Wow, thats great! I love what youve ended up with no wonder youre content with your choicesLove the SC especially it seems like the ultimate satchel to me. I hear you on not liking clutter. I need to go through my closets and get rid of other stuff too. Ive been slowly going through my clothes, but thats another thing that might benefit from a more drastic, get rid of a bunch at a time purge.
Thank you! I agree, it's the ultimate satchel. I've never spent so much on one purse but it's in a great color that can be worn year around and no logo's-I prefer a little anonymity!
I don't know if you've read it but there is a thread in the wardrobe section that is very similar to this thread about quality vs. quantity. I found it so insprational-here is the link: http://forum.purseblog.com/the-wardrobe/anyone-think-doing-big-closet-cleansing-only-few-649193.html. Once I read through it, I really went through my closet and got rid of piles of clothes! It was such a good feeling to de-clutter. Now I only have what I really want in my closet, and that goes for clothes, shoes, bags, belts, scarves. I'm sure I can tweak it a little more but the major clean out is pretty much done. I have a closet downstairs that I have some fall clothes that I'm getting rid of come September. I really wanted to just have everything in one closet (except my coats) and now I do!
Good luck with your closet purge!!!
Thanks! Ill go check out that thread sounds like it would be great for inspiration. I think moving into our house is part of my motivation for wanting to purge again. The house has way more extra space/storage space than what Im used to from a condo. But I was used to a big walk in closet, and our house (built in the 70s) has very small closets. So right now, I have some spillover into the guestroom closet, and my small master bedroom closet is very full. Plus I have stuff (not clothes) in my office closet. Makes it hard to find things, and sometimes I still feel like I dont have anything to wear, which is silly. I would love to get down to just my one small closet, with enough extra room in it that its easy to find anything. Once we start a family not too far down the road, Im not going to have the luxury of having all of these extra closets to use for storage.
Ever purged your collection in pursuit of one bag? How did it go?
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Thedseer, yes you have the same issue as me on the house. I have a small house and my stuff is actually in my son's room...need to move out!
I wanted to add the bal town that I got from a friend to my essentials list! For travel I need a bigger bag, but there are days I need something bigger than my WOC.
I'm going to take a breather. What I have I really want. May not need, but want!
I wanted to add the bal town that I got from a friend to my essentials list! For travel I need a bigger bag, but there are days I need something bigger than my WOC.
I'm going to take a breather. What I have I really want
. May not need, but want!
I love all the choices that you have left, but then, we always seem to like the same styles.
Congrats on your weeding out process.Yes, we're in the same place. It's funny because I'm not like this with anything else. I don't have tons of clothes or shoes and I find it easy to donate things and scale down everything else. What is it about handbags? I guess we all have our own thing, and I've already appreciated well made bags.
I think what I'm going to do is just put away everything except what I really plan on using this summer. I can't carry leather bags in the summer--except for my PS1 because it is light and really easy to carry--and see if that will calm the mental clutter. I don't have a lot but I can see most of it in an organizer in my closet and maybe that's the problem. Then I can decide this fall which things I can part with. It will only be like 2 or 3 bags.
I really don't have much left, but then again, I still have more than I feel I need. Does that make sense or am I just nuts? How I wish I could be a 3 handbag woman.
I think I could get down to something similar an everyday bag; a smaller crossbody for weekends; a clutch; and a le pliage. But I know Id probably want a little more variety than that, or else Id be afraid that I might relapse. So Id probably want a neutral and then a versatile color for an everyday bag. Or a black bag for every day and a lighter color for the summer. Right now though, I have too many bags that serve the same purpose (i.e., I do not need 5+ satchels), so I guess its just finding that happy medium.
That sounds exactly like what Im debating now do I sell items that I dont use often or do I keep them for the times I do use them, especially since they are ones I wont be able to replace should I regret selling them?
I admit though that I cant think of a single time I actually regretted selling something. Missed from time to time, maybe, but never actual regret.
What I do regret is purging, and then slowly buying again and ending up right back where I started.
My other problem is having multiples of some styles (because they are styles that work for me). For example, I dont need 5 different colors in one style, but I dont think Id want to purge to just 1 either - knowing me, Id probably get bored quickly and want to get it in another color too. So I guess I just need to find my happy number that gives me some variety without having too much excess.
I agree that going slowly is probably the best idea for now, and then that might give me the momentum to want to get rid of even more.
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thedseer--I think you can probably just scale down slowly and see how you feel. Put the 'maybe' bags away for a bit and see how you feel. I think my issue is that I really value simplicity but my love for handbags can make things complicated. I want to live in the same bag for awhile but I then feel like I need to keep switching bags to use what I have and enjoy them.
I've really purged but will then pick up a few up things after selling off, so it seems every year I need to sell some things. I've sold off a lot of things that didn't work and picked up a few things I love and use so now the challenge is to make sure that I don't get back to where I need to sell more things again. I hate that merry go round.
That sounds exactly like what Im debating now do I sell items that I dont use often or do I keep them for the times I do use them, especially since they are ones I wont be able to replace should I regret selling them?
I admit though that I cant think of a single time I actually regretted selling something. Missed from time to time, maybe, but never actual regret.
What I do regret is purging, and then slowly buying again and ending up right back where I started.
My other problem is having multiples of some styles (because they are styles that work for me). For example, I dont need 5 different colors in one style, but I dont think Id want to purge to just 1 either - knowing me, Id probably get bored quickly and want to get it in another color too. So I guess I just need to find my happy number that gives me some variety without having too much excess.
I agree that going slowly is probably the best idea for now, and then that might give me the momentum to want to get rid of even more.
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thedseer--I think you can probably just scale down slowly and see how you feel. Put the 'maybe' bags away for a bit and see how you feel. I think my issue is that I really value simplicity but my love for handbags can make things complicated. I want to live in the same bag for awhile but I then feel like I need to keep switching bags to use what I have and enjoy them.
I've really purged but will then pick up a few up things after selling off, so it seems every year I need to sell some things. I've sold off a lot of things that didn't work and picked up a few things I love and use so now the challenge is to make sure that I don't get back to where I need to sell more things again. I hate that merry go round.
On your Bals, what are you thinking today? I have a few as well and I'm at a stage where I fear regret too. The first half I thought I would have regrets but right now I don't.
it's funny, because i seem to change my mind from morning to night!
i think one i will definitely keep for now. it's got great leather, but it has a nick in the leather on the side. i used some leather glue and it's barely visible now, but that will definitely influence resale. so i feel like i may as well keep it and try to use it for now.
the other one would be near impossible to track down again and has lovely leather and color. i would think that i would get a decent amount of money from selling it (which is tempting), but Bal resale hasn't been great lately IMO...so maybe that's reason to hang on to it for a little longer.
i used to use Bals a lot, but in the past 2ish years, i've had 3 get nicks in them, and hardware fall off another - so that's kind of made me scared to use them since i don't think i'm very hard on my bags.
so long story short, i either need to get over my fear, or just be done with it and sell them. i've also had it happen where i finally decide to sell something and then pull it out to take pictures and change my mind - i'm thinking this may end up being one of those times.
This thread always inspires me...and thank you to the poster (Antonia?) who put the link to the wardrobe thread as well. I never visit that SF because ,well, I don't put too much thought into my clothes. I seem to better consider my bags and shoes (although my shoes aren't expensive). I guess I'm an accessory person.
I went back into my closet and straightened some things out and weeded out a few more items. I gave a wristlet to a friend who just loved it and said she had been looking for something like it. Perfect. I then chose a few bags that I know I will carry for the rest of the summer and then I put the other few bags in a cloth bin so I wouldn't see them. I figure I'll take them out in September or so and decide if I want to part with another two or three bags.
I feel like I'm pretty good at purging, organizing and donating. It's keeping my eyes from wandering once I've finished the process that's the problem...
I seem to better consider my bags and shoes (although my shoes aren't expensive). I guess I'm an accessory person.I went back into my closet and straightened some things out and weeded out a few more items. I gave a wristlet to a friend who just loved it and said she had been looking for something like it. Perfect. I then chose a few bags that I know I will carry for the rest of the summer and then I put the other few bags in a cloth bin so I wouldn't see them. I figure I'll take them out in September or so and decide if I want to part with another two or three bags.
I feel like I'm pretty good at purging, organizing and donating. It's keeping my eyes from wandering once I've finished the process that's the problem...
Haha I get that! May I ask if they are chevre (and what colors they are since I'm just too curious)? The ones I have left are chevre and one agneau (the Town), the chevre ones being 2007 colors (mogano and VF). I'm really having a hard time letting them go, but like you, I think about it, then change my mind! And again and again! Let's struggle together with getting over fear and/or just being done with it!
As someone who has looked at Bal for many years but only had the courage to try the brand this past year, I was a bit scared initially because some people reported that the bags could be delicate. I suppose I've been fortunate but the ones I use regularly (a black Velo and a gris tarmac Day) are both really great bags and have held up really well. I will say that it took me awhile to find the styles that work best for me, and I think that's part of what leads us to this buy/purge cycle. There's no try-out period, darnit!
I first tried the city because it was so iconic and so gorgeous but I found the Day, which I didn't look twice at before, ended up being the best choice for me.
Maya--I also think that things change, too, when you have kids. I really came to appreciate crossbody bags once I became a mom. I like having my own things with me, hands free, while keeping a separate bag for kid stuff.
So, our lives change, roles change, needs change...and our bag choices change. What might have worked a few years ago doesn't work now. At least, I've found that's part of my struggle.
I've made a commitment to carrying just a few bags for the next two months and have put the other ones away to see how much I really miss them.
Haha, sounds good! Mine are both chevre, true red and black. As much as I’ve been wavering lately, I decided that it would be better to hang on to both of them for now and use them. So today, I’m carrying my red city. Sounds like you have good ones too – 07 has great leather & the town seems like a great style.
Even with keeping these, I should still be purging down to 11 bags. I always thought 7 would be a good number. But whenever I purge down to that, I seem to creep back up. So I’ll try 11 for now. I’ll have: 4 that will be good every day/year round; 1 is tote-ish and good for work; 1 crossbody good for weekends/errands; 2 special occasion; and 3 that are good every day but more spring/summer colors.
Besides that, I’m going to focus on other areas of my closet. I have so many free t-shirts, for example. I don’t have many shoes, but I only wear some of what I have. If I can get the rest of my closet under control, I bet 11 bags won’t seem like too much. And if it does (or if I'm still not using some of my bags), I can reevaluate and sell a few more.
I think I will try this as well, maybe from now until the end of August. Will probably choose 3-5. I cant decide if Id rather mix in a few bags that I dont use enough as kind of a final test to see if I should keep them, or if I should pick bags that form the core base of bags that I use regularly, to see if I can easily live without the others and not miss them.
Wow, that’s great! I love what you’ve ended up with – no wonder you’re content with your choices
Thank you! I agree, it's the ultimate satchel. I've never spent so much on one purse but it's in a great color that can be worn year around and no logo's-I prefer a little anonymity!
I don't know if you've read it but there is a thread in the wardrobe section that is very similar to this thread about quality vs. quantity. I found it so insprational-here is the link: http://forum.purseblog.com/the-wardrobe/anyone-think-doing-big-closet-cleansing-only-few-649193.html. Once I read through it, I really went through my closet and got rid of piles of clothes! It was such a good feeling to de-clutter. Now I only have what I really want in my closet, and that goes for clothes, shoes, bags, belts, scarves. I'm sure I can tweak it a little more but the major clean out is pretty much done. I have a closet downstairs that I have some fall clothes that I'm getting rid of come September. I really wanted to just have everything in one closet (except my coats) and now I do!
Good luck with your closet purge!!!
inspiring ! i am selling m ythings on EBAY too, to get rid of those i don't want and buy new things that i will use . its better to have a few things that you use always than a closet full of things you never use i think .
Ain't that the truth! My bag needs changed drastically when I moved from the suburbs to the city. Not having/needing a car changes EVERYTHING! I never really looked at cross-body bags until I was on public transportation all the time. Plus, your bag becomes a hold-all for everything you need in the course of a day, since you can't just leave it in the car.
When i first started collecting i never thought i would sell a bag! But i got abit carried away buying bags that didnt fit my lifestyle or just because they were a good bargin. Id like to think i am alittle wiser now and have sold/have for sale around 10 bags that i hadnt used for awhile.
To see how much i remember i make a list of my bags and any that i forget to list i have a look and and see if it was forgotten for a reason? Do i still use it? Does the colour fit? Its alittle odd but its worked so far
To see how much i remember i make a list of my bags and any that i forget to list i have a look and and see if it was forgotten for a reason? Do i still use it? Does the colour fit? Its alittle odd but its worked so far