A first attempt at a shallow obsession education

[routed]

Good morning ladies,

I was this morning given my first elementary lesson into the world of handbags. As it should be obvious by now, I am a member of the lesser gender, and I am trying to aquire some knowledge about handbags so that the purchase i make for my girlfriend is not a total first disaster. I profusely apologize if this is the wrong way to go about this, but this site seems to be the most comprehensive forum on purses and the discussion thereof that I can find.

When I referred to my girlfriends handbag as a purse, I was thrust into a world unknown to me and seemed to (quite unknowingly) offend half a dozen coniseurs within earshot. *its not a purse! Its a /handbag!/ So, taking the lesson to heart, do you ladies happen to have any links that could teach me the different styles of bags *eg: hobo..difference between a satchel and a clutch..* I tried poking around the bagborroworsteal to look at the different types and styles, but I am hopelessly lost, and feeling much like a bull in the china shop.

Thanks for your assistance and aloha,

-route

 

[Vlad]

Aloha and welcome to the PF! I'm sure the ladies will be happy to enlighten you with some basic bag info. Don't worry, in its basics it's not rocket science, it can get pretty wicked thou when it comes to 'it' brands, named bags and such.

In order to get a feel for the different styles, you can browse the styles links on our blog to see the differences in design - that should give you an idea.

 

[pseub]

routed, how does your GF normally dress? Casual? Professional? Trendy? That should help give you some clues as to the style of bag she'd like. Does she have subscriptions to every fashion magazine or does she stick with classics when it comes to her clothes? Answers to those questions will help us to steer you in the right directions. Also, what is her age range?

 

[Serendipity]

routed, how does your GF normally dress? Casual? Professional? Trendy? That should help give you some clues as to the style of bag she'd like. Does she have subscriptions to every fashion magazine or does she stick with classics when it comes to her clothes? Answers to those questions will help us to steer you in the right directions. Also, what is her age range?

Handbag Maven training others!

 

[routed]

Thank you for taking the time to assist me.

Vlad: Yes, I was stunned at the knowledge on the tip of your tongue regarding hardware matching specifications and colour variations. I would imagine this becomes a most needed skill when purchasing bags from an unknown source. It would be so easy to pass off a fake to the unknowing.

pseub: Her attire tends to run the gamut, from the casual bounce to the store..to full on regalia when we go out to the casinos etc. She is always very well put together, even when wearing sweats. Not so much so that she would require a matching bag for the outfit, but it would be nice if i could attain enough skill to think of several different types to give her a choice.

What I dont want is to fall into the gimme brands, abusing a name because everyone and their blind neice recognizes the print or something along those lines. Everyone knows Rolex, but since selected people can actually tell the difference between a real one and a cobbled together fake, it cheapens the brand (in my opinion.) Ill go cruise around and see what I can learn, and once again, thanks for your time.

Aloha,
-route