Do you choose a bag color to match your style or let the bag take the lead?

[tinkerbell68]

My first B was a 35 in turquoise GHW...it is STUNNING because I love the color and H does color sooo well. And, with my relatively simple 'uniform' of cream/black/navy, it provides a welcome pop of color. While I understand the temptation to go with black (my default wardrobe color), H colors are just so stunning. I now have three Bs and two Ks and not one is black. I allow them to provide a pop of color to my wardrobe and as @Prada Prince notes, while some of the colors were already represented in my scarves or shirts, I now find myself purchasing items with a little orange or a dash of turquoise or a hint of deep red.

Once I got the Vert Cypres, even though it worked with my current outfits, I found myself purchasing more green items in my wardrobe to complement the bag, but it was more of a gradual evolution, rather than a drastic rearrangement of my normal wardrobe to fit an aesthetic that I don't want, just so that it works with the bag.

Finally, as to hardware, I initially told my SA that PHW was a hard no for me but it turns out that some leather colors are more appealing to me in PHW and that the identical bag can give off different vibes depending on the hardware color so I guess maybe I'm indecisive

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

I admire the minimalism you all are displaying in this thread! I wish I were as disciplined with my wardrobe. I am really tiny and it's hard to find clothes so I get attached to things that work and absolutely run them into the ground. Because I work from home, my "work" attire is essentially pj pants and hoodies, but when I leave the house I wear other things. I also have a lot of costume stuff because I go all out for Halloween in addition to volunteering for a cyberpunk LARP (never thought I'd be THAT nerdy, but here we are) so my closet needs a good edit. A lot of the color in my wardrobe comes from graphic tees and jewelry accents. I have been getting some classic nice pieces like coats, but my wardrobe probably always will be a mix of quality. Might if I have time post some outfits later for clarity!

My bags are more edited. A red and black petite malle, red picotin 18 ghw, a red medium classic flap shw, a black mini square flap shw, a black coach bag shw shaped like a speedy, LV reverse mono pochette metis, a black LV multipochette, and a pastel rainbow LV onthego with shw.

My aesthetic was similar to yours for many years..I only wore black, Rick Owens or Japanese and Belgian designers or slightly gothic or rock style.
In the past few years I've introduced more variety and colour in my wardrobe (Thats what happens of getting older and letting my hair go grey..I've become more adventurous !) but my default look is still a bit Rock/Goth as an all black look I find a good way to do maximum impact with least effort!
Like you the coloured bags I own are mainly deep red.
I wear bags to compliment (I hope..) what I'm wearing, I wouldn't want the bag to take the lead though that said I'm obsessing at present over buying an Orange bag as I think it has more versatility than red.
My advice would be to go for a black bag...If you dont I think you'd regret it and not get enough use from it.
As suggested by others you can always add colour by using a twilly or for a rock edge a McQueen skull scarf hanging off the bag.

 

[tinkerbell68]

for a rock edge a McQueen skull scarf hanging off the bag

I definitely use a black/red/orange McQueen with both my rouge H K and orange K. I lean slightly rocker chick (only ‘slightly’ due to age 😉) so I get your concerns @EdgyBagsPlz but I’d suggest being open and if a black B/K comes your way, grab it, but don’t rule out a ‘color’.

 

[periogirl28]

Since I believe you have already requested Black or greys with your SA, it's definitely going to work for you. I am in the minority here. I basically did Hermes colours first and Black was a very, very late addition to my collection. For my first two I knew I only wanted a BBB and BBK. I hardly wear Black and I plan my bag and outfit purchases together because I am naturally drawn to colours I like which I feel work for me and also for the countries I have lived in and travel to often. Eg I generally tend to wear more neutrals in Paris/ London/ NY and brighter colours in Asia.

 

[EdgyBagsPlz]

Since I believe you have already requested Black or greys with your SA, it's definitely going to work for you. I am in the minority here. I basically did Hermes colours first and Black was a very, very late addition to my collection. For my first two I knew I only wanted a BBB and BBK. I hardly wear Black and I plan my bag and outfit purchases together because I am naturally drawn to colours I like which I feel work for me and also for the countries I have lived in and travel to often. Eg I generally tend to wear more neutrals in Paris/ London/ NY and brighter colours in Asia.

May I ask what color your first bag was that you got? I'm very curious!

And also I like incorporating bright color with black and jeans in outfits- I think my concern is that a colored bag wouldn't work with all accent colors, so if I had a pink bag, for example, I wouldn't necessarily want to wear orange or red with it. Just is more complicated. I think my favorite thing is black which accents a vibrant bit of color. I also wear jeans which are usually dark blue denim.

 

[periogirl28]

May I ask what color your first bag was that you got? I'm very curious!

And also I like incorporating bright color with black and jeans in outfits- I think my concern is that a colored bag wouldn't work with all accent colors, so if I had a pink bag, for example, I wouldn't necessarily want to wear orange or red with it. Just is more complicated. I think my favorite thing is black which accents a vibrant bit of color. I also wear jeans which are usually dark blue denim.

That makes complete sense.
My very first Hermes bag was an Evelyn in Raisin because I like purples a lot. At that time I was a new mother and living in Europe. It was practical, under radar and had Permabrass hardware. Next was a Gold B30 from FSH. My very first SO from FSH was very me and didn't require any stress deciding when I was offered the slot. Violet Chevre and Rose Tyrien lining! I still have all these bags after almost 18 years.

 

[WhiteBus]

It is good to read that the consensus is that the outfit comes first and that the idea of a bag providing a pop of colour comes when you have a selection from which to choose.

Although Black is the universal neutral choice, if your style is less than formal might I suggest that what seems like a natural leather colour (I appreciate that the treatment of the skins means that that is more in perception than reality) like fauve, can provide a pick up and go bag that usually works all the time. The reason being that it is just seen as a leather bag, not a [insert colour here] bag.

 

[FaubourgTropical]

I'm sorry to go off topic slightly but what is the name of the shawl you are wearing in your first outfit, because that look is impeccable. My jaw dropped while scrolling.

Also to add my two cents- I definitely prefer to buy bags around what I normally wear (which is a ton of black, navy and more recently earthy/brown neutrals). Sometimes I like to not wear a bag at all if I am wearing a giant coat with deep pockets! For me bags are a functional accessory, not a necessity lol.

Send you DM

 

[Le Lion]

I would say I unabashedly, maybe not rearrange, but allow my wardrobe to evolve, to work with the bag. Partially due to the rarity of the offers, I take more of the view that I will take what I can get, within reason, if it's a colour that I can see myself wearing all the time with my existing wardrobe, but also taking into account the bag colour, for future RTW.

I agree, I am doing the same. My wardrobe is much easier to curate and change than my bags are.

I personally dress light and colorful, even in my plain outfits (white Shirt and Jeans, for example) I enjoy a colorful bag. I am personally not a fan of black on me, I find it chic on others, but I have two black bags (Chanel Flap and a Fendi Peekaboo) and I don’t crave for more.

My Kellys are in vibrant colors (Capucine and I just got a Bleu Frieda).

 

[textilegirl]

I’m with the majority here as to the fundamental question, my bags work for me and not the other way around. That being said, my wardrobe is circumscribed enough that deciding to wear a particular bag (mood, weather, intended activities) doesn’t cause a mental breakdown when I’m standing in the closet in my underwear. (To be sure, there’s plenty of that going on but it’s not the bag or the wardrobe’s fault. )

I own only two black bags, a Delvaux Brilliant and a PM Evelyne, PHW and GHW respectively. Others are all the usual neutrals, and they provide enough interest for me as I prefer a scarf or statement jewelry to enliven my look. I mix metals, and here is where I do let the color of the bag dictate the hardware. To my eye, some colors look better with certain hardware choices; when it’s bad, I just can’t unsee it and can’t live with it.

Given your general style, goth edgy rocker chick, it’s hard to argue against black bags; they are always going to work (even if you wake up one morning with a new sartorial persona!). Black adjacent/neutral will work as well if the thought of a black bag makes you roll your eyes. A statement color may prove more problematic unless you’re really committed to it (‘I don’t care whatever else I’m wearing, this bag is going out with me, it’s my signature’).

 

[QuelleFromage]

Here's a thread (old) on wearing Hermès with "edgy" outfits. Perhaps this will spark some insight. (I'd also love to see some new eye candy in this one!)

Hermès with edgy/avant-garde outfits

I did a search for this topic and nada, so if I missed a thread, mods please merge :heart: Like so many of us I have pared my bags down to almost exclusively H. I'm finding one issue - I wear a lot of Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto, Boris Bidjan Saberi, etc., and the more I trend toward this kind...

forum.purseblog.com

 

[EdgyBagsPlz]

Here's a thread (old) on wearing Hermès with "edgy" outfits. Perhaps this will spark some insight. (I'd also love to see some new eye candy in this one!)

Hermès with edgy/avant-garde outfits

I did a search for this topic and nada, so if I missed a thread, mods please merge :heart: Like so many of us I have pared my bags down to almost exclusively H. I'm finding one issue - I wear a lot of Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto, Boris Bidjan Saberi, etc., and the more I trend toward this kind...

forum.purseblog.com

Thank you so much, this is so inspiring! I'll be sure to be flipping through this thread a bunch. ^_^ As for eye candy in this thread, absolutely agree! I would post some myself, but most of my pictures I have of outfits are chest-up selfies, so I'd need to take more probably.

 

[880]

@EdgyBagsPlz , I wanted to emphasize an edgy pic from @dodo2005 in Hermes with edgy/avant-garde outfits, (including the original links for that inspiration pic); I tagged you there* and added a few of my own (My theory is that larger sellier kelly bags can be edgier than smaller ones, but that is bc I am shorter, and on the chunky side of slim). . . (i could never wear a large hot pink retourne kelly and look edgy myself, but @dodo2005 pulls it off effortlessly in November 2008).

*with thanks to @QuelleFromage for starting and reviving that thread https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/hermes-with-edgy-avant-garde-outfits.936402/

 

[EdgyBagsPlz]

@EdgyBagsPlz , I wanted to emphasize an edgy pic from @dodo2005 in Hermes with edgy/avant-garde outfits, (including the original links for that inspiration pic); I tagged you there* and added a few of my own (My theory is that larger sellier kelly bags can be edgier than smaller ones, but that is bc I am shorter, and on the chunky side of slim). . . (i could never wear a large hot pink retourne kelly and look edgy myself, but @dodo2005 pulls it off effortlessly in November 2008).

*with thanks to @QuelleFromage for starting and reviving that thread https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/hermes-with-edgy-avant-garde-outfits.936402/

I couldn't find the tag but tracked down the 2008 pics, SO cute! I love how she manages to make the pink bag look cool, that'd be my goal also if I end up getting a colorful offer that I accept. I'm 4'11" so I tend to go for smaller bags because big ones are heavy, and also I feel like a little kid trying to find clothes that fit in general so I tend towards fitted rather than oversized. (Though right now oversized clothes are so in! I still can't make myself get them. ^_^

Not a mod pic but this is a look I tend to wear often, but prefer with silver.