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.

 

[papertiger]

So sorry for your devastating news. We have complained at how much dentists have cost us but you definitely win with your costs! Congratulations on your work performance!

Repairing bags is a hobby with me so I do.

Health comes first - then bag repairs.

Our cobbler seems to be OK. DH tried to get his MJ bag repaired before and it was so bad he refused to pay. I said I'll try with the one in town. Can't say he hasn't had good use out of that bag whatever happens.

 

[papertiger]

I know this is a handbag thread but I thought would be fun to share a pic of a few of my other Gucci treasures......

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Fab!

Your black(?) zip-up with the ruffles reminds me of a Gucci dress I have



@whateve

Not exactly pristine and not exactly a bag, but a Gucci 1950s boar-skin jewellery box. It's so beautiful - and the oldest Gucci I own.

 

[Bag peace]

I have some pristine vintage bags I treat like museum pieces.

I would, too, if I had such beauties in my closet! Btw, I saw a Bendel on ebay the other day that reminded me of yours. The No. 7, I think? Beautiful bag! I swoon whenever I see it.

Your journey sounds far more painful than mine, in every way.

I assure you, the cost was the most painful part! Thankfully I was able to pay it off in instalments.

Maybe, I will tell him the good news. If he gives me some good news or is less introspective, I'll tell him

That works.
Fingers crossed tomorrow's appointment brings clarity and calmness to you both.

 

[880]

Thank you!

I apologies to all for the miss-mash, I wanted to find the lesser known ones and take pics (why is 'Search' not working?) and I wanted to group them more aesthetically.

But hey, now you know what a mess my wardrobe looks like. I know where everything is because I don't group by colour (I do it by brand, category and occasion).

Spoiler: Rollercoaster life update

DH has been diagnosed with a bad illness this week (I haven't even told my family) and I have a permanent knot in my stomach. More hospital visits and feeling very helpless to come I suppose. Too much to even go there.

On the other hand, I had 100% PDR rating at work after my first year in a new job - and I was told that's the first time anyone has ever had 100%. I would feel too guilty to share with DH, and I can't share at work because it would feel like bragging, esp. if someone didn't do some well.

On the other hand my next route canal treatment is going to cost well over £1K over average, because it has to be done by one of two dentists in the country (average price is about £350 private). I have the money, but it's definitely a bl**dy dent in my Winter wardrobe money. On the other hand, I'm lucky the specialist gave me the appointment. On the other hand, he's fixing what another (bad) dentist did, and I've had a lot of that. So far my teeth have cost me over £20K this year and the work's not over.

Bag wise I have another that needs to go. A small white tote. Anyone knows why on earth I bought a small, soft, white leather tote? Not big enough to shop with, not small enough to be a cute, hand-held mini, handles too short for my shoulder even with no jacket, too soft to carry with too little in, no pockets, no lining and WHITE . I suppose it may be good to carry water and lunch(?) but I wish it had longer handles.

I have two bags to repair as well. One is DH's Marc Jacobs messenger I bought for him, and he loves it, and the other is my Kurt Geiger Kensington bottle carrier (DH bought it for me a few years ago). Both sentimental.

Do any of you bother with repairs for bags that are not worth much?

I’m so sorry re DH, and I’m crossing my fingers for a speedy recovery. The teeth are sadly a necessary expense.
And, congratulations on your professional rating. This is so exciting that you are the first, and no one has accomplished this before. perhaps hearing about this will cheer DH up. we are all here for you to commiserate, or if you need to vent, though as usual, @jblended said it better Hugs

Yes, absolutely I spend for repairs for any item I love, even if it’s not worth much. Bc its worth a lot to me.

since it’s the start of H week, here is a bag that even my FSH SA had not seen before as it is a new kind of toile. She was very excited about it and so am I. 30B, toile maxi bivouac veau swift, phw (ficelle nero). With 28K quadrille on a couch covered in jean castalbajac fabric from 1991. And, with DHs Nero vache Hunter Evelyne sellier. And an older box K28 back from H SPA and HW replacement (they told me the color was Bleu indigo). I took both pics to try to show that the scratches evolve into a patina.

DHs mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she wanted to make one last trip to visit us (we normally fly out to visit her). One of the highlights of our conversations has been the subject of our two year gut renovation. We’ve been able to distract her with contractor stories and site pics. We were hoping to have it done, but we won’t quite make it. But, here is my bag area awaiting curved glass doors to share with you (I took my Duret bag to confirm the shelves had adequate clearance

 

[dcooney4]

Just got back from Paris (truly the trip of a lifetime and filled with gorgeous handbag eye candy) and am getting caught up. Just pulled out all my Gucci stuff and thought easiest to take 1 group photo. Don't mind rolled up dining room rug from when I had water heater leak... still waiting for insurance to resolve that!

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ETA: I forgot to include my Gucci tiger WOC (adding photo).

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Lovely selections!

 

[dcooney4]

Congrats on your incredible performance review! Of course, none of us are surprised, given how brilliant you are!
I'd encourage you to share this with DH as I'm sure he'd find it uplifting to have some good news to focus on! jmo, it's nice to have lightness to chat about amidst the heavier stuff.

I'm sorry to hear about your DH! I hope that you get all the support you both need as you navigate this hurdle, and that the treatment is a straightforward process. I wish him a speedy and comfortable recovery. The worst part will be the feelings of helplessness, however, your being present and loving is in itself helpful, so don't let your mind fool you into thinking otherwise. The docs will do the medical bits they have to and you do the loving bits you have to. Both are equally important to the patient (and I'd argue your bit is actually much more important and helpful because our emotional state and resilience impacts recovery).

I can't believe I'm saying this but I understand exactly what you mean about your teeth! Not quite the same but, I spent close to £30k overall on mine. My accident meant my jaws were crushed and needed 2 major surgeries to reconstruct, followed by another 2 minor surgeries for complications. In that process, I lost half of my natural teeth and sorting that out added a hefty amount to the total bill, lol. I'm actually lucky because the (crazy) cost was (remarkably, much) cheaper than it should have been. I dread to think what I would have paid had I been elsewhere at the time.
Dental work is an absolute chore and I'm sure the experience is exhausting for you! I hope you'll soon be able to put it behind you.

As for repairing cheap bags, it depends. If, like yours, they're sentimental, I absolutely would (and have). Given that these were gifts you and DH exchanged, I definitely think you should see if a cobbler can sort them out for you.

Sending positive, healing vibes your way! I hope you'll be updating us with good news soon. We're here for you!

This is well said. I was trying to find the words to tell her, but you said it magnificently. Paper Tiger my thoughts are with you and your Dh. Congrats on the outstanding rating.

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

Thank you!

I apologies to all for the miss-mash, I wanted to find the lesser known ones and take pics (why is 'Search' not working?) and I wanted to group them more aesthetically.

But hey, now you know what a mess my wardrobe looks like. I know where everything is because I don't group by colour (I do it by brand, category and occasion).

Spoiler: Rollercoaster life update

DH has been diagnosed with a bad illness this week (I haven't even told my family) and I have a permanent knot in my stomach. More hospital visits and feeling very helpless to come I suppose. Too much to even go there.

On the other hand, I had 100% PDR rating at work after my first year in a new job - and I was told that's the first time anyone has ever had 100%. I would feel too guilty to share with DH, and I can't share at work because it would feel like bragging, esp. if someone didn't do some well.

On the other hand my next route canal treatment is going to cost well over £1K over average, because it has to be done by one of two dentists in the country (average price is about £350 private). I have the money, but it's definitely a bl**dy dent in my Winter wardrobe money. On the other hand, I'm lucky the specialist gave me the appointment. On the other hand, he's fixing what another (bad) dentist did, and I've had a lot of that. So far my teeth have cost me over £20K this year and the work's not over.

Bag wise I have another that needs to go. A small white tote. Anyone knows why on earth I bought a small, soft, white leather tote? Not big enough to shop with, not small enough to be a cute, hand-held mini, handles too short for my shoulder even with no jacket, too soft to carry with too little in, no pockets, no lining and WHITE . I suppose it may be good to carry water and lunch(?) but I wish it had longer handles.

I have two bags to repair as well. One is DH's Marc Jacobs messenger I bought for him, and he loves it, and the other is my Kurt Geiger Kensington bottle carrier (DH bought it for me a few years ago). Both sentimental.

Do any of you bother with repairs for bags that are not worth much?

So sorry to hear about your DH's health issues. Thinking of you, and hoping he will have a good treatment plan that will lead to a speedy recovery.

That's great news about the outstanding rating. Congrats!

 

[More bags]

@stacy_natalie beautiful Gucci treasures, best wishes with your renovations/water damage repairs.

@jblended great to see you back, beautifully written comments and good wishes for papertiger

@papertiger, ugh what a series of emotions. Best wishes to you and your husband with the treatment plan, good wishes for a full and quick recovery. Good luck with your teeth, always a good investment, just never one we look forward to making. Hurray and congratulations on your work appraisal, well deserved, and outstanding accomplishment!

@880 oh your closet looks amazing. Thanks for sharing pics of your closet and of some of your H beauties. Your bleu indigo K is divine!

 

[Evia]

I’m so sorry re DH, and I’m crossing my fingers for a speedy recovery. The teeth are sadly a necessary expense.
And, congratulations on your professional rating. This is so exciting that you are the first, and no one has accomplished this before. perhaps hearing about this will cheer DH up. we are all here for you to commiserate, or if you need to vent, though as usual, @jblended said it better Hugs

Yes, absolutely I spend for repairs for any item I love, even if it’s not worth much. Bc its worth a lot to me.

since it’s the start of H week, here is a bag that even my FSH SA had not seen before as it is a new kind of toile. She was very excited about it and so am I. 30B, toile maxi bivouac veau swift, phw (ficelle nero). With 28K quadrille on a couch covered in jean castalbajac fabric from 1991. And, with DHs Nero vache Hunter Evelyne sellier. And an older box K28 back from H SPA and HW replacement (they told me the color was Bleu indigo). I took both pics to try to show that the scratches evolve into a patina.

DHs mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she wanted to make one last trip to visit us (we normally fly out to visit her). One of the highlights of our conversations has been the subject of our two year gut renovation. We’ve been able to distract her with contractor stories and site pics. We were hoping to have it done, but we won’t quite make it. But, here is my bag area awaiting curved glass doors to share with you (I took my Duret bag to confirm the shelves had adequate clearance

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Your new closet looks gorgeous, what kind of wood have you used?

 

[stacy_natalie]

Fab!

Your black(?) zip-up with the ruffles reminds me of a Gucci dress I have

Yes, the Sylvie web dress is black. That was one reason I was able to justify buying it as it's similar to a Sandro dress I have in navy (posting stock photo for reference). I've worn the other 3 items in my original photo each only once before i gained weight but never wore the black Sylvie dress and not sure I could fit into it at the moment but I saw someone wearing this on a TV and immediately knew it was gucci and that I couldn't live without it!

Your dress is adorable and the jewelry box is amazing!!! Congrats on your review at work.....this is most impressive and you should be very proud. I hope you are able to share the good news with your DH soon!

 

[cecchetti]

I’m so sorry re DH, and I’m crossing my fingers for a speedy recovery. The teeth are sadly a necessary expense.
And, congratulations on your professional rating. This is so exciting that you are the first, and no one has accomplished this before. perhaps hearing about this will cheer DH up. we are all here for you to commiserate, or if you need to vent, though as usual, @jblended said it better Hugs

Yes, absolutely I spend for repairs for any item I love, even if it’s not worth much. Bc its worth a lot to me.

since it’s the start of H week, here is a bag that even my FSH SA had not seen before as it is a new kind of toile. She was very excited about it and so am I. 30B, toile maxi bivouac veau swift, phw (ficelle nero). With 28K quadrille on a couch covered in jean castalbajac fabric from 1991. And, with DHs Nero vache Hunter Evelyne sellier. And an older box K28 back from H SPA and HW replacement (they told me the color was Bleu indigo). I took both pics to try to show that the scratches evolve into a patina.

DHs mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she wanted to make one last trip to visit us (we normally fly out to visit her). One of the highlights of our conversations has been the subject of our two year gut renovation. We’ve been able to distract her with contractor stories and site pics. We were hoping to have it done, but we won’t quite make it. But, here is my bag area awaiting curved glass doors to share with you (I took my Duret bag to confirm the shelves had adequate clearance

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I’m so sorry about your husbands Mom-that’s devastating..

 

[stacy_natalie]

I’m so sorry re DH, and I’m crossing my fingers for a speedy recovery. The teeth are sadly a necessary expense.
And, congratulations on your professional rating. This is so exciting that you are the first, and no one has accomplished this before. perhaps hearing about this will cheer DH up. we are all here for you to commiserate, or if you need to vent, though as usual, @jblended said it better Hugs

Yes, absolutely I spend for repairs for any item I love, even if it’s not worth much. Bc its worth a lot to me.

since it’s the start of H week, here is a bag that even my FSH SA had not seen before as it is a new kind of toile. She was very excited about it and so am I. 30B, toile maxi bivouac veau swift, phw (ficelle nero). With 28K quadrille on a couch covered in jean castalbajac fabric from 1991. And, with DHs Nero vache Hunter Evelyne sellier. And an older box K28 back from H SPA and HW replacement (they told me the color was Bleu indigo). I took both pics to try to show that the scratches evolve into a patina.

DHs mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she wanted to make one last trip to visit us (we normally fly out to visit her). One of the highlights of our conversations has been the subject of our two year gut renovation. We’ve been able to distract her with contractor stories and site pics. We were hoping to have it done, but we won’t quite make it. But, here is my bag area awaiting curved glass doors to share with you (I took my Duret bag to confirm the shelves had adequate clearance

View attachment 5868653View attachment 5868654View attachment 5868657View attachment 5868660
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Sorry to hear about your mother in law, so tragic. My on and off ex of 11 years just lost both his parents within 48 hours of one another and it was sad to watch them decline. Hopefully your renovation is a source of joy for you and not stress and she can enjoy seeing the progress while she can. Your bag area is amazing as area your H bags!

 

[papertiger]

I’m so sorry re DH, and I’m crossing my fingers for a speedy recovery. The teeth are sadly a necessary expense.
And, congratulations on your professional rating. This is so exciting that you are the first, and no one has accomplished this before. perhaps hearing about this will cheer DH up. we are all here for you to commiserate, or if you need to vent, though as usual, @jblended said it better Hugs

Yes, absolutely I spend for repairs for any item I love, even if it’s not worth much. Bc its worth a lot to me.

since it’s the start of H week, here is a bag that even my FSH SA had not seen before as it is a new kind of toile. She was very excited about it and so am I. 30B, toile maxi bivouac veau swift, phw (ficelle nero). With 28K quadrille on a couch covered in jean castalbajac fabric from 1991. And, with DHs Nero vache Hunter Evelyne sellier. And an older box K28 back from H SPA and HW replacement (they told me the color was Bleu indigo). I took both pics to try to show that the scratches evolve into a patina.

DHs mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she wanted to make one last trip to visit us (we normally fly out to visit her). One of the highlights of our conversations has been the subject of our two year gut renovation. We’ve been able to distract her with contractor stories and site pics. We were hoping to have it done, but we won’t quite make it. But, here is my bag area awaiting curved glass doors to share with you (I took my Duret bag to confirm the shelves had adequate clearance

View attachment 5868653View attachment 5868654View attachment 5868657View attachment 5868660
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Dear @880, thank you!

Im sorry to hear about your MIL's ill health, I'm glad you were able to distract her for a moment or two.

I love the curved area, it will make a remarkable show case. You absolutely must show us when complete, resplendent with 'exhibits'.

I know that you have a strong personal bond with all your bags, that's the way it should be IMHO, and I'm so glad your new bag fits in with its new family. It's a special stunner for sure.

I am definitely going to get DH's bag mended, I think that will surely cheer him up.

 

[Bag peace]

Yes, absolutely I spend for repairs for any item I love, even if it’s not worth much. Bc its worth a lot to me.

I love the way you phrased this! I'm going to remember that!

and she wanted to make one last trip to visit us

I'm glad she got to make the trip and add to her 'happy memory' bank!

I took both pics to try to show that the scratches evolve into a patina.

I love bags like this. The scratches form into a beautiful patina and give character to the piece. My full grain leather bags do this and it just makes me happier to see the leather age gracefully. I tickles me to feel like they're being used and seeing the world, rather than sitting pristine 0n a shop shelf, unloved. (I know I'm weird, okay?)

@More bags and @dcooney4 thank you both for the welcome back and kind words. I love how we all support each other in here. This is the most beautiful corner of tpf!

 

[Bag peace]

I'm quite out of step with the thread so I'm not sure if we've done stats already?

I had one more bag go out yesterday. My stuff is mostly in storage so I can't recall my totals for the year, but more out than in (and the bags in were gifted).

I'm contemplating selling the pride and joy of my collection. Some of you may remember my bespoke lantern python (no pics to hand, but hopefully someone remembers it lol). It's the only one that's worth anything so it may have to go. The only obstacle is that my current location isn't great for resale unless it's premiere bags. The disposable incomes are high and people can grab their own exotic from H, so I have to hope that my quirky design will appeal to someone more than the more recognizable brands.

I'm also considering selling my 'football' bag. That one is so unique and the full grain leather is divine. When I had it made, it was one of a kind, but now there are many similar on the market (which means I could replace it one day when my situation is better). However, it's harder to consider letting it go because it ties right back to childhood memories and the leather is amongst the best I've ever laid my hands on.
The contemporary bags in my collection are worth nothing, so I don't think I could move them if I tried.

Never thought I'd see the day I would be selling. It's my first time actually seriously considering it and it's proving difficult because my bespoke pieces are so special to me. Oh well, needs must. We'll see what happens. There's every chance nobody wants them so I get to hoard them forever!!!