2025 Resolution: Shopping my own Bag and SLG Collection

[papertiger]

Do wet want some new challenges in August?

How about wearing one non-black neutral per week (whatever is a neutral for you)

 

[papertiger]

Thank you dear @papertiger for creating the new thread!
I'm excited to join this fabulous community for another year!

As for my goals they are a bit foggy, yet- my current mindset is go with the flow. Breathe.

What I definetely know is, that I technically have enough clothes and bags for a lifetime. Plus I am happy with what I have.

Last year I had to do the most major purge ever when I left to start over. Most " maybes" and " meaningless" and abut all bad quality pieces were left behind, same as what really didn't fit me and lots of pieces I had been saving for Sunday best for so long, they had spoiled ( like some furs) or didn't have any chance to fit me anymore ( like the most glorious green 60 ies coat with leopard trim that meanwhile hung off me like a garbage bag with no chance to alter it back to a figure hugging shape.)

Still I brought a lot. About a third of the clothes I brought are boxed in the attic, because they don't fit, but are worth keeping.

For the first time ever my designer bags and the cowgirls boots collection are in a proper cabinet where I can see them and enjoy and where they won't spoil.

So what to aim for?

Wear my stuff! Wear it without an " occasion" and enjoy it, even though it might get signs of use. I feel it's better to ruin something while enjoying it than see it spoil without ever having used it.

Only buy what I truly need ( basics) or love ( vintage). I usually buy only second hand anyway - except for the basics.

Don't buy meaningless fillers or bad quality. They never serve any purpose but the short joy of the purchase.

Keep sewing, painting, embroidering... polishing poo! It brings me joy!

Don't get too fat to wear the fabulous green gown ( that cannot be made any larger!) to my DD's wedding in June!

Non wardrobe goals:
sort out my health and mental health

Yes! Wear and be as outrageously fabulous as you were born to be!

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Yes! Wear and be as outrageously fabulous as you were born to be!

Thank you! (About to cry now)

 

[Bag peace]

This coming year will be a transitional one for us, as DD will be off to college in the fall (only child).

Oh wow! Exciting step for her! Wishing her luck on her degree!

We planned a fall trip to Europe with friends whose daughters went off to college this year and are in the early stages of planning a February 2026 trip since we won’t be constrained by the school calendar anymore. It’s both scary and exciting to be entering this next stage of our lives!

What a great way to embrace the change and transition into this next chapter! I hope you'll post about your travels afterwards!

I feel it's better to ruin something while enjoying it than see it spoil without ever having used it.

100% agree! Life's to be lived. Wear your best stuff! This is your year after all that you went through- embrace the glamour! It's time to celebrate the new chapter!

Adding onto wearing what you have, I pulled out my Gucci canteen crossbody.

Love this! I adore round/canteen bags and this one is a classic! Wear it in good health.

You've done so much towards 'bag peace' and you certainly spread positivity and uplift whenever you visit.

Wishing you fulfillment of your set goals, and the same wishes as you've wished for others (which are so lovely!).

Got me welling up! Means so much coming from you, PT. I have so much respect and admiration for you.
Hoping for good news for your DH.

 

[880]

Happy New Year to all, and many thanks to @papertiger for starting our 2025 thread!

Looking back over last year’s resolutions, I think they work well for this year, too, so I’m going to lot them again this year with some minor tweaks.

(1) Continue to rotate my bags more often. The tray in my closet where I keep a couple of bags at the ready continues to help with this. My new goal for this one is to rotate what’s at the ready on a monthly basis.

(2) Continue to downsize my collection. I still have too many bags, SLGs, bag charms, clothes, shoes, scarves, etc. I did lots of downsizing in 2024 (bags, SLGs, jewelry, shoes and clothes); however, I also added five bags, some reusable totes, SLGs, jewelry and plenty of new clothes/shoes. That said, what I did was take the proceeds from sales to fund many of the ins - and I finally got some pieces of jewelry I had been after as a result. So I don’t feel too bad about the state of this one, even if I didn’t meet my 2024 goal.

(3) Continue to redefine my style. I did better in 2024 about purchasing for my actual lifestyle (more elevated/tailored athletic wear, with a few nicer pieces mixed in for times when I need to dress better). I did not yet add another pair of designer sneakers, but I’ll work on that in 2025.

(4) Continue to purge the house with an eye toward retirement. Even if we stay in this house, we really don’t need/use all the things we currently have and I am so over cleaning them! My outs in 2024 were less than previous years for this one, but thee were few ins here, so that t hells me I’m getting close to only having what works.

(5) Continue to upgrade my jewelry. I did add a gold bead bracelet to my collection like I had hope, ut I still have not found an in-room jewelry safe, so the hunt continues! I have a few jewelry pieces I would like to add, but am being very meticulous about waiting for what I really want, rather than settling.

This coming year will be a transitional one for us, as DD will be off to college in the fall (only child). She got accepted early decision to her first choice school, so we are all breathing a sigh of relief. With her driver’s license came a job and, since she also now has a boyfriend, we don’t see much of her on weekends; I think that will help us ease into being empty-nesters. We planned a fall trip to Europe with friends whose daughters went off to college this year and are in the early stages of planning a February 2026 trip since we won’t be constrained by the school calendar anymore. It’s both scary and exciting to be entering this next stage of our lives!

Congratulations to DD and hope you have an amazing time in Europe

Happy new year all!

 

[dcooney4]

Yay! The year is starting off well. One handbag just sold. 9 more to go!!

Yay!

 

[Joeli7]

I'm mostly following this thread for inspiration, there's not much to cull here. My one firm resolution is no new black bag as I have four in varying sizes and shapes.

Starting next week, I'll try to follow the January cure on apartmenttherapy.com. I find their programs helpful when it comes to breaking down cleaning and decluttering into smaller chunks.

I'm looking to add a small to medium dark neutral shoulder or crossbody handbag, and a light neutral tote.

One thing I find really helps me use less energy choosing, is that I've settled on one brand for bras, one for nightwear and a handful of brands for clothing and footwear.

 

[Sparkletastic]

STOPPING THE SALES CYCLE

I really, really, REALLY despise selling bags. I hate the hassle of photographing and listing them. I get irritated by seller questions that are already answered in the listing. And most of all, I’m DONE with how I beat myself up for having made a buying error the entire time they’re listed.

So, I’ve decided on a new approach to the nine bags I have for sale. One by one, I’m going to find a way to transform the bag so I love it. If after serious thought I absolutely cannot, I’ll consign it or donate it to get it out of my house.

First up is my Bvlgari Logomania Bucket Bag. This bag can be turned from trash to treasure with two changes: 1) the cloth material is faded at the top so I’ll have it redyed 2) I’m going to have the awkward hand carry handle made removable and add a chain shoulder strap.

Since the bag will likely never sell as is, investing a little money to make it something I’ll love seems like a great option.

Anyone else up for transforming your unwanted bags so we can better “shop our own collections”?

 

[880]

STOPPING THE SALES CYCLE

I really, really, REALLY despise selling bags. I hate the hassle of photographing and listing them. I get irritated by seller questions that are already answered in the listing. And most of all, I’m DONE with how I beat myself up for having made a buying error the entire time they’re listed.

So, I’ve decided on a new approach to the nine bags I have for sale. One by one, I’m going to find a way to transform the bag so I love it. If after serious thought I absolutely cannot, I’ll consign it or donate it to get it out of my house.

First up is my Bvlgari Logomania Bucket Bag. This bag can be turned from trash to treasure with two changes: 1) the cloth material is faded at the top so I’ll have it redyed 2) I’m going to have the awkward hand carry handle made removable and add a chain shoulder strap.

Since the bag will likely never sell as is, investing a little money to make it something I’ll love seems like a great option.

Anyone else up for transforming your unwanted bags so we can better “shop our own collections”?
View attachment 6111520

I have done this type of refresh, and I tend to regret the DIY solution. Basically, I end up donating the bag anyway. But. Hopefully this will not happen to you.

 

[cowgirlsboots]

STOPPING THE SALES CYCLE

I really, really, REALLY despise selling bags. I hate the hassle of photographing and listing them. I get irritated by seller questions that are already answered in the listing. And most of all, I’m DONE with how I beat myself up for having made a buying error the entire time they’re listed.

So, I’ve decided on a new approach to the nine bags I have for sale. One by one, I’m going to find a way to transform the bag so I love it. If after serious thought I absolutely cannot, I’ll consign it or donate it to get it out of my house.

First up is my Bvlgari Logomania Bucket Bag. This bag can be turned from trash to treasure with two changes: 1) the cloth material is faded at the top so I’ll have it redyed 2) I’m going to have the awkward hand carry handle made removable and add a chain shoulder strap.

Since the bag will likely never sell as is, investing a little money to make it something I’ll love seems like a great option.

Anyone else up for transforming your unwanted bags so we can better “shop our own collections”?
View attachment 6111520

I really like your approach! Turning something you already have, but have fallen out of love with, into something exciting is true shopping your own closet. Plus it's a great challenge!

I haven't transformed any handbags, yet. At least not any I didn't buy to paint on in the first place.
But I think my painted black shearling coat is a transformation example. I bought the plain black coat, was heavily disappointed, because it was sooooo boring and by painting on it turned it into a piece I really love to wear. Little effort, little cost, big change.

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

Hello all! I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. I’ve enjoyed reading all the posts and goals for the year.

Like @cowgirlsboots my goals for this year are foggy at present. The year is off to a brisk start with a couple of projects that will eat up my time for several weeks so I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to pop in to chat about handbags, at least in the early part of this year. I’ll come back and post goals when I’m better able to articulate them. In the meantime I just plan to continue to rotate the bags using my weekly rotation system.

@dcooney4, I’m sorry to hear that last year was rough. I recall reading that you hurt your arm and that must’ve been difficult. I hope you are well on the road to recovery. Sending healing thoughts and vibes your way.

@lill_canele that dress looks fabulous on you - definitely a good purchase.

@papertiger, thank you for starting this thread. Thinking of you and sending best wishes for good health and healing to your DH.
Thanks also for the excellent idea about using silk and fabric pouches inside handbags. I’ve often avoided pouches inside my bags because it seemed bulky to me but I can definitely do soft fabric pouches and silk sounds especially nice!


@Bag peace, I think your idea of mulling over a bag collection from scratch sounds like a fun exercise. Would we choose differently if we had to start from scratch? Something to ponder about for sure.
Also, it’s disappointing to hear that some of the bags didn’t withstand daily usage in your experience. I’ve had luck with Dooney bags (no affiliation) in the past, but can’t speak to more recent releases. Anyway I hope you find some brands that deliver better in terms of holding up well to daily usage.

@DME, congrats to your DD! Have a great trip to Europe.

@Sparkletastic, I think the idea of transforming bags is a good one but not all bags can be easily transformed (depends on the issue that is bothersome). Some issues like a boxy shape for instance cannot really be changed. I’ve tried working on styling such a bag differently, maybe tying a scarf to soften the shape a bit, kind of creating an optical illusion. Sometimes this works. I’ve also sometimes used bags I’m not crazy about as beater bags. The Bvlgari bag sounds like a project that will yield good results for you so do keep us posted.

 

[Sparkletastic]

I really like your approach! Turning something you already have, but have fallen out of love with, into something exciting is true shopping your own closet. Plus it's a great challenge!

I haven't transformed any handbags, yet. At least not any I didn't buy to paint on in the first place.
But I think my painted black shearling coat is a transformation example. I bought the plain black coat, was heavily disappointed, because it was sooooo boring and by painting on it turned it into a piece I really love to wear. Little effort, little cost, big change.

I was actually inspired by the amazing things you do with your finds when I thought of this.

@Sparkletastic, I think the idea of transforming bags is a good one but not all bags can be easily transformed (depends on the issue that is bothersome). Some issues like a boxy shape for instance cannot really be changed. I’ve tried working on styling such a bag differently, maybe tying a scarf to soften the shape a bit, kind of creating an optical illusion. Sometimes this works. I’ve also sometimes used bags I’m not crazy about as beater bags. The Bvlgari bag sounds like a project that will yield good results for you so do keep us posted.

I completely agree with you. Sometimes you just have to part ways with a bag when it fundamentally doesn’t work for you. My Jimmy Choo Raven is a good example of this. It’s a north / south oriented bag with an odd v-shaped zipper. These two features make it a frustrating black hole that even an organizer can’t save. In this case the bag either sells or I donate it.

But, I went thru my list of 10 for sale bags and quickly thought of ways to “save” three of them. I’m hoping with more thought, I can reclaim more and - perhaps more importantly - think differently in the future about the bags I currently love so that I can shop and re-shop what I have vs selling in future.

I saw someone on tPF had an artist paint one of her bags. I thought that was a great way to renew the love for a bag and have a unique piece. So, there are many ways to think about this puzzle

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

North/south bags don’t work for me either, precisely because of the black hole issue. If it’s a bag with a more structured base, you could try padding it at the base with something lightweight but structured like a cardboard box and put an organizer over the padding and this basically reduces the space available in the bag which in this case might be what’s needed. To be clear I haven’t tried this since I don’t have any north/south bags. As for the zip, well, half the time I leave my bags unzipped or zipped halfway so that’s one way around a tiresome zipper. But yes, some things fundamentally don’t work for you and sometimes we just have to cut our losses and let them go.

 

[cecchetti]

... that's the ballet dancer. Please give yourself a little leeway in case you get to the point where this self testing turns into self punishment. ❤️

Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
I’ve just leaped out of bed, after a dream that I was in Paris(where I lived), with my Dad, and had one day to visit the clothes boutiques of my choice,and had to choose which area to visit, and grabbed my iPad to make a list, and suddenly realised I wasn’t in Paris.

I stroked the cats, and emailed my Dad, and told him I’d better visit Paris later this year.
I want to go back to Giverny with him too(we went with Mum and stood on the bridge in Monet’s paintings, Mum was particularly enamoured with his kitchen-Monet liked food!).

So I’m being tested even in bed….

 

[dcooney4]

STOPPING THE SALES CYCLE

I really, really, REALLY despise selling bags. I hate the hassle of photographing and listing them. I get irritated by seller questions that are already answered in the listing. And most of all, I’m DONE with how I beat myself up for having made a buying error the entire time they’re listed.

So, I’ve decided on a new approach to the nine bags I have for sale. One by one, I’m going to find a way to transform the bag so I love it. If after serious thought I absolutely cannot, I’ll consign it or donate it to get it out of my house.

First up is my Bvlgari Logomania Bucket Bag. This bag can be turned from trash to treasure with two changes: 1) the cloth material is faded at the top so I’ll have it redyed 2) I’m going to have the awkward hand carry handle made removable and add a chain shoulder strap.

Since the bag will likely never sell as is, investing a little money to make it something I’ll love seems like a great option.

Anyone else up for transforming your unwanted bags so we can better “shop our own collections”?
View attachment 6111520

I love this idea. I am going to contemplate if there is something I can do to any on my bags to make them more desirable.

 

[dcooney4]

Hello all! I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. I’ve enjoyed reading all the posts and goals for the year.

Like @cowgirlsboots my goals for this year are foggy at present. The year is off to a brisk start with a couple of projects that will eat up my time for several weeks so I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to pop in to chat about handbags, at least in the early part of this year. I’ll come back and post goals when I’m better able to articulate them. In the meantime I just plan to continue to rotate the bags using my weekly rotation system.

@dcooney4, I’m sorry to hear that last year was rough. I recall reading that you hurt your arm and that must’ve been difficult. I hope you are well on the road to recovery. Sending healing thoughts and vibes your way.

@lill_canele that dress looks fabulous on you - definitely a good purchase.

@papertiger, thank you for starting this thread. Thinking of you and sending best wishes for good health and healing to your DH.
Thanks also for the excellent idea about using silk and fabric pouches inside handbags. I’ve often avoided pouches inside my bags because it seemed bulky to me but I can definitely do soft fabric pouches and silk sounds especially nice!


@Bag peace, I think your idea of mulling over a bag collection from scratch sounds like a fun exercise. Would we choose differently if we had to start from scratch? Something to ponder about for sure.
Also, it’s disappointing to hear that some of the bags didn’t withstand daily usage in your experience. I’ve had luck with Dooney bags (no affiliation) in the past, but can’t speak to more recent releases. Anyway I hope you find some brands that deliver better in terms of holding up well to daily usage.

@DME, congrats to your DD! Have a great trip to Europe.

@Sparkletastic, I think the idea of transforming bags is a good one but not all bags can be easily transformed (depends on the issue that is bothersome). Some issues like a boxy shape for instance cannot really be changed. I’ve tried working on styling such a bag differently, maybe tying a scarf to soften the shape a bit, kind of creating an optical illusion. Sometimes this works. I’ve also sometimes used bags I’m not crazy about as beater bags. The Bvlgari bag sounds like a project that will yield good results for you so do keep us posted.

Thank you! Best of luck with all your projects.