Like a few posters mentioned already, it just depends on whether you care what the current trends are, and whether you're willing to go against what is currently trendy and just do your own thing.
I suspect, for example, that if our fashion conscious returned to early 90s minimalism, that our giant gold and silver hardware bags would look wildly out of place. This crossed my mind when I got my 07 magenta city GGH, and then when I actually saw it in person, I knew it wasn't for me: it was too in your face and "now".
So I came to realize that my most favourite giant hardware is the gunmetal on the Neiman Marcus and holiday bags, because it's the least noticeable (especially against the teal colour of the NM bag). It's a good compromise for me: I can be trendy now, by carrying a bag (literally!) heavy on the hardware, and a few years from now when perhaps fashion has moved on from the hardcore hardware thing, I can still happily use my bag without being very noticeably out of style.
: )