’ll want or have much more than 25 of an item. . . But they will be the right item that will evolve with me in years to come.

 

[Bag peace]

a period of 12 months of disuse is too short. I’ve purged items in the past using the 12 month cut off and deeply regretted it. whatever period of time one assigns is correlated to how much space one has in the closet.

This is true for me but for a slightly different reason. There are bags that I've not used since buying them years ago which I could easily purge today, but I know that I will grow into them. I would absolutely regret letting them go based on disuse alone.
They are my style, they are gorgeous, they are functional- but somehow they are not 'me' yet, they need an older version of me to pull them off properly. I would be playing 'dress up' if I wore them now (and it would show).

I know that I should keep them instead of purging despite the fact that they're unused. I take care of them and regularly condition them, and will wait a couple of years longer and then, as I will be older, my style will have evolved a little more, these bags will suit me better and be perfect for that season of my life.
In the meantime, I play with my more frivolous novelty bags (along with others)- also lovely and made of gorgeous leather- as they suit both my current style and mood, knowing that they will naturally move out of my closet as I age.
I will grow out of today's bags and grow into the others.

Overall, I much prefer to purge when things don't work the way I need them to or they cause discomfort when carrying, or I've used something to death and am done with it/ would not miss it, as opposed to saying 'if I haven't used it in x amount of time, it is out'.

 

[More bags]

I was thinking about your key themes, which happen to differ substantially from mine (I love reading about the way all of us differ far more than when we are all the same).

Function/style/lifestyle:
re function and lifestyle even pre covid, a cc and sometimes phone in my cargo pants pocket and keys on a lanyard around my neck suit me very well. if I go out with DH, my bag may remain shut for the duration and so serve no actual function.

A key theme for me is universal aesthetics and closet placeholder function :
1. Does it serve as finishing punctuation for an outfit ( thereby encouraging me to utilize more RTW;
2. is the silhouette flattering and well proportioned;
3. Is it a platonic ideal of whatever category of bag (top handle; hobo; shoulder; crossbody; tote;
4. Does it’s presence in my closet render me bag content (no roving eye for a replacement

a period of 12 months of disuse is too short. I’ve purged items in the past using the 12 month cut off and deeply regretted it. whatever period of time one assigns is inversely correlated to how much space one has in the closet.

@jblended, agree. If an item will be an older version of me, then it stays.

i agree with @doni ‘s test: your themes, whatever they are, should answer the question is it me, and with @Purses & Perfumes, that our closets will have gaps and continually evolve. . . It’s about the process, not necessarily the end result.

re @PaperTigers passing on the barenia vibrato with oil stain, I would ask, did you have a trusted friendly leather professional (who knows your taste well) render a quick opinion as to the oil stain

I can go years without buying certain categories (sometimes it takes that long to resolve in my head exactly what I think I should want). And, I don’t shop when I feel discontented with myself in my own head. So, when all the conditions are right, i tend to acquire rapidly. Since I buy mindfully and sustainably and responsibly during the acquisition cycles, my wardrobe naturally shapes itself ( number, items, colors, types). As I grow older, I doubt that I’ll want or have much more than 25 of an item. . . But they will be the right item.

You raise some good points @880. I agree that the conversation is much richer when a variety of points of view and opinions chime in. I am most curious about 3) and 4).
4. Does it’s presence in my closet render me bag content (no roving eye for a replacement
I‘ve been having a similar discussion with myself. Why do I continue to look at bags if I already have a variety of bags that meet my needs, that I love and use regularly? Potential additions are weighed against the criteria of does this fill a gap and is it better than what I have. My eye continues to rove in appreciation of beautiful specimens.
3. Is it a platonic ideal of whatever category of bag (top handle; hobo; shoulder; crossbody; tote;
Does the ideal example of each category stay constant through life stages? An example would be crossbody, when I was younger and pre kids, my requirements of an ideal crossbody would be smaller and more likely used for going out. At my current life stage, I appreciate adequate capacity in a crossbody, good leather and these would be mostly carried for day activities.
whatever period of time one assigns is inversely correlated to how much space one has in the closet.
I agree with you on time of non use being specific to the user and related to your closet space. I sheepishly raise my hand and say I am guilty of not using my MIL’s vintage snakeskin clutch in the last 12 months. No plans to exit it at this point. I feel I can contain my bag wardrobe in the allotted space in my closet so there is no pressure to release it.

Would you consider sharing some of your examples of ideal bags in your most used categories?

This is true for me but for a slightly different reason. There are bags that I've not used since buying them years ago which I could easily purge today, but I know that I will grow into them. I would absolutely regret letting them go based on disuse alone.
They are my style, they are gorgeous, they are functional- but somehow they are not 'me' yet, they need an older version of me to pull them off properly. I would be playing 'dress up' if I wore them now (and it would show).

I know that I should keep them instead of purging despite the fact that they're unused. I take care of them and regularly condition them, and will wait a couple of years longer and then, as I will be older, my style will have evolved a little more, these bags will suit me better and be perfect for that season of my life.
In the meantime, I play with my more frivolous novelty bags (along with others)- also lovely and made of gorgeous leather- as they suit both my current style and mood, knowing that they will naturally move out of my closet as I age.
I will grow out of today's bags and grow into the others.

Overall, I much prefer to purge when things don't work the way I need them to or they cause discomfort when carrying, or I've used something to death and am done with it/ would not miss it, as opposed to saying 'if I haven't used it in x amount of time, it is out'.

Good comments, I especially like your point,
Overall, I much prefer to purge when things don't work the way I need them to or they cause discomfort when carrying, or I've used something to death and am done with it/ would not miss it
Do you mind sharing some examples of bags you are keeping that you feel you haven’t grown into yet?

 

[whateve]

You raise some good points @880. I agree that the conversation is much richer when a variety of points of view and opinions chime in. I am most curious about 3) and 4).
4. Does it’s presence in my closet render me bag content (no roving eye for a replacement
I‘ve been having a similar discussion with myself. Why do I continue to look at bags if I already have a variety of bags that meet my needs, that I love and use regularly? Potential additions are weighed against the criteria of does this fill a gap and is it better than what I have. My eye continues to rove in appreciation of beautiful specimens.
3. Is it a platonic ideal of whatever category of bag (top handle; hobo; shoulder; crossbody; tote;
Does the ideal example of each category stay constant through life stages? An example would be crossbody, when I was younger and pre kids, my requirements of an ideal crossbody would be smaller and more likely used for going out. At my current life stage, I appreciate adequate capacity in a crossbody, good leather and these would be mostly carried for day activities.
whatever period of time one assigns is inversely correlated to how much space one has in the closet.
I agree with you on time of non use being specific to the user and related to your closet space. I sheepishly raise my hand and say I am guilty of not using my MIL’s vintage snakeskin clutch in the last 12 months. No plans to exit it at this point. I feel I can contain my bag wardrobe in the allotted space in my closet so there is no pressure to release it.

Would you consider sharing some of your examples of ideal bags in your most used categories?


Good comments, I especially like your point,
Overall, I much prefer to purge when things don't work the way I need them to or they cause discomfort when carrying, or I've used something to death and am done with it/ would not miss it
Do you mind sharing some examples of bags you are keeping that you feel you haven’t grown into yet?

My eye continues to rove in appreciation of beautiful specimens.
This is an issue for me. Many times I'm not looking for a new bag but when I see a totally gorgeous bag, I have to have it.

 

[Bag peace]

Do you mind sharing some examples of bags you are keeping that you feel you haven’t grown into yet?

Sure. I've snapped a pic of the first 2 that came to mind.

The DKNY quilted medium tote is what I use when I go to job interviews. I never use it outside of that capacity.
It's super soft leather and the quilting is lovely. It serves its function as an interview bag in that it holds documents easily, isn't as large as most other totes, isn't too masculine (as I have a boyish figure and look like a man when in a suit, I have to offset this by including softer elements where I can), matches everything, etc. I just feel like a child dwarfed by the thing whenever I carry it because my bags are mostly WOCs and camera bags. I can count on one hand the number of times I've used it, so it mostly just sits in the closet.

The other is my Marc Jacobs Madison bag. I this bag but have never taken it out.
It's small but carries everything including my sunglasses comfortably. It has a clutch strap that is a feature I adore and like to have in many of my bags, but there's something very grown up about it. Whenever I hold it, I feel like I've borrowed a bag from my mum's closet. Perhaps it's the brass hardware. I'm not sure. It was to be an office bag for me, and it likely will be, but not for a while longer.
Looking at it, it seems perfectly age-appropriate in every way, yet when I hold it I feel like I need to grow into it. It's never going to be purged without using, though. It makes me happy when I look at it, it functions exactly as I like my bags to, and it is something I considered carefully before adding into my closet. I feel like I just need to be a little older and my style needs to evolve a little more to pull it off.

I'm currently using my ombre woc and owl bag, the Hammitts and the football bag. They're all a little quirky and they fit where I am in my life better than these 2 bags. More casual, less 'proper'.

 

[Bag peace]

Just remembered another. This round suede bag I posted before is another one that I felt too young for when I first got it. It was a gift from a friend and it sat in my closet for a little over a year before I felt I could coordinate it with my wardrobe and wear it regularly. Somehow it initially seemed too dressy with the gold handles at a time when I was in a very casual workplace where a backpack was far more fitting than a nice suede crossbody. I needed to grow into it.



ETA: Looking at my bag choices, none are ones you'd normally think someone needs to grow in to, like a Chanel classic flap. And yet, here I am... my inner child is so loud that I feel I cannot gracefully pull any of these bags off and am playing dress up when I try!

 

[doni]

Once I developed a system for using kitchen towels and rags, I totally reduced the usage of paper towels -- not that I was using a lot to begin with, but it's always nice to continue to minimize usage.

I still prefer my long-standing cleaner, which is good old vinegar mixed with water in a spray bottle. I use the stronger disinfectants only when necessary. Of course, these are all not new ideas, and not big changes either, but I am continuing to look for ways to make more sustainable choices.

I use vinegar by the gallon, for everything, from cleaning surfaces and removing calc to clothes softener. It is a constant battle with the cleaning lady, who is of the opinion that as concerns cleaning products, the more toxic the better must be...

Can you tell us about your system for using kitchen towels and rags? I love that kind of thing.
And it is not too OT right? As it is about using things in ward[cup]boards after all...

how do you guys stop purchasing- i need tips!

Firstly I would never say stop to myself. Partly, this is why my goal is usually set at one bag per-annum. I love to browse and consider, ruminate and research, and that includes ogling what real people are wearing. Just finding, accessing and buying a perfect bag, better than anything I have or for a specific purpose can take months and months. If I denied myself everything, I'd have to stop browsing/looking completely and that's like asking my cat to stop grooming. Self-love works and acceptance (even of faults) is better than self-loathing or denying all pleasure.

I think (I guess depending on what type of shopper you are) this is one of the best tips for, maybe not stop purchasing, but reducing purchases and making them more meaningfull.

Once you buy something, the thrill of the chase and the acquisition adrenaline rush is gone to be substituted (hopefully) by the pleasure of using and enjoying something you own. So it makes sense to just give oneself more time to enjoy the shopping process, from researching, to discussing it with friends and here, to trying it out, thinking about how it fits in your wardrobe and style, looking for deals etc. The more you stretch the period of time you spend in the one item, the less time you have overall for other items.

Another thing is, as someone said, know your triggers. The ones that make you impulse buy or buy things you don’t need/you regret... is it influencers in Instagram, or newsletters, the sales, stress, the Purse Forum...? and tackle those specifically.

My biggest issue is FOMO (fear of missing out.) If I don't get it now, will I regret it? Will I ever get another opportunity to get it?
Two years ago, my favorite raincoat wore out. I haven't thrown it away but it looks too worn. Last year, I substituted two other raincoats from my closet that I don't love but do the job. I was waiting until I found the perfect replacement. Last week, I thought why not see what is available online? I found something I thought would work but didn't act. A few days later, it was marked down more. I ordered it last night. I want it, but I'm kicking myself because I don't need a raincoat this year. I won't need one until things return to normal.

I think how accessible the pre-loved market has become can be used here to your advantage. Most items you lust for are going to be available for sale pre-loved sooner or later (actually rather sooner than later). Unless you are a professional fashion influencer who needs to have the hot item NOW for business purposes, there is really not that much urgency for the rest of us. So just tell yourself that if the item is gone and you regret not buying it, you can always source it in the pre-loved market later on.

I just did that recently. A couple of years ago I ordered a pair of Helmut Lang leather pants in cream. I have these pants in several colors already so I know they work for me. But I doubted my purchase as cream is high maintenance and even on sale the price was steep so I returned them. But I kept thinking about those pants and recently found them, new with tags, in VC for a ridiculously low price. So voilá, pants are here to stay for good this time. Nothing was lost and a bit of money was saved on top!

 

[doni]

It’s about the process, not necessarily the end result.

Ah, this is true about so many things...

The other is my Marc Jacobs Madison bag. I this bag but have never taken it out.
It's small but carries everything including my sunglasses comfortably. It has a clutch strap that is a feature I adore and like to have in many of my bags, but there's something very grown up about it. Whenever I hold it, I feel like I've borrowed a bag from my mum's closet. Perhaps it's the brass hardware. I'm not sure. It was to be an office bag for me, and it likely will be, but not for a while longer.
Looking at it, it seems perfectly age-appropriate in every way, yet when I hold it I feel like I need to grow into it. It's never going to be purged without using, though. It makes me happy when I look at it, it functions exactly as I like my bags to, and it is something I considered carefully before adding into my closet. I feel like I just need to be a little older and my style needs to evolve a little more to pull it off.

My trick when I feel insecure about wearing a new item or bag is: I take them to completely mundane activities that do not involve much time or meeting people. So for example, a quick trip to the pharmacy or the baker’s. That is for items like this bag, where you know you love them but you have not yet worked out how to fit them into your style or they are a bit out there for you. Just grab them and go. Take them to a trip to the dry cleaners, or to pick up some take away, and you will feel much more confortable about them.

Another trick is to take them on a trip, where you will then be giving yourself less choices. Plus one is always more daring when in unknown territory. But this does not work in Covid times...

 

[dcooney4]

I was thinking about your key themes, which happen to differ substantially from mine (I love reading about the way all of us differ far more than when we are all the same).

Function/style/lifestyle:
re function and lifestyle even pre covid, a cc and sometimes phone in my cargo pants pocket and keys on a lanyard around my neck suit me very well. if I go out with DH, my bag may remain shut for the duration and so serve no actual function.

A key theme for me is universal aesthetics and closet placeholder function :
1. Does it serve as finishing punctuation for an outfit ( thereby encouraging me to utilize more RTW;
2. is the silhouette flattering and well proportioned;
3. Is it a platonic ideal of whatever category of bag (top handle; hobo; shoulder; crossbody; tote;
4. Does it’s presence in my closet render me bag content (no roving eye for a replacement

a period of 12 months of disuse is too short. I’ve purged items in the past using the 12 month cut off and deeply regretted it. whatever period of time one assigns is inversely correlated to how much space one has in the closet.

@jblended, agree. If an item will be an older version of me, then it stays.

i agree with @doni ‘s test: your themes, whatever they are, should answer the question is it me, and with @Purses & Perfumes, that our closets will have gaps and continually evolve. . . It’s about the process, not necessarily the end result.

re @PaperTigers passing on the barenia vibrato with oil stain, I would ask, did you have a trusted friendly leather professional (who knows your taste well) render a quick opinion as to the oil stain

I can go years without buying certain categories (sometimes it takes that long to resolve in my head exactly what I think I should want). And, I don’t shop when I feel discontented with myself in my own head. So, when all the conditions are right, i tend to acquire rapidly. Since I buy mindfully and sustainably and responsibly during the acquisition cycles, my wardrobe naturally shapes itself ( number, items, colors, types). As I grow older, I doubt that I’ll want or have much more than 25 of an item. . . But they will be the right item.

What does RTW in number 1 mean?

 

[papertiger]

Just remembered another. This round suede bag I posted before is another one that I felt too young for when I first got it. It was a gift from a friend and it sat in my closet for a little over a year before I felt I could coordinate it with my wardrobe and wear it regularly. Somehow it initially seemed too dressy with the gold handles at a time when I was in a very casual workplace where a backpack was far more fitting than a nice suede crossbody. I needed to grow into it.

View attachment 4940375

ETA: Looking at my bag choices, none are ones you'd normally think someone needs to grow in to, like a Chanel classic flap. And yet, here I am... my inner child is so loud that I feel I cannot gracefully pull any of these bags off and am playing dress up when I try!

I could say this about 3 out of 5 of my Chanels.

There are 3 main reasonsI've found for myself for feeling like I'm playing dress-up with a bag a) it's not my style - I've experienced this with those fabulous 1940s lucite boxes or colourful embroidered raffia baskets, I love the 1940s but somehow these artworks don't work for me style wise, perhaps I'm not generally polished enough b) haven't given myself permission to enjoy it, takes me a while (to forget the price probably) or c) it reminds me of someone else who is/was older/better/cleverer/whatever, so I'm starting from the point of 'I'm not good enough' - I suppose it's related to a & c and imposter syndrome. The way I personally get over these points it to give myself a 'use it or lose it' ultimatum (which is why I sold off quite a few amazing vintage bags I was lucky enough to own at one time).

 

[dcooney4]

This is true for me but for a slightly different reason. There are bags that I've not used since buying them years ago which I could easily purge today, but I know that I will grow into them. I would absolutely regret letting them go based on disuse alone.
They are my style, they are gorgeous, they are functional- but somehow they are not 'me' yet, they need an older version of me to pull them off properly. I would be playing 'dress up' if I wore them now (and it would show).

I know that I should keep them instead of purging despite the fact that they're unused. I take care of them and regularly condition them, and will wait a couple of years longer and then, as I will be older, my style will have evolved a little more, these bags will suit me better and be perfect for that season of my life.
In the meantime, I play with my more frivolous novelty bags (along with others)- also lovely and made of gorgeous leather- as they suit both my current style and mood, knowing that they will naturally move out of my closet as I age.
I will grow out of today's bags and grow into the others.

Overall, I much prefer to purge when things don't work the way I need them to or they cause discomfort when carrying, or I've used something to death and am done with it/ would not miss it, as opposed to saying 'if I haven't used it in x amount of time, it is out'.

I agree with you. The reason I get rid of some of my unused bags is for these very reasons. Mostly due to not comfortable or my ever changing style.

 

[papertiger]

I was thinking about your key themes, which happen to differ substantially from mine (I love reading about the way all of us differ far more than when we are all the same).

Function/style/lifestyle:
re function and lifestyle even pre covid, a cc and sometimes phone in my cargo pants pocket and keys on a lanyard around my neck suit me very well. if I go out with DH, my bag may remain shut for the duration and so serve no actual function.

A key theme for me is universal aesthetics and closet placeholder function :
1. Does it serve as finishing punctuation for an outfit ( thereby encouraging me to utilize more RTW;
2. is the silhouette flattering and well proportioned;
3. Is it a platonic ideal of whatever category of bag (top handle; hobo; shoulder; crossbody; tote;
4. Does it’s presence in my closet render me bag content (no roving eye for a replacement

a period of 12 months of disuse is too short. I’ve purged items in the past using the 12 month cut off and deeply regretted it. whatever period of time one assigns is inversely correlated to how much space one has in the closet.

@jblended, agree. If an item will be an older version of me, then it stays.

i agree with @doni ‘s test: your themes, whatever they are, should answer the question is it me, and with @Purses & Perfumes, that our closets will have gaps and continually evolve. . . It’s about the process, not necessarily the end result.

re @PaperTigers passing on the barenia vibrato with oil stain, I would ask, did you have a trusted friendly leather professional (who knows your taste well) render a quick opinion as to the oil stain

I can go years without buying certain categories (sometimes it takes that long to resolve in my head exactly what I think I should want). And, I don’t shop when I feel discontented with myself in my own head. So, when all the conditions are right, i tend to acquire rapidly. Since I buy mindfully and sustainably and responsibly during the acquisition cycles, my wardrobe naturally shapes itself ( number, items, colors, types). As I grow older, I doubt that I’ll want or have much more than 25 of an item. . . But they will be the right item.

Very sophisticated approach

I think you're right about the 12 month 'rule' that came from some style consultant, somewhere when they were not working on their own wardrobe. It's a good rule to make someone else live by. I've just fished-out and fallen in love with a 2005 dark-red, suede Gucci bag (similar shape and size to a H 31 Bolide). When I bought it I used it as I lived in the middle of London and therefore could usually pop home for this and that, then wore less and less after a few years perhaps because I lived in an area where it wouldn't be advisable to trot around locally with ladylike designer bag in-hand (although plenty did, plenty of LV) plus a bit small for all day excursions to work or visiting. So I stopped using it. Now I've moved again. Obviously I got out of the habit of using, I'd only remember it if thinking or looking at a Bolide 31. I had considered selling. Now I'm shuffling around locally again because of the lockdown, it makes sense that I've pulled it out and enjoying it once again.

There are 2-sides to my bag 'coin': Heads, to make me look good, be useful and as functioning part of my wardrobe; tails, to be an amazing object in its own right. I don't mind actually mind

On the Barenia Trim: I asked myself that, even took her to see the bag in question. This is someone who has Barenia aplenty as well as works on them. Firstly, without knowing what a stain is, I couldn't presume it'd be only oil, although it could be something else with oil in the mix. If it was suntan oil/lotion it may have colouring added, same if it were an oil based sauce or a splash of balsamic vinaigrette. H spa can't remove oil from Barenia in any case, they can only darken the rest of the bag so as to be less optically apparent. I have a feeling that bag was there because it had a stain on the front. I asked for a discount to allow for an H spa (typically that's been £150 - I asked £100). They'd agree if I bought another bag at the same time, not by itself. Had the stain happened on my watch, I could have perhaps lived with it, had it been on the back perhaps too, but buying such a bag for not insignificant sum was not worth the risk. There are always lovely bags out there, something better always comes along.

 

[Hazzelnut]

Very sophisticated approach

I think you're right about the 12 month 'rule' that came from some style consultant, somewhere when they were not working on their own wardrobe. It's a good rule to make someone else live by. I've just fished-out and fallen in love with a 2005 dark-red, suede Gucci bag (similar shape and size to a H 31 Bolide). When I bought it I used it as I lived in the middle of London and therefore could usually pop home for this and that, then wore less and less after a few years perhaps because I lived in an area where it wouldn't be advisable to trot around locally with ladylike designer bag in-hand (although plenty did, plenty of LV) plus a bit small for all day excursions to work or visiting. So I stopped using it. Now I've moved again. Obviously I got out of the habit of using, I'd only remember it if thinking or looking at a Bolide 31. I had considered selling. Now I'm shuffling around locally again because of the lockdown, it makes sense that I've pulled it out and enjoying it once again.

There are 2-sides to my bag 'coin': Heads, to make me look good, be useful and as functioning part of my wardrobe; tails, to be an amazing object in its own right. I don't mind actually mind

I use the 12 month rule for certain situations, e.g. if I have two bags which serve the same purpose and I’m trying to decide whether to keep either/or. Whichever one I reach for more is the keeper.

Although the majority of my collection will never be parted with even if I don’t touch them in years! I’m ok with that.

 

[momasaurus]

I'm excited to shop my own next year. I had intended to do it right in 2020 but, as it was a rollercoaster of a year, I made a lot of weird, and some very wrong, decisions around my bag closet.
I learned a lot from participating in the 2020 thread even though I didn't quite achieve my personal goals. I learned about fashion, history, architecture, painting and all manner of unexpected life lessons!
I made friends who rooted for me as I battled covid and other health issues, and welcomed me back when I recovered. I cannot imagine not being a part of this thread moving forward. I think I'd miss out on too much knowledge, laughter, bag (and fur baby) photos, and of course, I'd miss the amazing company!

Bag closet goals:

-As it stands, I have 38 bags (half are self-bought, half gifted to me) and 6 SLGs. My collection has grown exponentially and unintentionally in a matter of 2 years, leaving me feeling quite overwhelmed by it.
I love every bag in my collection presently but definitely want to downsize. I feel like I may be able to release 5 bags in the next year as a first step towards a more curated bag closet.
My ultimate goal is to cut down to 16 special bags, but I have no definite timeline for this, merely the intention to gradually donate bags from my collection as and when I feel it is time that someone else enjoys them.

-I spent all of 2020 unemployed for the first time in my adult life, so next year is going to be about hopefully securing gainful employment and rebuilding my life. Six of my bags are "office/work" bags and I really hope I get to use them all in the coming year. My industry completely sank with the pandemic and I cannot picture what work will look like in this next chapter, but I'm holding out hope that those bags will get used!

- There is a possibility I'll add in 1 new bag, but only if it fills a void in my closet and only if it's a brand that I have tried and tested before, or one that has a solid reputation for quality. I was thoroughly disappointed when I tested a new brand last year (Aimee Kestenberg -> sorry for being petty). I won't be repeating that mistake.
If I were to add something, it would likely be Portland Leather Goods, Marco Massaccesi, Hammitt or Coach. Those brands are within my budget (at least until I'm employed again) and have stellar reputations and great quality products.

- This will be my first time formally tracking bag stats and I'm excited to see where I'll end up. I'd like to think it'll make me more mindful.

- My last goal is to speak less and listen more on the thread. The chaotic year I had meant that I rambled on far too much in the last thread but said little of substance. I was lost and overwhelmed and it bled into everything, including my posts.
I hope as I regain my health and find my footing again, I will be able to make more valuable contributions and help others here as they have helped me. In the meantime, I look forward to following along and learning ever more from all the brilliant and generous people on here.

Fingers crossed 2021 will have less stress, more laughter and plenty of fun bag challenges that we can all participate in because the world is safe to step back into.

Rambling is what we do best here! Please don't apologize. I love these slices of real life from everyone.

 

[momasaurus]

Question for those of us wanting to shed a few bags over 2021:

We spend a lot of time discussing why we buy bags but not so much editing. I'd like to let go of at least 2 in Jan and that's just a beginning. Where do I start?

Doesn't have to be selling, could be just giving away.

What is you top priority for letting go of a bag?

1. Not a wearable/pleasing colour
2. Use (or lack of)
3. Price (sell it now to accumulate funds or worry about depreciation of you wear first)
4. Worry about using because of delicacy
5. Too many of the same (style/colour/other)
6. Too worn (I'm laughing at myself because it's doubtful it will ever apply to me unless we're talking boots not bags)
7. Too dated
8. Too big/small/heavy (something we often don't discover until we use)
9. Too showy/plain/awful (file under 'what was I thinking)
10. Easy come easy go (done it's time and it was an extra)
11. Other reason (enlighten us).
12. To raise money for a certain cause (maybe favourite charity)
13. Biggest first (clear some space)

So far I'm thinking of a 1970s vintage cognac, saddle leather briefcase - heavy, but it's the kind of thing I could see myself buying again if I'm not careful. I don't know why I have such a thing for briefcases. I even have a folding one from Aquascutum I've never used (not getting rid of that one).

Another is small rust-brown, brass-studded '00s 'Domino' bag from Sonia Rykiel that weighs a ton. I have a black/silver one that's much lighter which I'm keeping. I'll never get anything like my money back from it but it's just too heavy and small for all day, and wrong colour for evening. Then again, I do love my Sonia Rykiel. Then, there's my blush nubuck Vivienne Westwood, on and off sale for years, it's supposed to look aged, the problem is convincing others that is, they think it's just dirt but it was bought new like that, part of the 'punk' aesthetic design. I could give these to charity.

Last year I gave a lot of my mother's less personally precious pieces to a certain charity that does Ebay as well as a designer boutique rail and raised over £700 just with these bits (some fine jewellery in the mix). They seem to be able to sell better than me, and so long as someone gets money I'm not upset. OT, but I just saw someone able to buy a BV for $15 from goodwill, if I gave a BV to charity I'd be furious if they only put it out for peanuts. The point of giving to charity is raise as much funds as possible for the cause, not just dump unwanted 'stuff'.

Many of those reasons resonate with me (except "not using because of delicacy" - that is just not me, same with scarves.)
I had a BBK because one must have a BBK. Or does one? I sold it, because I enjoy my other 2 Ks (gold chamonix and rouge H box) and the black was just kind of a useless trophy. Things I will let go of this year are likely because of lack of use (remembering life before March, because after that I hardly used anything) or too many of the same style/color/effect.