First Designer Bag Help

[snark crackle pop]

I recently hit a major work milestone, and I’d like to treat myself to my first designer bag. My current handbag collection is a Kate Spade Cobble Hill Small Devlin (black), and a Rebecca Minkoff Astor Saddle (ballet pink). The only bag I’ve carried in the last 6 months is a Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag

Considering I’ve never spent more than $250 on a bag, I’m having major decision paralysis over what to splurge on. I did not grow up in a showy family and my partner and I are generally financially conservative, so spending $2k on a bag is totally foreign. I’ve always admired designer bags of people around me - girls on my soccer team in HS had the colorful LV monogram bag (early 00s), coworkers with speedys, LVs everywhere at the grocery store, etc. But I have major imposter syndrome when it comes to purchasing my first!

All of that said, can anyone offer advice on what to buy? I’m considering:

• Chloe Marcie Medium (have wanted for a long time and always told myself I’d buy when I paid off my student loans, which I did last year)
• LV Maida Hobo in black empriente
• LV Melie in black empriente
• Celine Luggage

For context, I’m in my early 30s and have a small child. I work in advertising, so it’s casual but trendy. Durability for everyday and ability to wear crossbody are my highest priorities. I do not want a Speedy or Neverfull and prefer the black empriente print from LV. Budget is $2-3k but flexible.

 

[Amazona]

Nano Luggage? It has a long strap and it's pretty roomy for its size.

 

[cczh]

First off, congrats on hitting that major work milestone and paying off your student loans! What great accomplishments

From the bags you currently have and the ones on your list, it seems you’re mostly drawn to softer, less-structured (mostly hobo) shapes in a medium/large-ish size, probably both for work and for daytime/weekends. Judging from the black empreinte, logos are ok as long it's subtle, and presumably since it’s your first designer bag, you want something that is recognizable in your area but not too trendy to extend the longevity of your choice.

Am I hand-wavily close or pretty off-mark? Having more context of what your general tastes/style and planned use may be more helpful in narrowing it down.

The one I would say to reconsider from your current list is the Celine Luggage; only the Nano Luggage comes with a crossbody strap and while it fits a ton for its tiny size, it’s much smaller by far than the other bags you’re considering. Celine’s leather is fantastic, but the luggage totes can also be pretty heavy, and some of the non-Nano sizes can realistically only be carried by hand or in the crook of the elbow. If you do like Celine’s shapes and are looking for something with a strap, I’d suggest the Celine belt bag in either Micro or Nano. The Mini of that style is their largest current available size and is actually pretty large (although it also comes with a strap, it’s more shoulder-carry than strictly crossbody, depending on your body)

Good luck!

 

[snark crackle pop]

First off, congrats on hitting that major work milestone and paying off your student loans! What great accomplishments

From the bags you currently have and the ones on your list, it seems you’re mostly drawn to softer, less-structured (mostly hobo) shapes in a medium/large-ish size, probably both for work and for daytime/weekends. Judging from the black empreinte, logos are ok as long it's subtle, and presumably since it’s your first designer bag, you want something that is recognizable in your area but not too trendy to extend the longevity of your choice.

Am I hand-wavily close or pretty off-mark? Having more context of what your general tastes/style and planned use may be more helpful in narrowing it down.

The one I would say to reconsider from your current list is the Celine Luggage; only the Nano Luggage comes with a crossbody strap and while it fits a ton for its tiny size, it’s much smaller by far than the other bags you’re considering. Celine’s leather is fantastic, but the luggage totes can also be pretty heavy, and some of the non-Nano sizes can realistically only be carried by hand or in the crook of the elbow. If you do like Celine’s shapes and are looking for something with a strap, I’d suggest the Celine belt bag in either Micro or Nano. The Mini of that style is their largest current available size and is actually pretty large (although it also comes with a strap, it’s more shoulder-carry than strictly crossbody, depending on your body)

Good luck!

You hit the mark with shocking accuracy - said a lot of things I've been thinking but did not expand on in my already-lengthy post! Yes, I'm okay with more subtle logos and definitely looking for something that will have longevity given this is my first designer purchase. I do tend toward less-structured bags. My last purse before I descended into fanny-pack-only life was a bucket bag, so I think I prefer something that has a bottom, but isn't such a SHAPE (I don't like the LV Alma, for example).

Thank you for the feedback re: Nano - I didn't realize how much smaller it is! So hard to tell these things online only. I think I'm going to be best served going into a store and doing a little shopping around to see what's striking me in person. I luckily do have a LV store, Neiman and Nordstrom relatively close by so I think I'll make a day of it!

 

[cczh]

You hit the mark with shocking accuracy - said a lot of things I've been thinking but did not expand on in my already-lengthy post! Yes, I'm okay with more subtle logos and definitely looking for something that will have longevity given this is my first designer purchase. I do tend toward less-structured bags. My last purse before I descended into fanny-pack-only life was a bucket bag, so I think I prefer something that has a bottom, but isn't such a SHAPE (I don't like the LV Alma, for example).

Thank you for the feedback re: Nano - I didn't realize how much smaller it is! So hard to tell these things online only. I think I'm going to be best served going into a store and doing a little shopping around to see what's striking me in person. I luckily do have a LV store, Neiman and Nordstrom relatively close by so I think I'll make a day of it!

Fabulous, happy hunting @snark crackle pop ! Agree that the best way to know is to see them in person, try them on several times with different outfits, and put your things inside. Definitely I've lusted after many a bag that ended up being too big for my proportions or was too fussy to open or too heavy or what-have-you. Barring going in person, I've found a piece of paper cut to approximate measurements (or a shoebox, lol) to serve as handy stand-ins for size (but sites like Fashionphile and Nordstrom usually also do a pretty good job of showing the bag on a model or mannequin. Because I am short, I just assume their model is much taller, like 5'10, and adjust accordingly)

It's hard to find a 1) medium-large 2) non-SHAPE bag with 3) crossbody strap, since they tend to look a bit unwieldy and heavy when worn crossbody, but you might consider the Balenciaga City and the Givenchy Pandora? They are also slouchy shapes with handles and long-ish straps (I extended my Bal strap with some chains from Michaels/JoAnn's). With a purse organizer, you can make the shape a little more or less structured. The Pandora's goatskin leather is nice and thick, similar to the Chloe Marcie crossbody, Balenciaga's goatskin and agneau options are both nice and smooshy and really light. Some people think they are somewhat 2000-2010s, and there are tons on the pre-loved market so they don't tend to hold their value super-well; also, they lean *hard* into the edgy/rock&roll feel. However, they are a little less than LV at retail, if you're a little wary of the prices in boutique (though LV tends to hold its value a little better overall.)

Also, it occurs to me that you might be interested in the LV NeoNoe in black empreinte. More casual than a Melie or Maida, but a bit more fun too, and if you had a bucket bag before, the black-hole aspect might be something you're already used to. Hopefully the boutique has one in stock for you to try on, but LV has a ton of styles that will likely fit your needs.

Take your time and enjoy the process Can't wait to hear what you end up choosing!