Does anyone else bag watch?

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I was on vacation in Europe the last two weeks (Paris and then all over Belgium). I had fun indulging in one of my favorite hobbies, bag watching. The handbag eye candy was awesome! What I did notice, was that the women carrying the bags were not in heels, full makeup and dressed up, but were more casual, classic and subtle. They were not sloppy at all though, but pulled together. I always feel dressed down for the bags I carry here (U.S.), but there, I fit right in.
I spent a month in Brussels and another month in Antwerp but did not really see nice handbags. How did you find the handbag scene in Belgium?
 
I spent a month in Brussels and another month in Antwerp but did not really see nice handbags. How did you find the handbag scene in Belgium?
It was mostly in a fancy coastal town called Knokke. I also saw some in Brugge. Both of those places had Delvaux boutiques as well. I just saw a bunch of tourists in Brussels and did not go to Antwerp. I spent hardly any time in Ghent.
 
Me too!!! When it comes to people watching, sometimes I start thinking of stories that may explain them. With handbags, I get a kick out of figuring out fakes (like yesterday Costco...saw a Neverfull DE with straps so flat with twice the width of a real one). The bad thing is sometimes I even check out handbags while I'm in church. I can't help it! It just happens...LOL!!!
We were out and my son said "Mummy that lady has a bag like yours" and I was like "Yes it is". Really surprised me that he recognised monogram. Then I realised the bag was a fake after a minute of trying to figure out what style it was, we were standing right behind her. Same issue with the vachetta being really thick and not leather and the style being the generic square purse shape.
That was the first fake I have seen up close. The other day I thought I spotted a fake Neo Noe as the mono was really not at all lined up at the seam but might be wrong on that.
 
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I went to the mall today and, naturally, I bag watched. Here were my observations:
  • Michael Kors is by far the most popular brand. I would say about half of the branded bags whose names I recognized as MKs.
  • Coach and Dooney Bourke were the next most popular ones but not even half as popular combined as Michael Kors.
  • There were a few Kate Spades and Calvin Kleins but surprisingly, I saw more Louis Vuittons than either brand.
  • I saw 11 Louis Vuittons.
  • Overall, the biggest surprise was how much more popular MKs were than Coach. Where I grew up (in another state) Coach and Kate Spade were much more common than they are here, although KS was a local to where I grew up. I had never heard of Dooney and knew of MK but not seen all that many (although this was half a decade ago).

I travel a lot and I can say that no matter where I traveled I’ve seen a lot of Louis Vuitton, Michael kors and longchamp bags
 
Since I am an avid vintage Coach enthusiast, I am always looking out for it. And now I am starting to become aware of other brands from poking around the threads. Last month I was picking up a to-go lunch from a local chain. A fellow vintage Coach carrier was to my left and a woman was carrying a logo LV pouchet metis on my right. I had only seen pics of the LV and it was all I could do not to gawk LOL. Based on her age, demeanor and local property value, I suspect it was the real deal.
 
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Below my office is one of the fanciest malls in my city and i have been seeing a lot of black Chanel Jumbo in caviar leather with GHW recently, and in the Lost & Found box of the mall there's a red Chanel Boy Woc caviar, it has been therefore 6 months, i try to figure out whether it's real or fake every time i walk past it.
 
Below my office is one of the fanciest malls in my city and i have been seeing a lot of black Chanel Jumbo in caviar leather with GHW recently, and in the Lost & Found box of the mall there's a red Chanel Boy Woc caviar, it has been therefore 6 months, i try to figure out whether it's real or fake every time i walk past it.

DH would tell me to find another place of employment if I worked that close to a mall. Lucky you!
 
Hello, I am stansy, and I am a bag watcher! Always have been - one of my first craft project in school was a wooden bag in the shape of a kitten´s head. I even used a fox tail (those were very cool at that time and either used as a key chain or to embellish your car´s antenna) as handle.
Even my DH is a bag watcher now: when we were sitting in the airport lounge recently he mumbled "this lady has an H bag in the same color as yours" (of course I had already noticed, haha): she had an Evelyne in étoupe which matched my J28.
 
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