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.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

That's awful and disappointing. Where I usually live 6 months of the year is also very remote, I understand the process.

Same here. Almost everything has to be sourced online. As long as items can be sent back that´s ok, though. Disappointing, but ok.

 

[880]

I adore your new jacket! It suits you so well! Lilli Anne has been fabulous over the decades and certainly always is a good choice!
Buying vintage might be tricky and often enough comes with "surprises" like stains, little defects and flaws, but as long as the price is right, I feel that everything can be fixed. "Good old quality" certainly is woth the effort and you get a piece that simply "is something".
DH and I were speaking about this topic this morning. I was comparing my awful H&M jogging pants to the vintage Baldessarini for Hugo Boss jacket I bought for him. Both were the same price. My pants look like shapeless rags after only one winter of wearing them. The jacket is perfection!

Awwh, thank you! You are Gorgeous with a great sense of style. The Hugo Boss sounds like a find.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Awwh, thank you! You are Gorgeous with a great sense of style. The Hugo Boss sounds like a find.

Thank you! You make me feel good!
The Hugo Boss definetely is a special find. I bought a extremely cheap handbag from a private seller and she had listed the Hugo Boss suit too. I wasn´t sure, but bought it "for material" as the price was so low. When it arrived it turned out to be the Boss jacket and a non matching pair of C&A pants, one size smaller. Initially I was furious. Meanwhile I´m happy. I have never seen DH wear any jacket that fit better. It was an instant transformation to effortless chic.
The strange thing is, that this jacket is marked size 52 while he usually needs a 56... so I assume it was meant as 90ies "American Gigolo" loose fit but tailored while on him it is like perfectly fit to the body.

The wrong pants already were in the washing machine (I don´t care whether this s allowed or not... they came out perfect) and will be a project. I picture nice Marlene Dietrich style dress trousers for myself...

 

[880]

I bought an extremely cheap handbag from a private seller and she had listed the Hugo Boss suit too. I wasn´t sure, but bought it "for material" as the price was so low

I buy stuff for fabric, and I do it in this serendipitous way too Since I cannot sew, I factor in cost of my talented third party professional tailor.

@DME, here is an example of finding a designer name you like, and then running a broad search. The items below, at least the first, are IMO too expensive for what condition they are in, but oddly places like 1st Dibs have been driving up prices. The coat simply popped up in suggestions, but I include it as an example of a listing that carries labels from the design brand and manufacturer. I didn’t spend much time perusing either listing, for condition, quality or sizes, but the jacket and shift dress are very similar to current collection dior 30 Montaigne. The coat is very under the radar lux, like brunello, Akris or Loewe. In fact, I think Paltrow wore some coat or pants in this type of style or pattern during her skiing trial. You could also, if you find a tailor who is a pattern cutter, bring an eBay find in, and reverse engineer a pattern oreciseky to your measurements. The way premier RTW prices are going, perhaps for simple things, a third to half off. Obviously only if you fall in love with something unobtainable and can find the funds, talentEd artisans. and patience ( to wait). Or persuade @cowgirlsboots to help you out lol


ETA: make sure you read condition carefully and that you can return the item if there are unforeseen issues.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

I buy stuff for fabric, and I do it in this serendipitous way too Since I cannot sew, I factor in cost of my talented third party professional tailor.

@DME, here is an example of finding a designer name you like, and then running a broad search. The items below, at least the first, are IMO too expensive for what condition they are in, but oddly places like 1st Dibs have been driving up prices. The coat simply popped up in suggestions, but I include it as an example of a listing that carries labels from the design brand and manufacturer. I didn’t spend much time perusing either listing, for condition, quality or sizes, but the jacket and shift dress are very similar to current collection dior 30 Montaigne. The coat is very under the radar lux, like brunello, Akris or Loewe. In fact, I think Paltrow wore some coat or pants in this type of style or pattern during her skiing trial. You could also, if you find a tailor who is a pattern cutter, bring an eBay find in, and reverse engineer a pattern oreciseky to your measurements. The way premier RTW prices are going, perhaps for simple things, a third to half off. Obviously only if you fall in love with something unobtainable and can find the funds, talentEd artisans. and patience ( to wait). Or persuade @cowgirlsboots to help you out lol
View attachment 5795156View attachment 5795157

ETA: make sure you read condition carefully and that you can return the item if there are unforeseen issues.

I like your way of buying for fabric too!
As I am my own tailor and do not have to factor in costs I usually do another kind of search. The specific search usually only gets me too expensive results. My preference is to search on the rim of the trashcan... items not listed properly by brand or even as "true vintage" but inexpertedly listed in between normal clothes. I´d for example search for "ladies coat", cheapest first and sometimes there´s something for me hiding there. Pieces people sell on after an old relative passed and they have no clue of age or brand or pricing...

 

[880]

I like your way of buying for fabric too!
As I am my own tailor and do not have to factor in costs I usually do another kind of search. The specific search usually only gets me too expensive results. My preference is to search on the rim of the trashcan... items not listed properly by brand or even as "true vintage" but inexpertedly listed in between normal clothes. I´d for example search for "ladies coat", cheapest first and sometimes there´s something for me hiding there. Pieces people sell on after an old relative passed and they have no clue of age or brand or pricing...

Thank You. This method also works for bags. If you hunt for brands like koret or gold pfeil or tanner krolle by name, it’s too much money. The time it takes to sift through can be an education in and of itself

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Thank You. This method also works for bags. If you hunt for brands like koret or gold pfeil or tanner krolle by name,
it’s too much money. The time it takes to sift through can be an education in and of itself

Exactly! Hunting this way can be very interesting and educational and sometimes you find items by great brands you didn´t know you were interested in before on top.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

First June purchase: Kuhn Fine Line vintage bag. I have no idea which brand/ model they were referencing here. They seem to usually have done a lot of referencing... In the end it doesn´t matter. The quality is great and the price of 9€ was even greater! (Does this even qualify as a bag purchase? Haha!) She was a little battered, but already improved a lot after one round of cleaning and feeding the leather.

 

[DME]

I buy stuff for fabric, and I do it in this serendipitous way too Since I cannot sew, I factor in cost of my talented third party professional tailor.

@DME, here is an example of finding a designer name you like, and then running a broad search. The items below, at least the first, are IMO too expensive for what condition they are in, but oddly places like 1st Dibs have been driving up prices. The coat simply popped up in suggestions, but I include it as an example of a listing that carries labels from the design brand and manufacturer. I didn’t spend much time perusing either listing, for condition, quality or sizes, but the jacket and shift dress are very similar to current collection dior 30 Montaigne. The coat is very under the radar lux, like brunello, Akris or Loewe. In fact, I think Paltrow wore some coat or pants in this type of style or pattern during her skiing trial. You could also, if you find a tailor who is a pattern cutter, bring an eBay find in, and reverse engineer a pattern oreciseky to your measurements. The way premier RTW prices are going, perhaps for simple things, a third to half off. Obviously only if you fall in love with something unobtainable and can find the funds, talentEd artisans. and patience ( to wait). Or persuade @cowgirlsboots to help you out lol
View attachment 5795156View attachment 5795157

ETA: make sure you read condition carefully and that you can return the item if there are unforeseen issues.

Thank you so much for this! So very helpful. And Wanamaker brings back such memories for this Pennsylvania born and bred girl!

 

[Evia]

Exactly! Hunting this way can be very interesting and educational and sometimes you find items by great brands you didn´t know you were interested in before on top.

Deliberately miss-spelling designer names is worth trying too.

 

[papertiger]

First June purchase: Kuhn Fine Line vintage bag. I have no idea which brand/ model they were referencing here. They seem to usually have done a lot of referencing... In the end it doesn´t matter. The quality is great and the price of 9€ was even greater! (Does this even qualify as a bag purchase? Haha!) She was a little battered, but already improved a lot after one round of cleaning and feeding the leather.

View attachment 5795224

Bargain! Congratulations.

Not to rain on your parade, it's great you bagged such a bargain, but I also find it awful that such beautiful bags are not valued more.

What I love is that that bag is in good hands now and get the love and care it needs.

 

[papertiger]

Material bags I still have:

Gucci late-1960s black pleated silk evening bag with original box (material bags were made for Gucci at that time so it has an earlier Gucci logo)

Gucci Baiadera Stripe cotton velvet Horse-bit 1955 shoulder bag. It is delicate but I still love it. It's actually a really lovely bag to wear even though it's a short cross-body. I was thinking about buying the toile/leather version too, to wear as the 'everyday' version until it went up again in price, then, esp because of Covid I just left it as the one 1955.

One of my first proper handbags! Velvet (and snakeskin) Pink Italian shoulder bag bought by my parents whilst they were on holiday on one of the islands.

Somewhere I have a really beautiful 1970s vintage brown/cream patchwork bag drawstring ruffle bag but I've hidden it from myself.

 

[baghabitz34]

Yes! I also have long arms (and long legs, which makes finding pants difficult, too). Any brands that work for you? I swear this is why I like 25” leggings and tanks so much: They fit.

Please excuse the wrinkles…and the lighting. Neither is cooperating today.

I bought this Tommy Hilfiger blazer from Macy’s 2 years ago I think. Light is giving a it weird yellow hue it doesn’t have. The material is a bit stretchy so I find it gives me the fit in the shoulders that I like. And it’s not too boxy in the body.
I’ve found some blazers recently at Nordstrom too. It took some trial & error, but I’ve found a few.

 

[baghabitz34]

I was busy in May.
2 pairs of shoes out
3 pairs of shoes in, including my first pair of designer sneakers.

Lighting again, they are actually pretty white.
1 wallet out - a Strathberry that only had card slots on one side.
0 bags out
4 bags in

LC hobo bag. It was surprisingly hard to find an orange bag that was also day size. This is technically a shoulder bag, but I bought some straps from Etsy so I can wear it crossbody.

This LC I shared earlier.

Coach Reese, size 28. It’s a little bigger than a Rogue 25, but without the compartments.
And my favorite (which should be no surprise)

this gorgeous Ferragamo.

 

[baghabitz34]

I used the pandemic to do the same thing with friends and family who weighed me down and, like you, my life is so much better for having done it. That may sound heartless to some, but if I’m not happy and healthy, which includes my mental health, then I can’t be there for me, let alone anyone else.

On the job front, which is the source of my anxiety, I work in a very large place and it’s quite common for people to move around to different organizations, so I don’t even need to find a new employer to remove myself from the situation, I just need to find a new position. It just takes time to navigate our internal hiring process, which is very, very slow. I have an interview for one position on Tuesday and applications submitted for another four; I am confident at least one more of those will lead to an interview. New postings are listed each week, so I have a standing calendar appointment to check them. I may not take the first offer, but I should hopefully be out of this current situation in a couple of months.

Fingers crossed you are able to move into a better situation.
I am in a similar position, so I understand how tough it is.