Are You Also a Lover of 2 or 3 Very Different Bag Brands?

papertiger

papertiger

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#1
Many TPFers often write that they bought brand 'X' until they could find/afford brand 'Y' but are you (like me) and feel like regularly the extreme end of 2 (or 3) brands? Many never look back. I've found this particularly true of Hermes devotees (with a few exceptions of course).

I always think I'm a bit wayward and too quirky for popular Hermes bags to be carried every day and seem to choose their atypical (and vintage looking) pieces. Similar at Gucci. I love their heritage and their fine pieces, but much of the the contemporary stuff, that seems to sell well, is not so 'me'.

I could never give up either because there'd be a part of me that would be painfully unfulfilled in terms of artistic expression. I think I'm somehow in an overlap, somewhere that's in the middle.

Anyone else have split-designer loyalty an an in-between brand identity personality?
 
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#2
I’m in between. I sold every luxury bag I had (LV, Celine, Fendi, Givenchy, Tods) to buy H. But, I still have Coach bags and 1 Coach wallet. So my collection now consists of H and Coach.

I still like Coach, especially their glove tanned leather and their heritage styles. I feel like I can experiment more with color with Coach whereas with H I feel like I “ought” to buy only the neutrals because of the price point. I feel that Coach provides amazing value and craftsmanship. This is why I’ve sworn off LV. Too expensive and too poorly made. For that much money just save a bit more and get H.

Nowadays I use my Coach bag every day and love it very much. Another brand I still like is Fendi. I like the quirkiness of their designs. There are lots of look alike designs but nothing really looks like a Fendi bag.

So, I would say my favorite brands are Coach, H and Fendi. In no particular order!
 
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#3
I have an eclectic style and so I've found myself purchasing bags from a variety of brands. As prices go up and quality goes down, I just try to find bags that fit with my style but will hopefully hold up longer than most. Over the past year or two my comfort-level in spending has gone down, which makes it harder to find bags that are not as trendy. I have Chanel, Gucci, SL, Chloe, Prada, Burberry, Mulberry, and a few contemporary bags. I've never explored brands like Celine and Dior because they are not sold where I live and are not sold online (H is out of my price range). I am too apprehensive of the pre-loved market to go that direction. This was a long way of saying that I don't seem to have brand loyalty. Some brands I might have stuck with if they didn't change their style for the worse or if their prices hadn't gone up so much in such a short time.
 
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#4
I'm the kind of person who is loyal to certain brands, but is willing to try new things when I am in the mood for it. I own bags from multiple brands that can offer me variety with interesting designs. So it's safe to say that I have a bit of everything in various sizes mostly in neutrals such as tan, brown, navy, black and red for different occasions.

When it comes to handbags, quality is my first consideration. I won't buy if the quality is not there. My second consideration is the design, leather and the hardware. I often gravitate towards certain types of structured handbags in either simple, quirky, cute or bulky silhouettes, but I also like floppy handbags made in suede.

My current favourite brands are Proenza Schouler, Ferragamo and Moynat. These three brands are the ones I regularly check out first. I am also keeping an eye on Celine, Chloé, Mulberry, Massaccesi, Hermès, former BV and Gucci (depending on who is in charge for the leather goods and accessories department). Some of the Hermès bags such as Kelly and Bolide are currently out of my price range, but this will change when I transition back to working fully again.
 
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#5
Totally. I am fascinated by people’s commitment to a brand and the collections they build around it. And by all those stories about being a Chanel girl and then moving on to Dior, or about starting the Hermes journey.

I am a very simple soul. I don’t identify with brands at a personal level and don‘t embark on journeys but simply go shopping. I like fashion and dreasing up and to me bags are just a part of the whole equation. I like quite a number of bag designs and designers. I guess the ones that make more appearances right now in my current non-collection are Hermes, Loewe and vintage Chanel, but I love many others and it will be a different ranking at some other time.
 
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#7
I’m not brand loyal either. If it’s well made with minimal bling and logos, and great supple leather I’ll probably like it. Lately, given the “let’s stick giant logos all over shop“ and stiff little boxes trend I’ve bought Hermes, certain Givenchy and old BV. I do have an LV wallet (just to be contradictory) but it doesn’t seem to bother me - probably because its in my bag and not in my or anyone else’s face!
 
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#9
My bag style has mostly always been structured shapes, and classic designs in leather, without too much branding. I like bags that are a bit under the radar and not very common. I am handbag promiscuous for brands and individual bags!

I have compromised on the structured thing before because I loved the leather or something, but I realized that I do not like it. I did have this amazing hobo from some long gone Italian brand. It was so slouchy, but I was in a slouchy phase for a few years. I kept it a few years and eventually donated it. Hopefully the next owner loved the lambskin. :biggrin:

I am not super loyal. My budget has generally been solidly contemporary but ocassionally I upgrade! I have had bags in my collection from Coach, Michael Kors, Furla, BCBG back when they made nice bags, Rebecca Minkoff, and Kate Spade. Upgrade picks from Mulberry, Ferragamo, and most recently LV and Celine purchased pre-loved.

I do like Coach a lot, and they were my first designer brand and are solidly always in budget. I find most of their bags (at least in they styles I want) are well made. And I am happy to find leather lined bags in store.

I have been exploring Mulberry as well - but there is always something not quite right for me (like strap length).

On the premier side, Ferragamo usually always delivers, but it may live a little too far in my fantasy life :P. New Celine is a bit iffy, but Philo era of Celine is basically all my aspirations come to life! I finally jumped on with a used Trapeze, but before all the colors I wanted were not readily available or discontinued and I was and am afraid of eBay!

If I can ever justify another structured top handle Valextra or a Ferragamo Studio are calling my name! Loewe is also on my potential list too. I really like the elephant, so cute. And the Barcelona. J.W. Anderson's stand alone collection looks promising sometimes. And Tom Ford too.

Other brands end up being a bit too logo-ed for me or something. I don't like most LV - I am not a fan of coated canvas and monogram. I think they have some great shapes, but the recent bags have big logos. Gucci and YSL are also generally too logged for me. I like some Fendi shapes. I like the edginess of Alexander McQueen - but I am not a skull person, they have some great shapes. Philip Lim also has nice shapes, but the colors are sort of wrong for me.

And while Hermes Kelly was my first bag love (and I literally mean first, I picked that out when I was like 9 and had no concept of money lol). H is both out of budget and now just too known for me. As a running joke with my sister, if I was Oprah rich, and I got that Kelly, my sister is like I would steal it from you! It is just too obviously fancy for me!

I have also liked that Chanel Reissue for a long time, and it is also a but too fancy for me, after some reflection. It has been on my mind, as I like the niche it fills, so I have been really really researching lately and considering it. I also think, that I'd be annoyed by the double flap - I hate too many pockets and sections, especially ones that do not have an obvious use for my lifestyle. I have gotten rid of a lot of bags for this reason. I like a big old empty space the most, so I can make up my own organization - maybe one pocket for my phone and one for my keys. I don't mind 1 extraneous card slot, but that is kinda it. I will always think the reissue is really pretty though!
 
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#10
Pessie said:
I’m not brand loyal either. If it’s well made with minimal bling and logos, and great supple leather I’ll probably like it. Lately, given the “let’s stick giant logos all over shop“ and stiff little boxes trend I’ve bought Hermes, certain Givenchy and old BV. I do have an LV wallet (just to be contradictory) but it doesn’t seem to bother me - probably because its in my bag and not in my or anyone else’s face!
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I will be happy when the huge logo phase is over. But where it is killing me the most is on shoes. Like seriously guys?
shoe 1, 2, 3, and 4.
 
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#12
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#13
I am pretty much the opposite of brand loyal. I have bags 1-3 bags each from several different brands. I also have a mix of Premier and Contemporary. I'm more comfortable taking my contemporary bags to the grocery store, or when it's raining or snowing.

I tend to prefer minimalist designs, but have finally admitted I'm not going to end up with a minimal number of bags. As part of liking minimalism, I wear a lot of jeans with a black shirt and black shoes. So I need a colorful bag to add a spark to the outfit. For work I usually a plain colored shirt and black pants (sometimes grey), so I often wear a black bag. Sometimes I wear grey and black to work, and carry a colorful bag.

I only have a couple bags that aren't leather, and they're tote bags. So the closest I come to being 'loyal' is my love of leather.

@Greenredapple I've set 50 as my limit. I should probably lower that number...
 
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#14
doni said:
I don’t identify with brands at a personal level and don‘t embark on journeys but simply go shopping. I like fashion and dreasing up and to me bags are just a part of the whole equation
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This exactly. I get inspiration from TPF and seeing stuff IRL. in the past, when I’ve been primarily a Chanel person or other, it’s been as a spin off of RTW. And, once I’ve been satisfied by one designer the pendulum swings back to another. I’m a lover of Chanel, Hermes, BV and Goyard primarily, with some forays into gucci, YSL And valentino, and exceptions made for anything camoflage, clutch or Studded.

@JenJBS, wow 50! I’m thinking I’d need to convert a bedroom, or at least an entire wall, to warehouse that many lol :biggrin: funnily enough, I’m your aesthetic opposite: I am not a minimalist on RTW, so bags have to be somewhat simple lol!

@Greenredapple, I’d be afraid if I set a conscious limit, it would become too tempting to break it. Like, you can have only one cupcake. Even if someone asks me how many H bags I have I might say, only two B30s and a K in active rotation, bc if I’m not currently using my victorias, trims, Evelynes, shoulder B/K or HAC 32, they aren’t top of mind. . . And I usually forget to count clutches bc they’re a kin to SLG.
 
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#15
For a long time, I did have a tendency toward brand loyalty. I still dearly love my Tomas Maier BVs (I have seven), but I am not so fond of the new Creative Director’s designs. I guess we’ve broken up. Luckily, I also have three Hermès, and one each from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Alaïa, and Fendi. (My mother recently pilfered my Lonchamp Cuir, but I’ve got a few le Pliage totes that can take its place.)

I wonder if I’ll start going steady with another fashion house, or if I’ll continue to play the field? I feel so promiscuous.
 
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