As I've grown older I have grown more confident in myself and no longer feel the need to carry what's popular or trendy. I'm no longer interested in LV which was my first luxury brand or any brand with highly visible trademarks or initials. I prefer quieter brands such as Bottega Veneta for instance. I see so many posts in the LV and Chanel forums with complaints about quality issues and defects that I just don't see in BV. The brand isn't as popular and therefore doesn't have the sales volume so their artisans can truly complete works of art that are handcrafted rather than having to churn out product after product to satisfy the demand. Another brand that I probably wouldn't have given a second look 10 or 15 years ago is Tod's. I love their hardworking totes and beautiful leather but they too are an under the radar brand as evidenced by the lack of participation in the forum. I am also no longer interested in acquiring bag after bag just for the purpose of collecting them and are more interested in having items that truly fill a need.
Does your relationship with a brand ever change?
- Thread starter HopelessBagGirl
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
I understand what you're saying, and agree with your comment. I think the tiers are based a little on quality and exclusivity, and mostly on price. I've found out the hard way that price doesn't always reflect the quality of the brand.
Resale value is important to many handbag owners, too. Michael Kors will not fetch the same percentage value as a more expensive luxury brand.
I think everyone more or less touched on this, and I have a similar trajectory. My first two bags were LV (Speedy, Neverfull) and they were bought almost like aspirational purchases. I first wanted the Speedy when I saw a friend who had the jet-setting lifestyle I wanted carry it all the time; similarly, the want for the Neverfull only manifested after a good friend of mine (daughter of a CEO, had staff around the home, etc) purchased one. I had more limited economic means at that time, so I definitely gave in to my subconscious wants. Luckily, I was able to recognize that I wanted a "capsule" handbag collection of no more than 10 or 11 ever, so all future purchases are carefully planned out and tailored to my needs instead of my wants. For some reason, I've continued purchasing LV SLGs but not another handbag.
Now that I'm economically better off, I frequent Dior and Hermes. I'm sure years ago (back in the LV days) these brands seemed nigh unattainable, but I'm fortunate to have had a great career trajectory so far. I'm sure this coincided with a change in my personal style, from trendy to classic and feminine silhouettes.
Two brands that I have gone back and forth on are Moynat and Chanel. For a few years I was itching for a Moynat Rejane, but after other purchases I didn't need or want a bag that size anymore, and I stopped following the brand entirely. Similarly, I was ready to pull the trigger on the Chanel Boy until I got the Dior Promenade (slightly larger and can be converted to a clutch). I don't have an interest in Chanel bags anymore, but I'm looking more at their RTW and shoes.
Now that I'm economically better off, I frequent Dior and Hermes. I'm sure years ago (back in the LV days) these brands seemed nigh unattainable, but I'm fortunate to have had a great career trajectory so far. I'm sure this coincided with a change in my personal style, from trendy to classic and feminine silhouettes.
Two brands that I have gone back and forth on are Moynat and Chanel. For a few years I was itching for a Moynat Rejane, but after other purchases I didn't need or want a bag that size anymore, and I stopped following the brand entirely. Similarly, I was ready to pull the trigger on the Chanel Boy until I got the Dior Promenade (slightly larger and can be converted to a clutch). I don't have an interest in Chanel bags anymore, but I'm looking more at their RTW and shoes.
I started out on my handbag journey with Marc Jacobs collection bags (not MBMJ). I coveted anything he made that was quilted. The stam was my holy grail of the 2009 period. Then the quality started to dip, he over saturated the market with his MBMJ line and I just got over it. Sad because I do think he is talented. Based on the resale market for his bags, I would say that I am not the only one
Of course my views have changed. My sense of style, budget, customer service, questions of imitating other designers etc change the way I feel about a brand. At first, I was OK with MMK but then I realised they were just ripping other designers off -> no love. I got lousy service along with a crappy bag from By Malene Birger -> a young love ended there&then. Got excellent service from Longchamp -> loving it even more. Lumi has provided me with incredible quality bags and SLG -> if I liked them in the beginning, I'm loving them deeply by now. Mulberry has pretty much lost their game with me after Jonny started to delete the classic look of the brand. Aaaand the list goes on.
Last edited:
I was a devoted LV fan until recently. I simply cannot comprehend some of their seasonal designs. Now I still like the brand for their classics and high quality, just can't find anything I want to buy.
Used to love Chanel until I got one... the bag "fell apart" after using it for half a year. The other day, I was with my girlfriend at a Chanel boutique to exchange a wallet her husband bought for her. After looking through all the wallets they had in the boutique, she gave up. The quality is so low that all these wallets, if were without the double c logo, look like from any cheap brands.
Now my eyes are on Delvaux. A brilliant east and west in camel is on the list
Used to love Chanel until I got one... the bag "fell apart" after using it for half a year. The other day, I was with my girlfriend at a Chanel boutique to exchange a wallet her husband bought for her. After looking through all the wallets they had in the boutique, she gave up. The quality is so low that all these wallets, if were without the double c logo, look like from any cheap brands.
Now my eyes are on Delvaux. A brilliant east and west in camel is on the list
Yes! I used to love Michael Kors (I still own a bag of his) but I have seen them everywhere so often that I'm starting to feel like it's too "common". I'm starting to gravitate towards high street bags lately because they are not well known brands.
It's changed because the brands I used to love make much lower quality bags than they used to. I still look for the older Botkiers, Koobas or Linea Pelles but I wouldn't buy a new one. I still use my 10 year old bags from those designers. I don't see that quality from anybody now.
My first "grown-up" handbag was Guess, and I too probably wouldn't buy anything from the brand anymore, but i'm not into visible logos in general.
For me, it's not just that my tastes change over time, but design houses' offerings change, too. There are a few brands I'm simply biased against, fairly or unfairly, but I'll never say never, as who knows what they could roll out next and what changes they'll make.
LV is probably always going to be my favorite brand, but this season is just not doing it for me, and the spring/summer releases don't look any more promising right now. I love Chanel and some Hermes products, but some of the snooty service I've had in the past with both brands had me keeping my distance until there was something I REALLY wanted.
For me, it's not just that my tastes change over time, but design houses' offerings change, too. There are a few brands I'm simply biased against, fairly or unfairly, but I'll never say never, as who knows what they could roll out next and what changes they'll make.
LV is probably always going to be my favorite brand, but this season is just not doing it for me, and the spring/summer releases don't look any more promising right now. I love Chanel and some Hermes products, but some of the snooty service I've had in the past with both brands had me keeping my distance until there was something I REALLY wanted.
I seem to be in the minority in that I don't believe my taste has really changed concerning brands though I buy fewer than I used to. I guess if one's tastes don't change you can just keep using the same bags. Don't think I'm being good though, I always find something to spend my money on.
There are 3 leather-goods companies I regularly buy more from (H, Gucci and BV) but I'm down to buying only 1 or 2 per year at most, though I'd buy any bag from anyone that was wonderful quality and I thought I'd like for the long-haul.
Others here have said about quality generally going downhill. Honestly, there are some vintage and (near-vintage) amazing bags for very little money in Charity/goodwill stores that put big-brand bags to shame and also niche companies that make superb bags and in every part of the world if you forgo the big names and concentrate on the item itself.
There are 3 leather-goods companies I regularly buy more from (H, Gucci and BV) but I'm down to buying only 1 or 2 per year at most, though I'd buy any bag from anyone that was wonderful quality and I thought I'd like for the long-haul.
Others here have said about quality generally going downhill. Honestly, there are some vintage and (near-vintage) amazing bags for very little money in Charity/goodwill stores that put big-brand bags to shame and also niche companies that make superb bags and in every part of the world if you forgo the big names and concentrate on the item itself.
Last edited:
Oh yes! And I try to fight it but sometimes I can't.
We are of the same mind on Guess. LOL! :high five: I've owned Guess bags (shhh!) but won't buy now. The brand says tacky and poor quality to me. That's unfair because I haven't seen a Guess bag in person in a few years. But they've done a poor job managing their brand perception.
On the other end is Hermes. I don't like most Hermes bags but think the Kelly is beautiful. But the idea of having to work to get a brand / SA to take my money is offensive. I can afford the bag so swipe my AmEx and hand it over with a smile. Looking down your nose at me or not "offering" me a bag til I buy 20 other things??? Ha! Keep it. Exclusivity or limited supply is one thing. Snarky elitism is another. So I want the Kelly but don't want any part of the brand.
LV suffers in my head because of the many fakes and the type of people in my home city who I know carry LV's. Logically, I know this has zero to with the brand. LV is the largest luxury brand so there's no "type" of LV buyer. But I struggle. I bought my first LV and am telling myself to get over myself.
Chanel used to seem dated, stuffy, snobby, ladies who lunch. Soooo not an image I want to be associated with. But, I found the bags really work for my fashion esthetic and lifestyle. I've been surprised how I can wear them for casual to dressy. And my wealth level has grown so they are comfortable for me to buy. Yes, the brand has worked to shift its image a bit with the intro of the Boy, more trend conscious marketing and a wonderful range of brand advocates but it's my personal experience that has done the most to change my view of the brand from out of touch / aspirational to my favorite handbag (not clothing) brand.
So brands influence me. A brand can't ever convince me to buy. I investigate EVERY bag no matter what the label. I have to love the design, materials and construction. But, I do trust certain brands to deliver quality and style I love while avoiding other brands that have disappointed me or that have bad reputations.
It's funny how our individual experiences shape how we feel about a brand. I've known my Hermes SA for almost a decade now, and she has never pressured me to buy a single thing, or made me feel I had to buy X in order to get Y. My Kelly's are both vintage bags because I simply can't bring myself to pay the retail price, and she's admired the craftsmanship of both of them and never made me feel like I should have gotten a Kelly from her (I have bought Evelynes, Garden Party's and countless bracelets and scarves from her.) So, while there is really nothing I want from H right now, I will continue to love and admire the brand in large part because my home store has made me feel at home. That said, I am tired of feeling like it's "work" to get things -- the scarcity model has started to have a reverse impact on me.
I have mixed feelings about LV, and not that many years ago, had dismissed the brand as a whole as "not for me." But when the new model Speedy Empreinte came out, I went in to the boutique, met my SA who does not pressure me one bit, and ended up with one of my favorite, most functional bags ever. So I've learned to look at each bag individually. There are a lot of designs I don't like or just can't relate to, but there are also some really well-designed bags. I'm finding that for function, LV has some of the best, most well-thought-out designs.
I love Chanel -- have loved the aesthetic since I was a teenager. But I only have three bags and haven't bought a bag in years. Part of it is, I love Reissues but how many do you need? (rhetorical question, LOL!) The prices have gotten so high, and I simply haven't found a seasonal bag that I was willing to pay the price of. I also cant keep up with all the new releases -- there are so many, and on more than one occasion, I've loved a bag, card case or brooch, only to find that it's already sold out everywhere. I don't want to spend tons of time stalking Chanel (which I believe could become a full-time hobby), so lots of stuff passes me by. It's OK -- my bank account is better off! But going back to the point about boutique/brand experience, I've never totally felt comfortable in Chanel for some reason. The boutique in Boston moved into a much larger location a couple of years ago and I've never felt comfortable in the new store. Can't put my finger on why, but there it is. I just don't feel a connection. I have an SA at Neimans doing a search for a specific card case for me, so maybe that will work out, we'll see.
Someone mentioned the word "fatigue," and I think I'm feeling that too. I love bags and being on this forum, but the hunt and chase doesn't appeal to me the way it used to. I think I like LV more and Hermes a little less lately partly because of the accessibility -- I don't want to have to jump through hoops or go on an extended hunt to get something I want. I care less if something is rare and more if it fits my needs. And I guess that has changed the way I feel about certain brands.
Yes!! A couple years backI would tend to go for the very "in trend" designer handbags such as the celine luggage and givenchy antigona. They're absolutely gorgeous bags but when I walk down the street and see almost everyone carrying the same bag it tends not to feel so special anymore.
Nowadays when I purchase something I try not to go for whats "trendy" this season and go for the more classic designs as the "it" bag seems to come and go out of fashion so quickly. One designer I have been on the fence about is delvaux. The bags, especially the tempete, is absolutely gorgeous and has been gaining popularity in the last couple years. The only retailer that seems to be selling it is barneys right now and the leather and quality seems to be exceptional. I want to purchase one but I'm also torn whether I should just spend a little more and go with hermes.
Lately the only designers I have been purchasing is hermes or chanel or lady diors as I feel as they retain their value and the quality is always amazing.
Nowadays when I purchase something I try not to go for whats "trendy" this season and go for the more classic designs as the "it" bag seems to come and go out of fashion so quickly. One designer I have been on the fence about is delvaux. The bags, especially the tempete, is absolutely gorgeous and has been gaining popularity in the last couple years. The only retailer that seems to be selling it is barneys right now and the leather and quality seems to be exceptional. I want to purchase one but I'm also torn whether I should just spend a little more and go with hermes.
Lately the only designers I have been purchasing is hermes or chanel or lady diors as I feel as they retain their value and the quality is always amazing.
I have been on this forum for almost 11 years now. I find that part so amazing because as I look back, my tastes have changed dramatically. I have a plethora of bags that are as old as this forum, and I still love them all. But I am so much more choosy now, and I only buy a bag a year, and have chosen LV and Bottega more, which is something I would have never done 11 years ago.
Yes, they change based on what is being released and current customer service.
Sometimes the seasonal items don't appeal to me, and there are times they do.
There are waves of great service and terrible service, so I give places a break depending on how the service is.
Sometimes the seasonal items don't appeal to me, and there are times they do.
There are waves of great service and terrible service, so I give places a break depending on how the service is.