cost per wear

[chocolate oak]

:shame: I would not even go there...I dont think I could ever justify my bag purchases in cost per wear, because in the end every single one of my current bags cost me big ££per wear. If I lived on a desert Island I guess I would not buy designer bags or clothes. I dont think most people would do boob jobs, face lifts or diets if they lived where it is not populated (obviously theres a problem finding a plastic surgery on desert islands...but you get the picture)..So I guess Im kinda with Korzinka on this one... But not proudly!
I feel more of everything when wearing designer bags... but I guess that feeling would subdue if no one could see it

 

[Cacau]

Well said, Choc Oak!

 

[tortoiseperson]

This is such a great idea! though my figures could be quite guilt-inducing, because I don't get out of the house that much.

I even keep track of the bags that my mum has seen as I introduce them very gradually as she disapproves of my obsession LOL.

This! my mum is quite beady-eyed and I'm sure she'd be able to spot a Mulberry at 50 paces. She hasn't yet seen any of mine, we went there on Sunday and I made sure to take my "everyday" pre-Mulberry expansion Longchamp nylon pliage so that she wouldn't start asking questions.

 

[bluecat_00]

Well for me it reduces guilt as I don't have money to burn and kind of justify having the bags by their use. For me personally I can't justify buying without using and I, rightly or wrongly, feel more comfortable having a £500+ bag that I use regularly than one that sits in the wardrobe. That isn't to say that having bags for the sake of having them and not using them is wrong - it is just wrong for me!

 

[tortoiseperson]

£10 is a taxi ride, it is a lot per wear.

You see, for me a taxi ride is something I can't help seeing as a luxury - I would always hop on a bus instead, or walk. I like to spend my money on permanent things that I can keep (and cherish, Gollum-like ). Different people have different priorities.

the whole point of buying a designer item is at the end of the day a message "I have money" "I am influental" "i have a cool boyfriend" "I am above you (or as high as you) in a society ladder" "I am holier than thou" - if to be brutally honest. One won't buy a designer bag in a country where nobody knows that it is a designer bag.

Interesting and I'm sure for some people this is true, but for me personally it really isn't - one of the reasons I like Mulberry is that the name isn't written all over the bag. I enjoy them for what they are rather than the message they might send. I'd actually be embarrassed to be seen with a bag which everybody knew cost 4 figures or even more (though I might still save up and buy one, but it would be for my personal enjoyment).

 

[klp0213]

I'm with you on that one, tortoiseperson - Gollum-like, that's me!

I love doing cost-per-wear, so much so that it's become a daily obsession of mine. I've managed to get only one bag down below £10: pewter Daria satchel, but a number of others are getting close.

I, too, love Mulberry for being understated and high quality. I'll admit that I do like the exclusivity of carrying a designer bag, spotting another Mulberry fan and exchanging a look of mutual admiration. If that makes me a snob then so be it!

 

[MiniMabel]

For me, cost-per-wear is a waste of time; I buy because I like a particular bag. If it doesn't work, off it goes, on to the next one! I have a core collection and the rest ebbs and flows!

 

[Cacau]

It definitely doesn't make anyone a snob purely for cherishing and wanting to belong to a group, however I do find interesting to know the real reasons why we actually do stuff

I certainly feel firstly that I buy bags because I like them and that is all, but I came to the realisation a few times that what made me want them in the first place were diverse reasons.

The fact that Mulberry is understated doesn't mean it is not instantly recognisable. It only adds to its exclusivity degree

Anyone agreeing?

ps: Totally with you, Tortoise, on the cab thing... only when I need to get to airport/ St. Pancras in the very early morning hours!!! Hahahahaha

 

[klp0213]

^^I've always been a handbag girl, ever since I can remember. So, a few years ago when I finally had the money to buy my first ever Mulberry after coveting the oak Roxy for years, I bit the bullet and bought what I thought was a really expensive bag (£295 for an oak Emmy in the sale). My mother couldn't believe it, my DH thought I was mad but politely accepted this facet of my personality, and I was thrilled.

Nothing much has changed except that I have more bags.

 

[bluecat_00]

I too find it fascinating to read why people buy expensive bags. I guess some if us buy expensive bags, expensive shoes, expensive clothes ..... I've always battled with my weight and can't justify spending a lot of money on clothes (what if I lose weight or gain weight and they no longer fit, I'm a working mum with two young girls with an almost dormant social life at this stage in my life so no cause to dress up etc) plus I like comfy shoes and can't do heels etc so High Street is fine for footwear. Bags on the other hand always fit and for me make a cheaper outfit look more up market. That's why I can spend the money on glorious bags as they serve a specific purpose.

I am a bit of a bag snob though and admit it because I lament to see a beautifully turned out lady with plether cr*p which to me defines her outfit. Not a snob to the extent that I like more obvious logo bags like LV.

 

[chocolate oak]

I do, cacau Completely.

Of course I love my bags even when I'm at home where no one else can see me but my dog... and she is more interested in the smell, than the design But that luxurious feeling that at least I get from my bags, comes from somewhere outside myself, iykwim? Something makes me pay more for certain bags - and the drive behind that decision is coming from others wearing them, good advertisement, glossy magazines...and of course the purse forum Im not good at explaining things properly in this foreign language...Im quite prepared for being misunderstood

 

[tortoiseperson]

I've always battled with my weight and can't justify spending a lot of money on clothes (what if I lose weight or gain weight and they no longer fit, I'm a working mum with two young girls with an almost dormant social life at this stage in my life so no cause to dress up etc) plus I like comfy shoes and can't do heels etc so High Street is fine for footwear. Bags on the other hand always fit and for me make a cheaper outfit look more up market. That's why I can spend the money on glorious bags as they serve a specific purpose.

I think you must be my twin! (apart from the working mum bit).

 

[geeky_economist]

.... because the whole point of buying a designer item is at the end of the day a message "I have money" "I am influental" "i have a cool boyfriend" "I am above you (or as high as you) in a society ladder" "I am holier than thou" - if to be brutally honest. One won't buy a designer bag in a country where nobody knows that it is a designer bag.

Oh dear, that doesn't explain us Mulberry fans in the US very well, does it? Only once has anyone recognized that I was carrying a Mulberry bag; the brand is practically unknown here. Actually, that's part of the appeal. I love the new Prada and Chloe bags but nothing says "Look at me and how much money I have" quite like a big Prada label. I prefer to swing my Oak Bays and know no one on the train knows how much I spent on my bag.

 

[ditzyfordaria]

Oh dear, that doesn't explain us Mulberry fans in the US very well, does it? I prefer to swing my Oak Bays and know no one on the train knows how much I spent on my bag.

That's my take on it, too, GE. My Daria was recognized by a good friend of mine, and I'm going to blame that on a big gold plaque that says MULBERRY as opposed to the design itself, who has traveled overseas. But otherwise no one knows.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Mulberry's presence in Canada is even less than the US. We have absolutely no stores (and no boutiques that I know of) that carry the brand.

The "big brands" in Toronto seem to be Coach and Louis Vuitton. And I've yet to see a model of either that I like; I'm pretty simple and I find the colours and styles are kind of gaudy.
(yes, I know that my Daria is bright orange. But she's a classy lady.)

In conclusion!
I love bags for the style and not the status. ;]

 

[ratrat]

Very interesting - it really boils down to what is 'wear', 10min outing to supermarket, taking it to the office and the bag sitting on the chair all day, one dinner out... I guess we don't count wearing it in the house for modeling pics (but that will elicit most compliment, lol, at least once)!?

For me, I count the satisfying moment, eg. I'm happy to pick one in the morning, looking at it during the day in the office and picking up again happily on the way home!! Or going out for dinner, just all ready feeling and the perfect bag makes it so special!

Re, using Designer bag not recognised...I wore it in Japan where nobody knows about Mulberry really, but was still happy & very proud!! I felt some girls looking at it on the train too...