Considering First LV Purchase - Suggestions/Recommendations?

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#61
bella89 said:
My mom bought an Epi leather Alma about 7/8 years ago in a really pretty dark purple. My mom does not baby her bags at all and her Alma is used constantly, especially in winter (we live in PA). She also takes it to court a lot and court security are not gentle with bags, they actually ripped her Neverful once. Even through all this, LV has repaired it when needed and it's still going strong and looks great. I don't think you can go wrong with Epi.
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Thanks for your input and info on your mom's experience with the Epi.
 
#62
Iamminda said:
First off, you look so happy and pretty carrying both :smile:. I can't remember but do you plan to use it day to day in your bag rotation or will it be a weekend bag? What does your gut tell you? Will it truly bother you if you get rain spots on the vachetta? I know you will probably protect it and wipe it down asap but what if you end up with rain spots? Have you looked at preowned listings of Almas (both mono and epi) to see how they might possibly age? I agree that the monogram will hold its value better over time should you want to sell it down the line. I think life is too short to worry about what happens IF you get rainspots on your bag. Then again, are you the type to be bothered by any scuff, marks, spots on your bag? You can't really go wrong with either. Good luck deciding!
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Thank you lamminda. You are too sweet! I think the almost laughing look is because my daughter was taking the pictures - she is 7.
After leaving the store I was thinking monogram and then my thoughts flip flopped all the way home and still are a bit. Right now my gut is saying monogram...I am very fussy about dings to anything new but I am drawn to the monogram. I think it can look so great with jeans (which I wear a lot) and it can be dressed up. The Epi in black definitely looks more dressy all the time.

With the vachetta leather I am sure I would be good about wiping it right away so I cannot imagine it would ever get bad.
 
#63
shillinggirl88 said:
Thank you lamminda. You are too sweet! I think the almost laughing look is because my daughter was taking the pictures - she is 7.
After leaving the store I was thinking monogram and then my thoughts flip flopped all the way home and still are a bit. Right now my gut is saying monogram...I am very fussy about dings to anything new but I am drawn to the monogram. I think it can look so great with jeans (which I wear a lot) and it can be dressed up. The Epi in black definitely looks more dressy all the time.

With the vachetta leather I am sure I would be good about wiping it right away so I cannot imagine it would ever get bad.
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Aww, 7 year old is such a fun age (old enough to be helpful but too young to give you attitude, lol). Excellent--sounds like monogram might be the one. It is really such a classic -- you can't go wrong with it. And as long as you are aware of possible water spots developing, you should be able to prevent/minimize them. Looking forward to your reveal :).
 
#65
You look fab with both the mono and the epi. I actually only have 1 bag in mono (along with slg's) which is the first "bag" I ever bought...the keepall 45. It is about 12 years old and looks amazing. Of course it's not an everyday bag, it's luggage, but I have definitely not babied it. I have sprayed it with Collinil (sp?) water repellant probably 3-4 times. After every use, I wipe it down with baby wipes and the vachetta leather looks amazing, no water spots at all. If this may possibly be your one and only LV, I would go for the mono and spray the vachetta with a water repellant. GL in deciding.
 
#66
I have plenty of monogram bags with vachetta trim. I am not afraid of it, except on the Alma's. It's a huge area on the bottom. Look on eBay at some of the used almas to see what they look like after they are used for a while. That should help. Also, one thing you can do is apply Applegard or Lovin my bags leather conditioner prior to use. That should help prevent water stains.
 
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#67
shillinggirl88 said:
Ok stopped at local store again! Tried monogram and Epi. Those are the two I'm down too.

I like the no worry of Epi and black is always classic but do I need another black?

Love the idea of the vachetta getting a nice honey patina! At same time worry a bit about water spots etc.

My dear daughter took pics of both.

Any final thoughts opinions would be awesome :smile:
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Oh My ! They both look stunning on you ! Such a tough choice . Ok a few questions before I give my honest opinion ... Do you wear alot of black ? Will this be a bag you carry everyday ? Or in rotation with others ? Will this bag be used for casual , or work ? Do you have other black bags in your purse collection ? :)
 
#68
momof3boyz said:
Oh My ! They both look stunning on you ! Such a tough choice . Ok a few questions before I give my honest opinion ... Do you wear alot of black ? Will this be a bag you carry everyday ? Or in rotation with others ? Will this bag be used for casual , or work ? Do you have other black bags in your purse collection ? :smile:
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Thank you! I really do like both of them. I do wear a fair amount of black I wear denim quite a bit too. I have one black satchel and a black hobo. The black hobo I wear a lot with anything.

No I wouldn't be wearing it necessarily every day I have enough other handbags. But I was thinking I probably wouldn't save it for super special occasions I want to use it.so something for both casual and dressy would be great. But I generally am a bit more casual.
 
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#69
shillinggirl88 said:
Ha ha on only getting one. That is my plan.
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Famous last words :biggrin:

Tough because they both look great on you, it sounds like you lean more towards the monogram, I say follow your heart on this one.

The mono pops more and it's more obvious LV, the epi is more discrete and vey classy.
In terms of wear and tear the epi will look newer longer, because the vachetta will develop patina and potentially water spots.

I have the epi Alma and it's wearing beautifully, but I only got this after I had other monogram bags.
I would definitely like to have at least one monogram bag so I understand your conundrum.
Can't wait to see what you decide!
 
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#70
shillinggirl88 said:
The DE was the MM size - my friend liked that for her. I think PM is better size for me - plus a strap works great with them.

Thanks on the notes on vachetta. The SA there told me that she just wipes hers with a cloth too. I have just not experienced it before so hesitant. It is a big investment for me...likely a onetime LV purchase.

Thanks again.
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Lol! That's what everyone says, but it's a slippery slope. :biggrin: It sounds to me like you prefer the monogram, so I'd say get that. I use my Mono bags and don't worry in the slightest about the vachetta. To me, old Mono bags have a certain offhand elegance and authenticity about them. As if the owner has confidently and thoroughly used it as intended, as opposed to tiptoeing around with it. While caring for our things is always a good idea, there's something not terribly attractive about treating an object as if it is far too precious for a human being to actually use. With reasonable care it will hold up like a champ. (Also...there is no bag other than maybe plastic that you'd want to get sopping wet in a driving rainstorm.) If you're going to carry it for the next 108 years, at some point you may replace parts and leather anyway. Having said that, people on the forum have had great luck treating their vachetta with Applegard. That's another possibility. Most important, get the bag you really love and then use it. Life is short and earth could be wiped out by an asteroid before you ever need to worry about the leather on your bag. :smartass: Buy what you love and have fun and just live.

Edit: Exhibit A: Look at the vachetta on this Mono trunk from 1900-1909. It is 108 years old and is selling for over $21,000. Whomever once owned this is probably no longer alive, but his trunk is still going strong. I wonder if he worried about his vachetta.

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#71
prepster said:
Lol! That's what everyone says, but it's a slippery slope. :biggrin: It sounds to me like you prefer the monogram, so I'd say get that. I use my Mono bags and don't worry in the slightest about the vachetta. To me, old Mono bags have a certain offhand elegance and authenticity about them. As if the owner has confidently and thoroughly used it as intended, as opposed to tiptoeing around with it. While caring for our things is always a good idea, there's something not terribly attractive about treating an object as if it is far too precious for a human being to actually use. With reasonable care it will hold up like a champ. (Also...there is no bag other than maybe plastic that you'd want to get sopping wet in a driving rainstorm.) If you're going to carry it for the next 108 years, at some point you may replace parts and leather anyway. Having said that, people on the forum have had great luck treating their vachetta with Applegard. That's another possibility. Most important, get the bag you really love and then use it. Life is short and earth could be wiped out by an asteroid before you ever need to worry about the leather on your bag. :smartass: Buy what you love and have fun and just live.

Edit: Exhibit A: Look at the vachetta on this Mono trunk from 1900-1909. It is 108 years old and is selling for over $21,000. Whomever once owned this is probably no longer alive, but his trunk is still going strong. I wonder if he worried about his vachetta.

View attachment 3767651
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Agreed! And wouldn't you love to know the history of this trunk!
 
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#72
prepster said:
Lol! That's what everyone says, but it's a slippery slope. :biggrin: It sounds to me like you prefer the monogram, so I'd say get that. I use my Mono bags and don't worry in the slightest about the vachetta. To me, old Mono bags have a certain offhand elegance and authenticity about them. As if the owner has confidently and thoroughly used it as intended, as opposed to tiptoeing around with it. While caring for our things is always a good idea, there's something not terribly attractive about treating an object as if it is far too precious for a human being to actually use. With reasonable care it will hold up like a champ. (Also...there is no bag other than maybe plastic that you'd want to get sopping wet in a driving rainstorm.) If you're going to carry it for the next 108 years, at some point you may replace parts and leather anyway. Having said that, people on the forum have had great luck treating their vachetta with Applegard. That's another possibility. Most important, get the bag you really love and then use it. Life is short and earth could be wiped out by an asteroid before you ever need to worry about the leather on your bag. :smartass: Buy what you love and have fun and just live.

Edit: Exhibit A: Look at the vachetta on this Mono trunk from 1900-1909. It is 108 years old and is selling for over $21,000. Whomever once owned this is probably no longer alive, but his trunk is still going strong. I wonder if he worried about his vachetta.

View attachment 3767651
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Thanks so much! You had me convinced and decided...then a friend chimed in. Ugh!!! I know I would like both...
 
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