BV addiction - how to cure it ?
- Thread starter ppd2
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This is the perfect time to be treating and enjoying yourself after raising children and before retirement. I find myself more and more asking "will I use this bag for 20-25 years" when I buy it because I know in the future I won't feel I should spend this much money in this area as we retire so I want to know I'll be enjoying my purchases for years to come. Enjoy while you can and are able because we never know what lies ahead. I understand too how we can be thankful for our good fortune while at the same time cringe at what some must endure in this world. While we can and do help others in need it doesn't do anyone any good to shut down. We can do both. We MUST stimulate the economy!!!! Our country and the world is counting on us.
BL - LOL!!!! wearing anne fontaine white shirt AS WE SPEAK!
aaa - i know the feeling for anne fontaine lovemy favorites are the stretchy shirts as i cannot always iron and they look great on.
I love the Pima cotton ones also because I have an old time curvy body. If I buy the cotton ones I have to fit my shoulders and then have the bottom of the blouse tailored so the Pima cotton solves that problem. When I buy the cotton ones they are always the ones that lace down the back so I can make them smaller at my waist. Love her lacing, especially on her jackets.
Have quite a few of her coats too. 
I hear you loud and clear on this!! They are the only shirts I love to own and wear not so much, what is it about them?? Actually for me Wolford are another one, lovely bit scared to break them in!
I can tell you what it is about them......You can't beat the quality of her fabrics and the beautiful detailing of her styles. There's really nothing else like it out there. They may not be cheap but you can't get blouses that gorgeous even at $2000 at NM or Saks by anyone. Sometimes when I first wash them I'm scared but I'm always shocked at how well they come out and some of the crazy roses don't even need ironing if you take the time when they're wet to straighten and shape them. I put them in the dryer for 2 minutes to warm them so when I put them on hangers to dry I can smooth the wrinkles out and shape detailing so finishing touches when dry are minimal. Don't be afraid....... wear and enjoy!!!! God I love her.
Not only is there no cure, they have found a genetic component to the addiction. Which means you can blame your parents and your grandparents.
This is the best news I have heard all day...you mean I can blame it on somebody else...woo hoo!
You might just be my hero... I have the spreadsheets, too, but I need to separate the items out into characteristics and not just by brand.
annie9999, I completely understand. You used the word "indulgence," and it works for me. For me, it's not so much about the money itself but the self-indulgence that it represents. I am considering buying a second Cabat, and mixed with the excitement over it, I can't help but feel a little greedy. And I don't think that this is necessarily a bad thing for me--I think it helps me keep some perspective. I am not the type to indulge in my every desire, so it would be unusual for me not to have a little bit of internal conflict when considering a big purchase. I'm just not wired to buy on impulse. If I do buy another Cabat, it will be because I've made my peace with it and have determined that I can enjoy it without guilt.
^lovebags2, I made a list, too. My collection is tiny compared to some, but I listed all my luxury bags with categorizations such as color, style, function, and season. I even had a space for intangibles such as sentimental importance and wow-factors. I'm too analytical for my own goodbut it was useful to me. I've since found better homes for some of the ones that weren't a good fit for me anymore. I feel like I have a better sense of what I want and what I would really enjoy.
I don't do spread sheets......wouldn't know how, but I keep track with pictures. I have a handbag photo file on my computer and an actual hand held photo album with pics of all my bags and SLG's organized alphabetically by designer and color within designer and love to look through it the night before I go somewhere to help jog my memory on what I have so I can decide what I'm going to wear with my outfit and jewelry. Better than a fashion magazine! 
Isn't life grand.
Isn't life grand.
I can tell you what it is about them......You can't beat the quality of her fabrics and the beautiful detailing of her styles. There's really nothing else like it out there. They may not be cheap but you can't get blouses that gorgeous even at $2000 at NM or Saks by anyone. Sometimes when I first wash them I'm scared but I'm always shocked at how well they come out and some of the crazy roses don't even need ironing if you take the time when they're wet to straighten and shape them. I put them in the dryer for 2 minutes to warm them so when I put them on hangers to dry I can smooth the wrinkles out and shape detailing so finishing touches when dry are minimal. Don't be afraid....... wear and enjoy!!!! God I love her.
Thank you for the great advice BL
I'm about to purchase my first BV, so excited!, ANYWAY... I just sold off every single bag and accessory I owed (all from another designer) and started over. There were a few reasons for this.
1. I didn't love any of the bags and ended up using the only one that was functional while all the others just sat there staring at me. This made me feel guilty and uncomfortable. All i could think to myself every time i saw those dustbags was, "what a waste" and mentally shake my head.
2. That other brand also has serious quality control (i think that's what you call it) issues. How can a company charge hundreds or even thousand of dollars for anything and tell you to "inspect" it before they sell it to you?! I can't even begin to find the words to describe how offensive i find that...
Ok, now to my point. This whole starting over bit has been a really liberating and positive experience. It has freed me from those guilty shackles of thousands of dollars of leather, coated canvas or whatever it may be, sitting on a shelf in a felt bag wasting away. It's has also made me sit down and figure out exactly what i will use and draw the line between what i will use and what i want. If I am not going to use it and love using it, I should not buy it. Period. And seriously, how many bag can you actually use. These requirements will definitely keep the number of bags I have to a minimum, right?
And there's the two cents from the new girl on the BV block... lol.
1. I didn't love any of the bags and ended up using the only one that was functional while all the others just sat there staring at me. This made me feel guilty and uncomfortable. All i could think to myself every time i saw those dustbags was, "what a waste" and mentally shake my head.
2. That other brand also has serious quality control (i think that's what you call it) issues. How can a company charge hundreds or even thousand of dollars for anything and tell you to "inspect" it before they sell it to you?! I can't even begin to find the words to describe how offensive i find that...
Ok, now to my point. This whole starting over bit has been a really liberating and positive experience. It has freed me from those guilty shackles of thousands of dollars of leather, coated canvas or whatever it may be, sitting on a shelf in a felt bag wasting away. It's has also made me sit down and figure out exactly what i will use and draw the line between what i will use and what i want. If I am not going to use it and love using it, I should not buy it. Period. And seriously, how many bag can you actually use. These requirements will definitely keep the number of bags I have to a minimum, right?
And there's the two cents from the new girl on the BV block... lol.
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Thank you for the great advice BL
Anytime!
The little bit of extra effort when they come out of the wash really is a time saver in the end. Anytime!
I am so taking notes and will remember that!!
May I ask how would you define the ability to afford them? Is it just by having the money to pay for it? Or must one have excessive money after savings? I think people will have differing opinions on this.
I ask because I know people in my country are brands obsessed and many would scrimp on daily neccessities like food just to be able to buy the bag of their dreams. So does it mean as long as they don't borrow money to pay for their bag, they 'can afford' it?
Or must one be able to live very comfortably, have money to put aside for savings, investment every month and then use the excess they don't know what to do with to buy luxury items to mean that they are 'able to afford' it?
I don't mean to be too serious here but I feel addiction is a serious word. Just like depression. You don't say you're depressed just because you feel sad today or occasionally feel down. Addiction to bags can be like addiction to drugs, while it is not harmful to your body but it means you really cannot help but think of bags all day long and you feel the need to have that bag or to buy a bag for instant gratification.
Sorry if I am made it too serious, the person who started this thread most probably started it in jest. But I think the true addicts are there but probably won't come out in the open to admit it, just like all other types of addicts.
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I don't do spread sheets......wouldn't know how, but I keep track with pictures. I have a handbag photo file on my computer and an actual hand held photo album with pics of all my bags and SLG's organized alphabetically by designer and color within designer and love to look through it the night before I go somewhere to help jog my memory on what I have so I can decide what I'm going to wear with my outfit and jewelry. Better than a fashion magazine!
Isn't life grand.
Goodness, you both have me beat. I don't have a spreadsheet or photos--my annotated list is handwritten on a piece of paper! I should probably save it to a computer document, too.
I do think that it's prudent to have sufficient savings (as each person defines it) before splurging on very expensive bags. This opinion doesn't make me very popular at Hermes gatherings.
I agree with you: addiction is a very serious issue, and we see examples on tPF all the time. Any time an obsession with bags takes your resources, energy, and time away from the normal and enriching activities of life, it might be a problem. E.g. do you spend time on tPF and ignore the needs of your SO for companionship?
Welcome to the BV forum!
I appreciate your thoughts. I'm much the same way. I can't realistically use more than a handful of bags. More than that, they become a burden. Finding room to store them, checking their condition, debating which one to wear...it's all too much of a cognitive load, and not where I want to be devoting my mental energies.
There's a thread you might be interested in over in the main Handbags forum: Ever Purged your collection in pursuit of one bag.
I don't do spread sheets......wouldn't know how, but I keep track with pictures. I have a handbag photo file on my computer and an actual hand held photo album with pics of all my bags and SLG's organized alphabetically by designer and color within designer and love to look through it the night before I go somewhere to help jog my memory on what I have so I can decide what I'm going to wear with my outfit and jewelry. Better than a fashion magazine!
Isn't life grand.
BL, when you post things like this it solidifies my conviction that you must have an absolutely fabulous life!