Do wet want some new challenges in August?
How about wearing one non-black neutral per week (whatever is a neutral for you)
How about wearing one non-black neutral per week (whatever is a neutral for you)
2025 Resolution: Shopping my own Bag and SLG Collection
- Thread starter papertiger
- Start date
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What strategies have you all been using to help you in enjoying and shopping your collection? Let’s share successful approaches or success stories.
1. Use it or lose it
2. One in - one must go out
3. Only buy better (quality)
4. (non bag items too) Never, ever buy in the sale what you didn't want at full price.
I am not a 'collector' I am a lover and a wearer.
No rules
I don't have the same bag in 20 colours, a capsule collection or rules like 'no doubles'. I am also not obsessive about a bag's practicality if I'm not using it everyday.
Some bags take time to work in or know how to style.
The worst phrases I read or hear that make me cringe are "I don't reach for it..." or "if I haven't worn it in the last 6 months...". If I liked/loved something once it wasn't an accident or mistake. I trust I will reach for it sometime, it may be I'm not ready to use it for sometime, possibly even years. I do love it when I want to wear it straight away/a lot, but it's not a reflection of how much I love a bag.
Not for display
My bags are not under glass like an influencer/socialite's walk-in emporium, not in boxes with original receipts etc. I couldn't care less about resale. Current season rotation bags are lined up in dust-bags, others put away.
This one is true for me! There were bags I owned years ago that I loved but couldn't wear. They weren't right for me then. I held on to them and aged into them.
And other bags have a specific vibe that made them hard to work into my wardrobe at the time, but later down the road, I'd buy a particular piece of clothing that perfectly fit the bag, then the bag would become part of my regular rotation because everything suddenly 'clicks'.
That's a very plausible explanation! Thank you! I didn't think of it, because the dinosaur and teddy bear in the shop seem to be the same size as shown on the runway.
I like your way of doing this. If a bag is special, I will wait for the right occasion to wear. I really like your 4 rules. Specially 3 and4!
Oh, no! I hope Mr. Grumpy comes back to you soon - and as good as new!Okay, that has absolutely made. my. day! Thank you sooooo much for thinking of me and sharing it! I'm grinning like a fool!
The displays are very much in the same style (although more elevated)! Sadly, Mr. Grumpy is currently at the doctor's (well, cobbler) getting a bit of plastic surgery!
The weight of his nose tore the leather. I didn't want to DIY that repair as I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do a good job. Hopefully he comes back good as new.
You can see from the picture that the lock is pretty hefty. The tear is jagged and right in the middle of his poor face, right above the lock.
Forgive me for re-using an old pic, but since he's not in hand....
This bag always brings me so much joy!
View attachment 6159337
If I could've gotten a hold of the Kardashian's regular surgeons, I would've had them fix that nose!
Fingers crossed the cobbler can fix it. He said he can't promise but he'll do his best. I'll update when I get it back. Thanks again for making my day with those pics. I hope you had a great time in Vegas.
Do share pics when Mr. Grumpy returns! And Vegas has been fun. One more full day, then we fly home tomorrow midday.If I could've gotten a hold of the Kardashian's regular surgeons, I would've had them fix that nose!
Fingers crossed the cobbler can fix it. He said he can't promise but he'll do his best. I'll update when I get it back. Thanks again for making my day with those pics. I hope you had a great time in Vegas.
The Sling came and I like the color but the strap has a metal piece that lands right on my shoulder and hurts. I could wear it longer less like a sling so the metal might land elsewhere. I have not taken off all the wrapping yet till I figure out how to wear it comfortably.
Fingers crossed he can fix it.If I could've gotten a hold of the Kardashian's regular surgeons, I would've had them fix that nose!
Fingers crossed the cobbler can fix it. He said he can't promise but he'll do his best. I'll update when I get it back. Thanks again for making my day with those pics. I hope you had a great time in Vegas.
I am an idiot. It has a removable strap so I just reattached it to opposite ends and it is now comfortable. It also comes with a strap if I want to wear it like a fanny pack and a chain / leather shoulder strap that I can put on and wear in the evening or as a decoration while wearing as a sling.
I adore Mr. Grumpy! I really hope he comes back good as new. Maybe if you see a bit of evidence of his repair it can be considered a proud sign of his worthy service (and why he’s a little irritable)Okay, that has absolutely made. my. day! Thank you sooooo much for thinking of me and sharing it! I'm grinning like a fool!
The displays are very much in the same style (although more elevated)! Sadly, Mr. Grumpy is currently at the doctor's (well, cobbler) getting a bit of plastic surgery!
The weight of his nose tore the leather. I didn't want to DIY that repair as I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do a good job. Hopefully he comes back good as new.
You can see from the picture that the lock is pretty hefty. The tear is jagged and right in the middle of his poor face, right above the lock.
Forgive me for re-using an old pic, but since he's not in hand....
This bag always brings me so much joy!
View attachment 6159337
This is a great hack! Unfortunately, for me, my taste and preferences evolve over time so I can’t use this rule as much as I once did. For example, 10 years ago I was crazy for flap bags - particularly Chanel & Dior. Now, while I still love the bags I have, I’m drawn to bags either with more interesting shapes or better utility or new color palettes. So, I most often now find myself wanting a bag that isn’t represented in my collection. So I have to reeeaaallly think hard about whether my interest is a passing fancy or a truly good addition.Great prompt.
I think my most useful hack to shopping my own is comparing anything I am dazzled by to the ones in my own collection. For example, if I see a blue bag that tempts me, I pull out my own blue bags and always find that I have something in a close enough colour, size or style that the new one would be redundant. It's crazy how often I am drawn to bags similar to what I already own. It's good that I'm consistent in my taste but, ridiculous that I somehow forget that I already have that niche covered and still want more.
But, to your point, I think your rule is one reason I could walk away from the silver Dior. I did have something similar already. So I guess, the rule does work for me at times!
I love the carefree abandon with which you view your bags. I must admit I’ve been influenced by you in that I no longer require my bags to be regularly worn in the minute. I have learned I regret having sold some bags I loved but didn’t wear at the time because I absolutely would wear them now. In fact, I’m hunting two I sold but can’t find them in the like new condition I sold them in.
Knowing I could regret selling is the only thing having me keep my Chanel flaps now. I don’t wear them often but as soon as I am fully healthy, back in my regular clothes and doing more of the activities I normally do, I know I will wear them again.
Nope, don’t call yourself an idiot. You’re a bag lover learning about her fun and versatile new bag!
One other BIG reason I’m shopping my collection is that I despise selling bags. And the only way to avoid that is to be creative in wearing what I own and limiting buying to thoughtful purchases I intend to hold permanently.
I’m hoping my last ever “outs” are the bags I exited at the beginning of the year to consignment. One just sold and I got a nice 4 figure check! That’s going to help fund an art piece I’ve been eyeballing.
Anyway, is anyone else swearing off the selling cycle?
I’m hoping my last ever “outs” are the bags I exited at the beginning of the year to consignment. One just sold and I got a nice 4 figure check! That’s going to help fund an art piece I’ve been eyeballing.
Anyway, is anyone else swearing off the selling cycle?
Oh, I can't wait to see (or hear about) when you buy a wonderful piece of art.
In the past 5 years I have just donated bags, mostly to a charity I am a patron of. Most of things go to young, young-at-heart fashionistas that just love dressing-up and do their shopping in charity shops. I am not going to give head-space to haggling over £10 and time to making boxes and then hanging around for returns.
I remember from eBay days someone returning the most beautiful Italian sheepskin and goat-hair, apres ski boots I'd sold for a bargain price because I'd written they were fleece-lined and she'd argued they were 'only wool' inside. If you turn a sheep inside out, suede is on the outside and wool's on the inside.
I personally never buy anything I don't want, it's not a killing-time kind of thing. What I learned from selling to so-called consumers is there are plenty of people who don't know what they want, they just shop.
I wish I could swear off the selling cycle but I feel guilty at wasting the money if I don't at least try to recoup some of it. One of the reasons I'm focusing on buying cheaper bags these days.