Do you wear your birkin more when casually dressed or dressed up?

[ladysarah]

I always try to plan an outfit- as best as I can although they are mostly casual outfits and is nice to look relaxed with a nice bag. I mean it doesn’t happen by itself - all outfits need some planning. I don’t have a lot of clothes, but generally keep to a strict colour palette and have 4-6 dresses per bag.

Birkins are travel bags or schleping around ‘stuff’ bags. However the tiny 25 sizes 25 especially in reptiles are often carried as ‘event’ bags. (Yes they are status bags I guess.) I don’t have one myself, but this what I see around London - even now during the pandemic.

Actually this probably belongs in the unpopular opinion thread- but I often see birkins and Kelly’s that have NO relationship whatsoever to the outfit of the person carrying them. I mean I get it they are expensive and hard to get, but they still need some form of connection with the outfit, no?

 

[biorin]

Actually this probably belongs in the unpopular opinion thread- but I often see birkins and Kelly’s that have NO relationship whatsoever to the outfit of the person carrying them. I mean I get it they are expensive and hard to get, but they still need some form of connection with the outfit, no?

What do you mean by connection? I think some bags are neutrals that can go with nearly anything, others are fun pops of color on a more basic outfit. I personally don't feel the need to color match with my outfit, though there are of course times when a bag may clash with what you're wearing.

 

[Ladybaga]

I wear mine with casual or dressy casual outfits like jeans and button down shirts and an H scarf. If I wear my birkins with a dress, it is always a casual one. In my opinion, the Birkin is and was meant to be a tote, so I treat it as such.

 

[summer_mango]

I think I am slighly different here.

All my birkin and kelly are in small size, so they can be versatile for most of my outfit. However, I realise that I tend to avoid K25 (sellier) for my dresses because I may look like that I am 'trying so hard'.

 

[lcd_purse_girl]

IMO, a Birkin (a tote bag) is not right for every occasion (formal events).

Having said that, I think a Birkin could be carried in the evening for fine dining and some "dressy" events.

 

[880]

Birkin is a casual tote (to be worn with jeans, shorts, pants, casual dresses, such as dresses and skirts paired with Birkenstock’s lol

I do wear the Kelly casually too— crossbody strap.

for a dressier event, I would probably wear an H exotic or other clutch or a chanel reissue or (probably a more classic choice) a satin or beaded clutch or a minauderie (my spelling hAs gotten worse during covid)

personally I don’t like the look of a small birkin with dressy evening clothes, though I suppose I’d be okay with a KP or Kelly cut…. JMO for me personally though. Everyone should feel free to do what they want with their bags

 

[WhiteBus]

I always try to plan an outfit- as best as I can although they are mostly casual outfits and is nice to look relaxed with a nice bag. I mean it doesn’t happen by itself - all outfits need some planning. I don’t have a lot of clothes, but generally keep to a strict colour palette and have 4-6 dresses per bag.

Birkins are travel bags or schleping around ‘stuff’ bags. However the tiny 25 sizes 25 especially in reptiles are often carried as ‘event’ bags. (Yes they are status bags I guess.) I don’t have one myself, but this what I see around London - even now during the pandemic.

Actually this probably belongs in the unpopular opinion thread- but I often see birkins and Kelly’s that have NO relationship whatsoever to the outfit of the person carrying them. I mean I get it they are expensive and hard to get, but they still need some form of connection with the outfit, no?

yes yes yes
it's good to see so many posters declaring that Birkins are totes
but your observation, without implied approval, that the tiny sizes have enabled their use as 'event' bags is just what we have had to accept lately

You were challenged about your last paragraph - bags having no relationship to outfits.
The current culture of buying Birkins and Kellys as discrete items without any consideration of pairing with specific outfits seems stylistically illiterate to me.
Good for you, putting it into words.

 

[880]

The current culture of buying Birkins and Kellys as discrete items without any consideration of pairing with specific outfits seems stylistically illiterate to me.

This is so interesting to me bc it illustrates how different we are. I tend to gravitate towards bags that work with my general aesthetic (and not specific outfits). in fact, if I buy a bag and i Cannot grab it blindly and have it somewhat work, in my mind, it’s a fail. However, strictly based on your posts (granted that’s not a lot to go by) I would surmise that we kind of end up in the same Birkin kelly buy mentality. . . . Of course, like @ladysarah, I do limit my color palette in both RTW and bags and that helps quite a bit

 

[duna]

I agree with most postes: I only wear my Birkins as totes so when I'm dressed casually, for dressier occasions I carry my Box Kellys or a clutch. I don't like those tiny bags which are so trendy at the moment, so small Birkins and Kellys are a no no for me.

Finally, although many people wear croc bags on dressy/formal occasions, croc was a casual leather and only in more recent times have people started wearing it in more formal occasions.

 

[WhiteBus]

This is so interesting to me bc it illustrates how different we are. I tend to gravitate towards bags that work with my general aesthetic (and not specific outfits). in fact, if I buy a bag and i Cannot grab it blindly and have it somewhat work, in my mind, it’s a fail. However, strictly based on your posts (granted that’s not a lot to go by) I would surmise that we kind of end up in the same Birkin kelly buy mentality. . . . Of course, like @ladysarah, I do limit my color palette in both RTW and bags and that helps quite a bit

Very fair observation. The basic comment was more about the buy a Birkin (or Kelly) just to have a Birkin (or Kelly) to wear with anything, because I can, mentality.
Some people don't have the 'general aesthetic' which would allow for a fair degree of mixing to pull together a coherent look.
As I have written before, there was a time when the shoe/bag combination with a given outfit was a sign of the well-dressed.

 

[duna]

Very fair observation. The basic comment was more about the buy a Birkin (or Kelly) just to have a Birkin (or Kelly) to wear with anything, because I can, mentality.
Some people don't have the 'general aesthetic' which would allow for a fair degree of mixing to pull together a coherent look.
As I have written before, there was a time when the shoe/bag combination with a given outfit was a sign of the well-dressed.

True: now to wear the same colour bag/shoes is a fashion faux pas

 

[880]

True: now to wear the same colour bag/shoes is a fashion faux pas

I sometimes match my sunglasses to my bag. and, I’m contemplating buying a Dior grey leopard print bag to match a grey leopard hoodie dress, but my DH is like, please no.

 

[biorin]

This is so interesting to me bc it illustrates how different we are. I tend to gravitate towards bags that work with my general aesthetic (and not specific outfits). in fact, if I buy a bag and i Cannot grab it blindly and have it somewhat work, in my mind, it’s a fail. However, strictly based on your posts (granted that’s not a lot to go by) I would surmise that we kind of end up in the same Birkin kelly buy mentality. . . . Of course, like @ladysarah, I do limit my color palette in both RTW and bags and that helps quite a bit

I agree with most postes: I only wear my Birkins as totes so when I'm dressed casually, for dressier occasions I carry my Box Kellys or a clutch. I don't like those tiny bags which are so trendy at the moment, so small Birkins and Kellys are a no no for me.

Finally, although many people wear croc bags on dressy/formal occasions, croc was a casual leather and only in more recent times have people started wearing it in more formal occasions.

Very fair observation. The basic comment was more about the buy a Birkin (or Kelly) just to have a Birkin (or Kelly) to wear with anything, because I can, mentality.
Some people don't have the 'general aesthetic' which would allow for a fair degree of mixing to pull together a coherent look.
As I have written before, there was a time when the shoe/bag combination with a given outfit was a sign of the well-dressed.

As WhiteBus mentioned, I think this can really depend on your aesthetic. Queen Elizabeth goes out in matching coat, shoes, purse, and hat, and looks fabulous. I can assure you that I would be carted off to the nearest nursery school if someone saw me dressed like that. Similarly, some people will wear an outfit composed of six items that look like they came from six different decades, and look all the cooler for it (and I'd get carted off to the nearest insane asylum if I tried it).

I love that Hermes makes these beautifully crafted and timeless bags, because there's so many examples of them being carried in so many different ways, stylistically. I love seeing people who have a rainbow of Birkins that get pulled out to coordinate with the day's outfit. I love seeing people who have one well-loved bag that looks great with everything they wear. I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it (well... I've seen some ugly outfits, but as long as the wearer is happy).

 

[ladysarah]

…I love seeing people who have a rainbow of Birkins that get pulled out to coordinate with the day's outfit. I love seeing people who have one well-loved bag that looks great with everything they wear. I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it (well... I've seen some ugly outfits, but as long as the wearer is happy).

Me too, totally agree with you. There is no simple formula, but I still think there are many let’s say frumpy outfits that no bag can rescue. It is more about a general aesthetic rather than any strict colour matching. Posting a few photos (taken from random places on the Internet) demonstrating, the good, the very good and the so ugly.

 

[LeahLVoes]

Agreed.

BTW I love all the Outfits shown in these pictures. And they pretty much sum up my aesthetic.

Me too, totally agree with you. There is no simple formula, but I still think there are many let’s say frumpy outfits that no bag can rescue. It is more about a general aesthetic rather than any strict colour matching. Posting a few photos (taken from random places on the Internet) demonstrating, the good, the very good and the so ugly.