I've lingered on TPF for quite some time now -- I've been putting off sharing my collection, not only because I wanted to wait until I'd acquired more, but also because mine pales in comparison to others' collections. But I wanted to share all my lovely treasures with you, with include purses, accessories, and shoes. I'll try to go in chronological order, by category (yeah I'm that OCD!). Enjoy!
A few years ago--I believe I was a freshman in college or perhaps even younger than that--before I become a designer bagaholic, I bought my first "designer" bag (with my own money) at Elizabeth & Harriet boutique in Mystic, CT. Now, I use quotes because at the time spending $60-something on a purse (or anything for that matter) was a big deal for me. But compared to the bags I own now, this Vera Bradley tote in hope toile (a retired pattern) nothing special. Regardless, I still love the color, and I almost want to wash the bag because it's still functional (but very dirty!).
My freshman year of college, I joined a sorority -- and my Big sister gave me this purse (plus a number of other presents), which she'd made herself. I've never used it, but I can't get rid of it, because it's cute and I feel like it was made for me.
Before my sophomore year (or junior year??) of college, I (and my mom) was looking for a chic messenger bag to carry all my books and such -- but I couldn't find anything good. But there was one tote that caught my eye at TJ Maxx (I believe) in Boston. This Etienne Aigner bag is pretty but is nothing special; it got the job done, and it has tons of pencil marks all over the inside. I don't use it anymore, but, again, I can't get rid of it. We snagged it for a bargain too: it was about $35 and was originally $90-something.
In spring 2008, I was headed to Australia to spend a semester abroad (which was amazing, btw) -- it was actually the day before I was to leave from Boston, and my mom & I were searching for a small, functional purse to keep my wallet/passport/etc. safe. This Nine West small blue shoulder bag was perfect, and I even took it out to clubs & such in Perth (where I was studying), and it lasted the whole semester. But, again, it's quite dirty, although I've used it a few times since then.
I'm not exactly sure when this was, but I know one summer I bought a cheap Sun 'n Sand straw basket (it was like $16) from a local boutique. I ended up using it as a beach bag, and it didn't take long for it to bring some sand home with it. I haven't used it since last summer, but it's pretty unique. Also, I remember telling my mom that I didn't need to spend a lot of money of a purse. Yeah, right.
I think it was senior (or junior, can't remember, sorry) year of college when I bought this Longchamp le Pliage blue tote from the Longchamp website. I'd seen it everywhere--it was a female college student staple, apparently--and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I kept searching on eBay and other sites to find a discounted one, because I didn't really want to spend $120 (or whatever it was) on a purse. But I realized I'd much rather prefer a new one, and as this was before I knew about TPF's authentication, I was worried the bags on eBay wouldn't be real. I was a little disappointed when the bag came and I'd ordered the wrong handle length, but I soon came to see why everyone loved it so much: it holds so much! At the moment it's wrinkled and pretty dirty. Surprise, surprise.
So, I have a confession to make: a few years ago, I was scammed, when I bought an LV Multicolore Speedy from a seller from swapstyle.com for under $400. I should've known then that the price was too good to be true, but the pictures looked good, & she even sent me a copy of the receipt. To make a long story short, I ended up trying to sell it on eBay, but then when it was confirmed to be a replica, I was so pissed. (I've since had a deep hatred of all fake designer goods). I listed bag on swapstyle.com, and a user agreed to swap mine for her vintage Gucci cross body. I'm hoping to God this is real too, because even though I don't particularly like cross bodies, I love the look of this one.
My biggest bag purchase to date was...(drum roll please) my LV Monogram Roses pouchette. I was actually in Vegas on spring break (2009), & my friend & I enjoyed walking into every designer boutique we saw, just for the heck of it. I'd already decided I'd splurge on a nice purse, but it wasn't until I walked into the LV boutique and practically fell in love with this limited-edition pouchette. I told the sales associate I'd need to think about it, but a couple days later I showed up again, having decided that it was what I wanted. What was I thinking, spending $500 on a tiny bag? But I've never regretted that purchase. It's my Holy Grail bag, and I still keep it in the dust bag, for fear of what'll happen if I don't.
My uncle gave me a $100 Visa gift card as a college graduation present, and I was dying to buy myself another purse, and I was looking for a spring Coach bag. This [quite] small blue logo tote caught my eye, and I liked that it was the same as all those brown logo bags I'd been spotting. I was already a TPF member at that point, so after I'd authenticated it, I bought it w/ my gift card. What's weird is that the UPS kept trying to deliver it, but no one was home, so I had to go the post office in the next town, which I couldn't find for awhile (how annoying!). But anyway, the very short handle turned out to be a bit of a pain, but I still really like it.
In January of this year, I was about to start subbing full-time (a career which I ended up hating), and knew I needed a functional (yet stylish) tote. I was actually testing out my new GPS--definitely comes in handy!--and input TJ Maxx as the destination. I still like to joke that the guy said "TJ Max-x" (pronouncing the x twice). This Michael Kors studded red bag really got my attention -- it definitely grabs you. Luckily, it was over 50% off (I paid under $200). I've gotten tons of compliments on it, which is always nice. For some reason, though, I keep buying bags with short handles. Although there is a longer strap on this bag, it's often too long for a super short person like me (I'm 5'1" on a good day).
In March/April (being forgetful again!), my mom & I went to the *******, CT outlets. We stopped at the Coach store first. My mom was looking for a purse, but I didn't realize that I was looking for one too. After looking around a bit, I settled on this pink patent leather tote. As much as I love Coach the brand, the blatant logos sometimes annoy me, which is why I was drawn to the subtlety of this bag's logos. It's the perfect spring tote, and of course I snagged an amazing bargain -- I think I paid $140 for both the tote and the scarf! I'm actually using it at the moment, but am planning to switch to a fall bag...
My mom gave me a $50 Marshall's gift card for my birthday, and I was looking in the purse section, as I was always do, when I spotted a pretty Betseyville by Betsey Johnson canvas tote. It was $20, and that was about what I had left on my gift card. And I didn't have anything of Betsey's, so I figured I'd add to my collection. Plus, it turned out to be a very good beach bag.
This one's not special -- it's not even real leather (quelle horreur!). I was just wasting time at Target, and I spotted a vibrantly blue Hollywood Intuition hobo. I liked that it was large size, and was extremely cheap; I think it was like $7! Actually, I've only used it once, but I usually spend more than that on meals out and drinks anyway.
This summer I worked at a high-end boutique in Watch Hill, RI, and thanks to my generous store discount, I snagged this pretty Lulu Guinness canvas tote for a great price. I'd been eying it for quite some time, so on my last day I decided to get it (along with a couple other things lol). I used it as a beach bag one day, but I was worried it'd get too dirty or wet, so lately I've been using it as a gym bag. Yes, it may be a bit classy for a workout bag, but so what?
PS: My eyes are tired, & my stomach's rumbling, so I'm going to take a break. You can see my latest acquisition, plus some accessories, when I return...
