Do you use your less "expensive" bags?

[lavy]

I’m torn about luxury bags these days. There was a time I was obsessed with handbags and I just had to have certain ones. I have quite a few and I try to use as many as possible but it’s interesting as the years have gone by and prices have gone through the roof and quality has gone down that I’m just not into spending that kind of money on handbags anymore.

I totally know how you feel about polene, I recently bought one preowned but new for a great price and it is beautifully made. Maybe I’m more now about quality and value than brand name but it makes me happy to have the Polene in my collection and I will for sure use it!

 

[MsMoneybagg]

I’m torn about luxury bags these days. There was a time I was obsessed with handbags and I just had to have certain ones. I have quite a few and I try to use as many as possible but it’s interesting as the years have gone by and prices have gone through the roof and quality has gone down that I’m just not into spending that kind of money on handbags anymore.

I totally know how you feel about polene, I recently bought one preowned but new for a great price and it is beautifully made. Maybe I’m more now about quality and value than brand name but it makes me happy to have the Polene in my collection and I will for sure use it!

I'm torn about luxury as well. I recently went on an Etsy kick and have purchased a couple bags from sellers on there. I received a custom bag from BuboHandmade last week for under $200 and it just kinda open my eyes. I've been buying and selling bags for years because there was always something off to me (the leather, color, functionality, size, etc.). Like sure it's not a luxury name or even contemporary one, but it's one of a kind and exactly what I've been looking for this whole time.
Currently awaiting a convertible backpack from SageToSea. Sold my PSM because I was kinda over logomania but miss that bag on a weekly basis. Really hoping this one can fill the void!

 

[sdkitty]

I don't have anything as expensive as Chanel but I have some Premier bags and some contemporary. My problem is I seem to gravitate to the bags that are more recently acquired and not give the bags I've had for a longer time as much attention. Price or monetary value isn't what drives me to want to carry a bag.

 

[hlh0904]

I have luxury and contemporary bags. I love them all. It is nice that I can rely on my contemporary bags when the occasion calls for it.
Sometimes a luxury bag is a bit too much. I have a Tory Burch Kira I wore on a trip recently. It rained and I feared for the bag, but it is hardy, and came out of the trip in great condition. Car trips are for the luxury bags. Public transportation is for the contemporaries.

Just like in life, not every occasion calls for "the big guns to be brought out". Flying under the radar feels good at times. I have Tory Burch versions of my YSL bags and it is great. Being carefree with the contemporaries gives me options.

And ladies, who are we kidding. WE LOVE OPTIONS!

 

[littleblackbag]

I have a very wide range of bags, starting with bags I've made, going up to Hermes. I have two beautiful H bags, not Kelly's or Birkins but Evelyne and Picotin. And whilst I love them and wish I was brave enough to carry them more, I just don't because I can no longer afford to replace them if anything was to happen to them. the Evelyne was purchased 2009 and the Picotin 2012. so both were a much more reasonable price back then. They have gone up considerably and my wages have NOT! So I'm happily using my Longchamp bags, which I love and to be honest I enjoy being more carefree when I'm out and about. Thats not to say I'm not careful as such, just not quite such a worry wort. I have both Le Pliage style bags and a fair few leather bags, and I love them all and use them a lot.

 

[GLangdon]

Not sure about the “less expensive”, but I use my “less pedigreed” bags from The Row more than my Chanel, Gucci, etc. bags. It’s not the brand, it’s how you feel carrying the specific bag.

 

[elisabettaverde]

For me it’s all about the bag matching my look of the day and being appropriate for the occasion. I don’t discriminate on price; I have the gamut from beautifully pebbled leather items from Coach and Dooney, and contemporary Tory Burch to Bottega, Gucci, Mulberry and Saint Laurent. So I use the contemporary bags for work and usually reserve the more expensive items for the weekend and fashionable activities. And sometimes I’ll start planning my look with the expensive bag first, and then work my outfit around it so I make sure it gets used.
As for Polene, I’ve been watching them for a while, and will be traveling to France this summer and can’t wait to see the store in person.

 

[earthygirl]

This is like, a non problem, but here goes...

I own some really nice bags from Chanel and Dior but I LOVE Polene bags and am dying to buy one. But I've noticed in the past that I tend to "neglect" my less expensive bags and rarely use them compared to my luxury handbags. Does anyone have the same issue? Does anyone own a Polene bag and use them when they own much more expensive bags?

I used to buy and sell luxury handbags often. I have grown tired of this process. At one point I owned a polene numero un and while the quality was as nice as my higher end bags, I hardly used it. I found it a bit heavy and I had another bag , the Chloe drew, which competed with it. I eventually sold both because I realized that I always chose my iridescent beige Chanel woc over these two bags even though it has a smaller capacity.

Now I own about a dozen luxury handbags and a few non luxury bags. I use my luxury bags much more frequently than the non luxury bags.There are times when I don’t want to use a luxury handbag no matter how understated so I’m glad I have them, but I would not buy more.

If I add up the cost of a few contemporary brand bags, I remind myself that I could have bought another luxury bag instead. I also feel that having too many bags somehow took away joy—it just felt like too much stuff and too much money spent on stuff (though I am in a blessed position to be able to easily afford an extensive collection) TBH, I would go down to six luxury bags if I could , but I like to have some color options.

I will always love handbags, but have realized that I don’t have to own every handbag I like.

 

[poleneinblack]

My most expensive bags are Polene, so I gravitate towards those. But I don't think it's because of price, I think it's just because its my favorite? I've got some other nice bags like shoulder bags but I found I just prefer the Polene bags for its design and usability.

 

[poleneinblack]

I have luxury and contemporary bags. I love them all. It is nice that I can rely on my contemporary bags when the occasion calls for it.
Sometimes a luxury bag is a bit too much. I have a Tory Burch Kira I wore on a trip recently. It rained and I feared for the bag, but it is hardy, and came out of the trip in great condition. Car trips are for the luxury bags. Public transportation is for the contemporaries.

Just like in life, not every occasion calls for "the big guns to be brought out". Flying under the radar feels good at times. I have Tory Burch versions of my YSL bags and it is great. Being carefree with the contemporaries gives me options.

And ladies, who are we kidding. WE LOVE OPTIONS!

Now I want to see the Tory Burch versions of YSL bags.

 

[hlh0904]

Now I want to see the Tory Burch versions of YSL bags.

For my YSL Lou Lou, I found the Tory Burch Kira Chevron bag to be a nice way to feel out the style.

For my YSL Kate, I used to have a fold over flap from Tory's early days, but it has expired with the wear and tear, (AND LOVE).

I know alot of designers copy each other, while making the design their own, in their own artistic way. LOVE YSL and LOVE TORY.

Classic bags are my jam. I don't go out so often so I need a bag that won't look dated in a few years time. I have grown tired of selling handbags and not getting the best return on my investment. I have my group and I don't know about "purse peace" just yet, but I am happy with my little collection.

 

[Gimmethebag]

I do a lot of volunteer work and a plain leather tote from Italic works great!

I have a mix of flashy in-your-face bags and nice designer bags that don't have logos or are still more understated (like a Prada nylon), so I can decide how much of a statement I want to make. I think crime is up where I live, so I tend to not use the really obvious $$$ bags unless my husband is with me or we're driving/valeting or traveling to a resort area.

 

[Norm.Core]

Umm... By TPF standards, all my bags are “less expensive”.

My go-to are my vintage Balenciaga bags. I don’t think of them as Premier or High Lux. They’re my favourite bags even 20 years ago. When I’m not carrying Bals, I use whatever other bag I have that fits my look/purpose that day. Even if it means it’s a sturdy canvas bag. I like it when I can move around and go about my day without anybody noticing what I’m wearing/carrying.