2023 Resolution: Shopping my Own Bags and SLG Collection

[Vintage Leather]

A long standing tradition in this thread is to remind ourselves of how wonderful our own collections are by showcasing them. We can see how far we have come, collection wise, and we reminded that we have all (or most of) what we need making it easier to shop our own closets.



• New theme weeks start each Sunday

• Don’t jump ahead but, if you miss a week, please do show your bags “late”.

• Show bags individually or in a group

• You do NOT have to wear the bags that week

• For added fun, show old pictures from previous years to demonstrate how you have curated it over time.

• This is completely voluntary. There is no pressure to post at any time.





So what are the showcases? In the Fall, we group our bags by makers! Feel free to show bags, small leather goods, or however it is easiest to organize!

August 13 - Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta

August 20 - Burberry, Celine

August 27 - Coach, Chanel

September 3 - Chloe, Dior

September 10 - Dooney & Bourke, Fendi

September 17 - Ferragamo, Givenchy

September 24 - Goyard, Gucci

October 1 - Hermes, Kate Spade

October 8 - Loewe, Longchamp

October 15 - Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs

October 22 - Michael Kors, Miu Miu

October 29 - Mulberry, Prada

November 5 - Proenza Schouler, Rebecca Minkoff

November 12 - Saint Laurent, Tods

November 19 - Tory Burch, Valentino

November 26 - Bags by Jewelers: Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany Co, Van Cleef & Arpels. Alternatively, the pillboxes, compacts and other lovelies made by jewelers that fit in your bag.

December 3 - independent artisans and custom bags.

 

[BowieFan1971]

I am loving all this crochet discussion! Back in 2010, I destressed by crocheting. Then Chanel had a most exciting season with many crochet items. I was smitten with the flap bag but they were so limited. I decided to try to make my homage..and found out how difficult it is to construct bags. All
in all, I was happy with the result, though I think I’ve really only carried it once. It was so much work and I developed an appreciation for the craft Of handbags.

Here are some images of the runway and the bag that inspired mine! And then ...there is mine. I know, I know...don’t laugh; no comparison, but I enjoyed the process!
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Looks amazing!!

 

[dcooney4]

I am loving all this crochet discussion! Back in 2010, I destressed by crocheting. Then Chanel had a most exciting season with many crochet items. I was smitten with the flap bag but they were so limited. I decided to try to make my homage..and found out how difficult it is to construct bags. All
in all, I was happy with the result, though I think I’ve really only carried it once. It was so much work and I developed an appreciation for the craft Of handbags.

Here are some images of the runway and the bag that inspired mine! And then ...there is mine. I know, I know...don’t laugh; no comparison, but I enjoyed the process!
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I love the one you made. You are very talented.

 

[DME]

I love the one you made. You are very talented.

New painting for your avatar? It’s gorgeous!

 

[cowgirlsboots]

So I couldn't wait and was so curious to see what raffia yarn was like, plus I couldn't be sure raffia yarn would even be available at the sheep and wool festival I'm going to next month (it's pretty uncommon), so I ordered raffia yarn from Wool and the Gang (cool name!). Ra-Ra Raffia. It's to try my hand at making something like the Prada tote featured on purseblog. I'd actually not be particularly interested in such a tote, even for $20 at Target. But now I'm curious if I make an item that looks like the expensive designer one. I already crocheted a swatch. It's not enjoyable to crochet with, the raffia. And crochet, I believe, can still only be done by hand, not machine, and that Prada raffia tote does indeed look crocheted. But it's so ... holey that even though it's not an enjoyable crochet, it should be a quick one. I'm actually trying a few things on the swatch. The bag itself looks just like double crochet, chain 1, every single row. With maybe half double or single crochet without the spaces to make the triangle and the sides. Not sure what weight a bag like this can support. I think it needs to at least support a towel, flip flops, and a wet swimsuit to be decent beach tote.

Anyway, while browsing projects others had made with this yarn, I found someone who had the same idea!

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The totes I already had in my favorite projects were sturdier, like this one:
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Great minds think alike... I´ve just put my chrochet aside. I´m trying to make a Prada lookalike from raffia yarn too as a present for my older daughter.
My hands (my wrists are totally shot because I had a knitting job many, many year ago and ruiened them) don´t like the stiff yarn, but I like the look of it and hope that my daughter will like the finished product.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

This month I have had a lot of movement in my closet. When I am stressed, I tend to look at my bags more as a calming distraction. I have a lot of bags that went out and a few that came in. One I bought with mostly a credit I had, but it did sit right on me so, I sold it. That one I won't count at all. Dh had me pick out a Florentine Dooney & Bourke I wanted but can't use it till Mother's Day. That I will count now even though I can't use it till next month, because it is already taking space in my closet. Then I picked up a small Kate Spade in an auction to give as a gift, but I no longer need the gift, so I listed the bag. That I am not counting as it won't go in my closet. Am I the only person who has a lot of movement? If I wasn't part of this thread, I would probably I be buried in bags. Now I tend to keep my closet very neat.

I´ve been hopeless this month and added quite a few bags to my already overflowing wardrobe. We went to some flea markets and I simply couldn´t resist... even DH bought me a fleamarket vintage bag and if that wouldn´t have been enough I ended up browsing on VC and ebay and bought two older Dior bags I had been looking for for a long time and finally the prices were right. Oops! No bags out to justify it. On one hand I´m a little ashamed for my lack of discipline on the other hand the new bags are wonderful.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

If you could express your style in 3 words, which would they be?

Mine are:
Vintage (my constant love)
Quirky (because that's how others have described my style most consistently through the years)
Tough (because that's what I aim to be)

Ok, off the top of my head: vintage, crazy, sloppy (at home)

Another question for everyone, does your husband or significant other have an opinion on fashion/style/clothes or even bags? Do you consider his/her opinion? Do you even bother to ask? lol

Oh DH has many opinions and most of the time I chose not to ask, especially not before an outfit is complete, a work in progress is finished, a bag is fully restored... because he has a talent to deflate my enthousiasm and provide practical lectures on how to do things "right". In general I know what suits me and what I like and strongly believe in my superpower to "polish sh*t".
Of course he often does not wait until asked and often gives me his opinions or lectures. Since DS recently has started to mock him for this he seems to be in the the process of holding it back a bit and giving me more space though.
I am willing to take opinions into consideration and listen to advice, but before this I need the time to find my own solutions.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

My husband is "allergic" to shopping. He will occasionally come to a mall with me and find a place to sit while I shop. He wants to know how long I will be so I feel rushed. He isn't interested in anything I'm buying. I picked out everything when we remodeled. He never offered an opinion but the other day when he was showing it off to someone, he said "we" wanted it this way. So I guess he shares my taste when it comes to home furnishings.

My favorite shopping buddies are my daughters

It feels so good to know that I´m not alone! DH very often seems to be allergic to my shopping. Sometimes he stays outside a shop too. In this case he will always try and give me a time limit. Argh! I hate this!
He can be totally different, though. Sometimes, when he is in shopping mood or likes the shop he will actually browse with me, encourage me to try items on and to buy when I like them but think they are too expensive.

Usually I like going shopping on my own and take my sweet time.
My older DS is the perfect shopping companion. He is patient, kind, honest, mindful, encouraging... Going shopping with him is a special treat and never stressful or frustrating.
His younger brother is developping into a decent shopping companion too.

 

[dcooney4]

New painting for your avatar? It’s gorgeous!

Thank you!

 

[dcooney4]

I´ve been hopeless this month and added quite a few bags to my already overflowing wardrobe. We went to some flea markets and I simply couldn´t resist... even DH bought me a fleamarket vintage bag and if that wouldn´t have been enough I ended up browsing on VC and ebay and bought two older Dior bags I had been looking for for a long time and finally the prices were right. Oops! No bags out to justify it. On one hand I´m a little ashamed for my lack of discipline on the other hand the new bags are wonderful.

This is our hobby after all. You are being conscious of your finances and you have a large space, so I think just enjoy them. I like playing with bags and as long as it doesn't affect my budget or space in a negative manner, I am good. I now have quite a few empty spots, but don't want t fill them to quickly. It is fun to know I have the space.

 

[nyeredzi]

I am loving all this crochet discussion! Back in 2010, I destressed by crocheting. Then Chanel had a most exciting season with many crochet items. I was smitten with the flap bag but they were so limited. I decided to try to make my homage..and found out how difficult it is to construct bags. All
in all, I was happy with the result, though I think I’ve really only carried it once. It was so much work and I developed an appreciation for the craft Of handbags.

Here are some images of the runway and the bag that inspired mine! And then ...there is mine. I know, I know...don’t laugh; no comparison, but I enjoyed the process!
View attachment 5771788

View attachment 5771790View attachment 5771789

That's so cute! I think you did a great job. One thing, too, that we often don't give ourselves credit for is, when we try things like this, it's often our very first time to do that particular thing. Meaning, we did that good of a job with just one try, no pattern! I'm sure with the right time and incentive, we'd perfect it even further after writing down a couple notes and trying a couple of times. We'd also get more efficient at doing it.

Working on this raffia tote dupe has me thinking, too, of what the work must be like for the people who are making these fairly mass-produced bags. @cowgirlsboots mention of her knitting job ruining her hands made me think of it, too. I'm sorry you have that injury now! What were you knitting? Crochet, I believe, can still only be done by hand. If I had to design a workflow for workers to make crocheted objects, I'd have them do actual crochet no more than 4 hours in a day, and not consecutive. Max 1 hour at a time, and then wrist stretches and perhaps doing other work to give their hands a break. Especially this raffia yarn which, as cowgirlsboots mentioned, is stiff and so has no give and I'm finding is harder on the hands. I think, after understanding the construction and doing it once, I could crochet this bag with 8 hours of crochet work, but no way should I try to do it all in one day, especially over and over again. At most 8 hours over 2 days with lots of breaks would be best to preserve your wrists. I wonder how Prada's workflow is?

 

[Vintage Leather]

Which brings me to a question:

If you could express your style in 3 words, which would they be?

Mine are:
Vintage (my constant love)
Quirky (because that's how others have described my style most consistently through the years)
Tough (because that's what I aim to be)

I did a Pinterest board on 'vintage, quirky, tough style' and it's worked out pretty well - certainly so much better than using others style systems. Not all things are fashion/accessories/clothes either, could be art, music dance etc. I also did one called London, Paris, Edinburgh and back to me which has worked out really well. I can relate to myself

Can anyone remember what our style phrases when we were doing that other thread in Wardrobe and Accessories Forum? I can't even remember the name of the thread LOL.

I find the men dictating women's style wholly inadequate, David Kibbe, John Kitchener and David Zyla. Money for old rope if you ask me. Especially since they didn't invent the theory behind it but take full credit(s). I also find the seasonal colour palettes needless. I've had friends ruin their wardrobes and style after taking advice from people using these hocus focus systems.

I think many of these theories are a good start but they are taken so literally, especially by the 'cults' that follow religiously.

What are your styling/colour systems that have helped you? Did you try others?

Dramatic
Romantic
Vintage

I love big gowns, and dresses and florals and bright colors. I love vintage accessories, and vintage clothes when I can find them in my size. Crisp blazers, tailored dresses, capes, top-handled bags.

Mostly, I defined my style by what I got compliments on in my 20s. I worked as a copywriter in an advertising company and my coworkers … celebrated originality, but only if it looked good.

I also enjoy reading 1930s-1960s books written by women “of a certain age” on style or elegance. Most of the advice is quite awful - but it’s fun to try to keep the baby and throw out the bathwater.

Key takeaway : tailor everything. A $12 dress can look like a $1200 dress if it fits, and a $50,000 dress can look like a $5 flea market find if it doesn’t fit.

 

[papertiger]

Dramatic
Romantic
Vintage

I love big gowns, and dresses and florals and bright colors. I love vintage accessories, and vintage clothes when I can find them in my size. Crisp blazers, tailored dresses, capes, top-handled bags.

Mostly, I defined my style by what I got compliments on in my 20s. I worked as a copywriter in an advertising company and my coworkers … celebrated originality, but only if it looked good.

I also enjoy reading 1930s-1960s books written by women “of a certain age” on style or elegance. Most of the advice is quite awful - but it’s fun to try to keep the baby and throw out the bathwater.

Key takeaway : tailor everything. A $12 dress can look like a $1200 dress if it fits, and a $50,000 dress can look like a $5 flea market find if it doesn’t fit.

 

[papertiger]

Jewelled Bags

Slightly stretching the theme with enamel, studs, mirrors, leather appliqué...Shall we just say embellished?

I'm shocked how many EXTRA bags I have, and how many of them are Guccis . I use this group quite a lot, so there's the fantasy of me being oh so understated and sophisticated gone slightly adrift LOL.

Sonia Rykiel enamel lips clutch (and matching jewellery)
Gucci Leather Hearts (and studded) Valentine's Boston
Gucci Satin and Swarovski Small 1973
Gucci silver gold and tigers-eye minaudière
Bracher and Emden Swarovski encrusted mixed-skin clutch (I think this is the only one I ever liked from them and it's very useful)
Fior 1970s enamel and diamanté minaudière (with chain)
Gucci studded strap(s) Blondie
Gucci Mirage black patent clutch (with outside mirror - so useful)
Gucci blue suede studded Babushka








Missing phots of me 2 Sonia Rykiel Dominos, one of my Judith Leiber, Gucci real Lapis clasp patent bag (you've seen it)

 

[papertiger]

I am loving all this crochet discussion! Back in 2010, I destressed by crocheting. Then Chanel had a most exciting season with many crochet items. I was smitten with the flap bag but they were so limited. I decided to try to make my homage..and found out how difficult it is to construct bags. All
in all, I was happy with the result, though I think I’ve really only carried it once. It was so much work and I developed an appreciation for the craft Of handbags.

Here are some images of the runway and the bag that inspired mine! And then ...there is mine. I know, I know...don’t laugh; no comparison, but I enjoyed the process!
View attachment 5771788

View attachment 5771790View attachment 5771789

Wow, no laughing at all, that's just so pretty

 

[whateve]

Dramatic
Romantic
Vintage

I love big gowns, and dresses and florals and bright colors. I love vintage accessories, and vintage clothes when I can find them in my size. Crisp blazers, tailored dresses, capes, top-handled bags.

Mostly, I defined my style by what I got compliments on in my 20s. I worked as a copywriter in an advertising company and my coworkers … celebrated originality, but only if it looked good.

I also enjoy reading 1930s-1960s books written by women “of a certain age” on style or elegance. Most of the advice is quite awful - but it’s fun to try to keep the baby and throw out the bathwater.

Key takeaway : tailor everything. A $12 dress can look like a $1200 dress if it fits, and a $50,000 dress can look like a $5 flea market find if it doesn’t fit.

Regarding the 1930s - DH and I watch a lot of 30s and 40s movies. We always note who the costume designer was. Most of the hats are ridiculous, yet no well dressed woman in those days went anywhere without a hat. In the 1940s, the hairstyles were horrible. Time gives us clarity. I'm sure you are putting together your vintage outfits in a way that is much more flattering than the way they were originally worn.