Dated or classic (pre-loved/vintage) Chanel?

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MissLianne

MissLianne

PhD in shopping
O.G.
Dec 27, 2008
1,002
18
#1
Just wanted to get another perspective on this.

As quality has changed over the years (and not just with Chanel) and given the price increases I’ve been browsing the sites. I’ve actually never bought any vintage/preloved handbags and always bought new.

A friend of mine showed up for dinner recently rocking an all black Chanel Cambon Pochette (if memory serves me correct it was an early/mid 2000s style). I’ve never seen her wear it and she mentioned she bought it second hand (RealReal?) It looked great on her and with her simple belted cardigan, jeans and ankle boots IMHO (& I should add it’s in great condition).

Which brings me to my question...
I’m looking to add a bag that is somewhat similar to my (nearly) 12 year old Louis Vuitton Totally which is a great travel bag (when you travel for business and sometimes go from airport to meeting). I came across the Chanel Medallion Tote which I’ve always liked.

Some of my friends think I’m nuts and claim only certain Chanel bags (like a flap or a woc) are worth buying second hand (if anything. I don’t care personally what people think - I like classic bags that I will use and my handbags are pretty diverse (incl Chanel- LV- YSL- Gucci & Dior). Browsing the second hand market has opened up a whole word of Chanel bags I didn’t know existed.

Overall Thoughts?
Where do you draw the line on “dated” and “classic”?
 
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#2
I would say, for Chanel, vintage/preloved is a great way to get into a different style and experience the quality of past years. Cambon, Medallion, etc, those are wearable by someone at any given time if their personal style works with it. If you can easily pick out the era a bag was made in by who wore it or when that style was popular, it's dated. If you have no idea, it's classic. The cambon and medallion had a hot period and then died out, so for me, those fall under dated items. Flaps and wocs - you wouldn't know the year unless someone told you - so, those are classic. That doesn't mean older styles aren't worth buying and wearing; they go for significantly less on preloved sites and you get a piece of Chanel history. imo:smile:
 
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#3
I also think certain bags are dated and are not worth purchasing unless they are extremely discounted Ie less than $1000. How much is the medallion tote you are looking to purchase??
 
#4
MissLianne I think you are bringing up a very interesting topic. I do agree with ccbaggirl89 that one of the things that makes a bag dated is how recognizable it used to be, however, I think there is more to it. To me the idea of something being dated is when a lot of people who used to ware the item no longer want to ware it and it disappears from the streets and internet blogs. I think that a lot of this phenomena has to do with items being no longer sold and therefore people know that it is an older item. For example, the Dior saddle bag that used to be everywhere in the late 90s and early 2000s in 2012 or 2013 was very dated, but it’s in production again with no significant changes and it’s no longer dated in 2019. How about Fendi baguette? Was everywhere in all kinds of materials and embroideries, however soon fell out of favor and production and suddenly was super dated. Now that it is back in production with some changes it is back in fashion, but I still don’t see the older embroidered ones being crazy popular the way Dior saddle bags are. Is it because current production does not make them with flowers? How about the Chanel GST. It was very popular and classic when it was produced, but now I hardly see people ware it. Do people consider Chanel GST dated or classic? How about seosanal items like the Chanel iridescent mermaid collection. It is very instantly recognizable from what season it is, but probably very few would consider it dated. These are just my thoughts and observations. Hopefully others can share theirs as I feel this is a very interesting phenomena.
 
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#7
This is an interesting question to me, because I am not extremely fussed about whether an item is "dated" or not. To me, if it's a fairly "classic" design and not made of bright orange fur or something like that, it doesn't matter when it's from. Having said that, some people can rock a bright orange fur bag, too :-)
 
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#9
Fashion always comes and goes. Recently all the designer has been digging into archives and giving a new spin on an old classic. Gucci Jackie O or Horsebit, Prada re-edition, LV Dauphine, and the list goes on. I see Chanel also trying to bring back the big CC on some of the seasonal totes that reminds of the GST. The Medallion tote has the association of early 2000s, but I love it too. It was the first Chanel bag that I remember wanting to buy. I never got a chance to buy it from the boutique and forgot about it until I came across it in 2020 on Fashionphile's site. Glad I decided to add it for around $1200 before pre-loved prices increased. What I've learned during all my time buying luxury handbags is to buy what you know works for you. I've made my share of mistakes buying beautiful high maintenance bags because they were so beautiful but I hardly used it and eventually sold for a loss. My rule now is to only buy what I will use and fits my lifestyle. Gone are the days I adjust needs to the bag.
 
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#10
I prefer Cambon tote over Medaillon which looks more dated for my taste.

For me, some factors have to be taken in consideration when buying a vintage Chanel. In terms of design, if the bag cumulates more classic elements, none saturated color or exorbitant details, it’s a good assurance that it gonna last for a long time once in your possession. It help assuring that you don’t make a mistake in buying a real dated bag.

It becomes harder regarding the price point, coz this is a personal satisfaction and some vintage Chanel might be sold over a fresh new from the boutique. However, I like to have an important bargain if I intend to get a good use, not for a collection purpose.
 
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