2024 Resolution: Shopping my own Bag and SLG Collection

[Sparkletastic]

December Activities and Challenges - pick and choose as you please.

I. 2024 Year In Review Reflection
(Thanks @Vintage Leather)

Utilize these thought starters to evaluate your collection, your usage patterns and your lessons learned in 2024.
• What is your most useful purse?
• What is your best purchase of the year?
• We’ve all had a lot of lifestyle changes this year - how has it affected your style?
• What is the one thing we’ve learned this year that you want to take into the next?

II. Setting 2025 Goals
Take this month to consider what you want to do with your handbag collection, wardrobe or even your beautiful life in 2025. Share these thoughts in January when we start the 2026 Shopping Your Closet thread.

III. End of year optional challenges

• Holiday colors: December has many holidays celebrated across the world - red & green, brown & gold, blue & white and more! Pick the holiday that you want to honor and wear / show off your bags in those traditional colors.

• End with a bang: As we come to the last part of the year, wear the last bag you’ve purchased at least 3 times this month.

@Vlad please pin this to the top of our thread.

 

[papertiger]

Today's shopping from my closet work bag.Black leather Iolanthe print brief case with brass fittings. I love it's strong and robust, but has a 'feminine' style too.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

I have one Aspinal and it is beautiful.

I brought it to a small leather repair shop about 45 minutes away. I will pick it up the end of the week. If it doesn’t work I will do your suggestion myself.

I used to go to an old Greek cobbler a lifetime ago. He knew how to repair simply everything - often enough in a very improvised manner, but the repairs lastet. He has long gone home to Greece and is in his 90 ies now. He still calls me from time to time. I learned so much from sitting in his shop and watching him work.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Shopping my own closet....
After coming home from a big fleamarket on Sunday without buying anything, because nothing there was " good enough for me" and spending endless hours online browsing I finally went up into the attic and had a look at my coats. They are beautiful and I still have so many more than I thought I had. I guess there's No need to buy!



The red Carlisle coat from Paris last year was still there, too! I thought I had thrown it out. It wasn't very clean and my ex commenting: " nobody will run you over in the street in this" didn't help, either.
Now I simply threw it in the washer. No harm done! And the colour came out even nicer!

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Shopping my own " trash": I made a new bag from the remnants of taking up a shearling coat and the smaller pieces of leather from an old armchair I skinned before throwing it out.





There's more handstitching involved than I like, but at least it came together into a functional handbag that didn't cost more than the pack of needles I used up making it.

 

[papertiger]

I am curious have you found some newer brands that you have fallen in love with or some older ones that you have fallen in love with? Some brands seem to be not as careful with quality control, so I am trying to look at or discover ones that still care.

I forget to say Fairfax and and favor I think most things are made in Spain but they're lovely. I don't have a bag but I have some boots. I've seen the bags up close (although a while ago) I was very impressed.

Women's Suede & Leather Bags | Fairfax & Favor

Expertly handmade from high-quality suede and leather, our exceptional bag collection defines our brand. Shop today with Free Worldwide Delivery*, 180-Day Free Returns* & 365-Day Free Exchanges*.

www.fairfaxandfavor.com

 

[Jereni]

Great question and I'm keen to hear what everyone thinks.

I think Aspinal of London and The Row (both at totally different price points) are the two currently consistent with quality and very clear aesthetics.

I know that Polene is really dropping the ball with regards to quality control, and my friends are having issues with their DeMellier bags, which is disappointing.

There's currently a lot of hype around the Aussie brand, The Horse, mostly because they've got a Puzzle-inspired bag. I knew of the brand from years ago because I loved their watches (genuine marble watch faces. I didn't buy because they were too large on my small wrists).
They've grown a lot since I first heard of them and I'm not sure if they've kept up the quality as they've grown, but I would hope they have.

Edit: I just checked and The Horse are now manufacturing in China. I'm sure the watches I saw were said to be handmade in their workshop in Aus. Either this is a recent change or I was misinformed at the boutique years ago.

Ah good point, I forgot to mention Aspinal when I was commenting on brands. I’ve bought my first two Aspinal bags just since June and so far very happy with both of them. But the ones I bought are dainty, very girly bags that I will baby… would be interesting to try one of their other ones that I’d use for errands and as a workhorse.

Another brand I enjoy is Dragon Diffusion although I only own one. I kept stalking buying a second this summer but couldn’t decide on color and now the ones I liked seem to be sold thru. Sort of regret stalling.

 

[whateve]

Shopping my own " trash": I made a new bag from the remnants of taking up a shearling coat and the smaller pieces of leather from an old armchair I skinned before throwing it out.

View attachment 6075947

View attachment 6075948View attachment 6075949View attachment 6075950View attachment 6075951

There's more handstitching involved than I like, but at least it came together into a functional handbag that didn't cost more than the pack of needles I used up making it.

This is amazing!

When we replaced DH's recliner, I felt so sad throwing away the old one. Even though it was well worn, the leather was so beautiful. I'm sure you would have been able to make something gorgeous from it.

 

[dcooney4]

Shopping my own " trash": I made a new bag from the remnants of taking up a shearling coat and the smaller pieces of leather from an old armchair I skinned before throwing it out.

View attachment 6075947

View attachment 6075948View attachment 6075949View attachment 6075950View attachment 6075951

There's more handstitching involved than I like, but at least it came together into a functional handbag that didn't cost more than the pack of needles I used up making it.

I love it!

 

[dcooney4]

I forget to say Fairfax and and favor I think most things are made in Spain but they're lovely. I don't have a bag but I have some boots. I've seen the bags up close (although a while ago) I was very impressed.

Women's Suede & Leather Bags | Fairfax & Favor

Expertly handmade from high-quality suede and leather, our exceptional bag collection defines our brand. Shop today with Free Worldwide Delivery*, 180-Day Free Returns* & 365-Day Free Exchanges*.

www.fairfaxandfavor.com

Some really lovely ones there.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

This is amazing!

When we replaced DH's recliner, I felt so sad throwing away the old one. Even though it was well worn, the leather was so beautiful. I'm sure you would have been able to make something gorgeous from it.

Thank you!
I simply can't bear to throw out any leather furniture without skinning it beforehand. Here nobody would take any upholstered piece off the curb, so I'm not destroying anything that would still be useful to anybody. I skinned this really nice black armchair my parents rarely used, but which I simply had no room for and a lovely, but fairly distressed red pull- out couch my older son used to have in his room. Both leathers are really nice. Only they are very thick and almost Impossible to sew on my machine.
I made a big throw pillow from the best red pieces for my son for him to still have a piece of his quite sentimental childhood furniture and a black one for myself. There's still a lot left that will be used later.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

I love it!

Thank you!

 

[More bags]

Shopping my own " trash": I made a new bag from the remnants of taking up a shearling coat and the smaller pieces of leather from an old armchair I skinned before throwing it out.

View attachment 6075947

View attachment 6075948View attachment 6075949View attachment 6075950View attachment 6075951

There's more handstitching involved than I like, but at least it came together into a functional handbag that didn't cost more than the pack of needles I used up making it.

This is amazing @cowgirlsboots - you are so talented!

 

[papertiger]

Some really lovely ones there.

A bit disappointed they now use 'microfibre'' for lining in bags rather than the real suede they used to.

 

[Cookiefiend]

Shopping my own " trash": I made a new bag from the remnants of taking up a shearling coat and the smaller pieces of leather from an old armchair I skinned before throwing it out.

View attachment 6075947

View attachment 6075948View attachment 6075949View attachment 6075950View attachment 6075951

There's more handstitching involved than I like, but at least it came together into a functional handbag that didn't cost more than the pack of needles I used up making it.

Well that's the cutest!

A bit disappointed they now use 'microfibre'' for lining in bags rather than the real suede they used to.

Coach does this now too - and it really disappointed me when the sales associate swore it was suede.
Uhmmm - no.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

This is amazing @cowgirlsboots - you are so talented!

Thank you so much! Doesn't it Look entirely homemade? That'll always be my greatest fear.