Did you use your bags continuously through the '80s, 90s to the present ? Did you always love your Chanel bags and work them into your wardrobe for day or night? Did you still purchase other brands as the years went along? Many of us purchase classic Chanel bags pre price increase thinking we will use them for years and years. I'm wondering if this actually happens. And does the bag you purchased in 1985 feel "dated" to you in 2014?
For those that purchased bags in the '80s
- Thread starter ILoveC
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I can't help with that far back either, but I've been using them since the early 2000's and still going strong. My daughter loves classic Chanel bags as well, so I really do think they are timeless (if something appeals to a pre-teen, teenagers, young women, all the way to older women, I'd say it's a tried and true classic). I saw a woman in the ER last summer who had to be in her 80's using a Chanel camera bag and she looked so smartly pulled together with it. I know I'll enjoy my bags into my 80's (hopefully I will last that long; I know the bags will!) and happily pass them down to my daughter who will get every much the same enjoyment from them.
I can provide my thoughts. To me, the bags look dated and are dated. The gold of the bags back then are VERY deep yellow, 24kt gold. The stitching/puff is not the same as it is today. It was flatter back then with no "puff" that everyone wants today. The 80s was the decade of flash and deep yellow gold (think Dynasty), so everyone wanted a flashy gold-chained Chanel. The 90s was the decade of minimalism (think Calvin Klein simple lines), and no one who was fashionable would be caught dead with a "gold chain" bag. I wore no Chanel during the 90s... it was out and only stuffy and non-fashionable people wore the flap bag along with their blue eyeshadow.
So... to me, Chanel bags do not last forever. They general "style": (e.g. flap) lasts forever, but the actual bag itself changes. The gold is now lighter, to better suit today's fashions, the quilts are now puffier (very obvious you can see an old bag from a new bag). Even the "classic" flap is now a double-flap. And the CC clasp has also changed. The bag is definitely not the same, and I think true fashionistas could spot a current flap from an older flap (or mini or other classic).
I don't own any of my old Chanel bags anymore for the reasons above. To me, they just felt dated and what is the point of wearing a bag that you feel dated wearing. In my opinion, part of being fashionable is being current, even if it's a refreshed version of the same style. Vintage to me is just old. I prefer to get the newer version of the same "style".
A "classic" to me is a reference to a certain style or shape, like the classic flap. But owning a 20-30 year old bag is old to me, not classic.
Just my two cents. I am sure many foiks love old used bags and plan to use them forever. I used to think that too, and it is a romantic thought and a good marketing gimmick that has been stuffed in our heads. The reality is, I don't wear anything over 10-15 years old... bags, shoes, clothes, etc... it's not that I want to throw things away just to buy new, but the style no longer feels fresh to me. I wonder how many ladies wear things that they have owned for 10-20 years (not purchased vintage because that may be the trend today), but truly wear something they bought 20 years ago. I would think for the truly fashionable... it is rare.
Anyway, my two cents for something to think about. Hope this was helpful.
So... to me, Chanel bags do not last forever. They general "style": (e.g. flap) lasts forever, but the actual bag itself changes. The gold is now lighter, to better suit today's fashions, the quilts are now puffier (very obvious you can see an old bag from a new bag). Even the "classic" flap is now a double-flap. And the CC clasp has also changed. The bag is definitely not the same, and I think true fashionistas could spot a current flap from an older flap (or mini or other classic).
I don't own any of my old Chanel bags anymore for the reasons above. To me, they just felt dated and what is the point of wearing a bag that you feel dated wearing. In my opinion, part of being fashionable is being current, even if it's a refreshed version of the same style. Vintage to me is just old. I prefer to get the newer version of the same "style".
A "classic" to me is a reference to a certain style or shape, like the classic flap. But owning a 20-30 year old bag is old to me, not classic.
Just my two cents. I am sure many foiks love old used bags and plan to use them forever. I used to think that too, and it is a romantic thought and a good marketing gimmick that has been stuffed in our heads. The reality is, I don't wear anything over 10-15 years old... bags, shoes, clothes, etc... it's not that I want to throw things away just to buy new, but the style no longer feels fresh to me. I wonder how many ladies wear things that they have owned for 10-20 years (not purchased vintage because that may be the trend today), but truly wear something they bought 20 years ago. I would think for the truly fashionable... it is rare.
Anyway, my two cents for something to think about. Hope this was helpful.
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Love your post! I've not been carrying designer bags for that long, probably since the early 2000's when I was a student - but I can say that in my collection there are already a couple of bags that I'd never use now, but rather just keep as a nod to my style during that period. And sometimes wondering why I thought they were the best ever bag at the time
Fashion does indeed change rapidly, and our personal style does evolve over time. I've even just thrown away a couple of them (although I must admit, among those was a lilac/white straw DKNY bag chewed on by my cats...they were right).A rare few of my bags do sometimes still get used for occasions I don't want to spoil any of my newer bags, and what strikes me is that the ones I'll pick are the most plain bags with the fewest 'trend' add ons (like an all-black Gucci tote or LV monogram). I try to use this knowledge nowadays when spending on a bag - as much as I may like something now, I'll steer away from most 'hot' items as I know that in 5 years time, I'll probably wonder why I spent so much on it.
For my Chanel collection, so far so good, my oldest one's 3 years old now and holds the current record for one of my most used bags, and am still so happy with it that no other bag has been considered to 'replace' it! And yes, it is indeed plain 'boring' black with SHW...but there's always the chance that in a couple of years time, Chanel will once again have a period of not being so desirable, so I'm not going to keep buying Chanel exclusively for too long - probably once I've hit 5, maybe 6 items I'll move to the next brand!
I LOVE VINTAGE Chanel!! & new Chanel too! I'm very trendy & vintage is in. I started buying new Chanel mid 2000! Then shortly after that I purchased vintage pieces from the 90's. I love the bright yellow gold. I also buy and wear the vintage Chanel yellow gold jewelry. I guess it depends on your style. I use all of my bags now, I do not store them away for later. If the trend changes and vintage isn't in, who knows what will happen to my collection. But I've always had a thing for vintage items. In my early teens I would shop at thrift stores. I found an Oscar de la renta peacoat that I wore throughout high school. I adore Chanel and everything about it, it's my true Love (fashion wise).... So all my pieces will most likely stay with me and be used. So far my Chanels are not outdated. Come on your talking about Chanel! Other brands have come and gone, but Chanel has stuck with me through thick and thin! 
Another vintage and new Chanel lover here.
IMO, I think a true fashionista uses both new and old pieces, it could be current clothing/wardrobe paired up with a type of vintage accessory (scarf, bag, jewelry etc.)
They use their own personal style to create a timeless and effortless look.
If you have a timeless vintage bag with a more current outfit, it changes the whole look and makes the bag more current, hence it becomes timeless and never goes out of style...
The trick is to avoid the "trendy" bags and bags that scream I'm from the 70's, 80's and 90's.
As Coco Chanel would say "Fashion changes but style endures"
By the way, this a great discussion...
IMO, I think a true fashionista uses both new and old pieces, it could be current clothing/wardrobe paired up with a type of vintage accessory (scarf, bag, jewelry etc.)
They use their own personal style to create a timeless and effortless look.
If you have a timeless vintage bag with a more current outfit, it changes the whole look and makes the bag more current, hence it becomes timeless and never goes out of style...
The trick is to avoid the "trendy" bags and bags that scream I'm from the 70's, 80's and 90's.
As Coco Chanel would say "Fashion changes but style endures"
By the way, this a great discussion...
Great thread and fabulous responses! I love both old and new. I wasn't buying Chanel back in the 1980's, but I do have bags from the 80s, 90s and now. I have Chanel jewelry as old as the late 1950s through current pieces.
If I was the original owner of a bag from the 1980s, I could see how it might feel dated to me at this point. However, I must say I get tired of non-Chanel bags much easier than I am bored with Chanel pieces. There are still times when I like to break out a vintage flap with giant CCs and bright gold hardware. I think those super blingy vintage bags work best with jeans and a t shirt.
I do have bags that I've used for over 10+ years. I keep what I love and over time if there is something that no longer fits the collection I will part with it. Also, I must say that it seems like some of the vintage pieces I have are nicer and more well made than some of the newer items. I think I will probably always have a mix of current and vintage.
If I was the original owner of a bag from the 1980s, I could see how it might feel dated to me at this point. However, I must say I get tired of non-Chanel bags much easier than I am bored with Chanel pieces. There are still times when I like to break out a vintage flap with giant CCs and bright gold hardware. I think those super blingy vintage bags work best with jeans and a t shirt.
I do have bags that I've used for over 10+ years. I keep what I love and over time if there is something that no longer fits the collection I will part with it. Also, I must say that it seems like some of the vintage pieces I have are nicer and more well made than some of the newer items. I think I will probably always have a mix of current and vintage.
Great thread. I hope that Chanel relaxes and allows time to stand still for its current flap styles. Make the classic classic, no further re-style updates please. Make like the Birkin and make it worth the investment.
+1
this is a big reason why i have dramatically slowed down on buying chanel bags and shifted my funds to the house of orange. i had some vintage smaller chanel flaps from the 80s that were pristine, but eventually i got rid of them because they did look dated to me, next to all of my newer chanel flaps. meanwhile, i recently acquired a pristine black box kelly from the 70s and apart for the extra strap rings on newer models, it looks quite consistent with the kelly of today. not that i have a problem with designs morphing over time, but it is just too expensive to keep up with these design changes to update my wardrobe
. so now i try to invest only in quality bags that will withstand both time and fashion cycles.I've been buying and using Chanel since the early 90s and the ones that are not classic flaps look dated and just sit in the closet. My favorite size is m/l flaps and next is 226. I have acquired several jumbos over the years but I find that I don't reach for them as much. The flaps are so timeless and seem like such a good deal now with the constant price increases. I have to remind myself not to deviate to the seasonal bags every now and then. The big question for me is how the boys will hold up over time.
Just wanted to add that the thing I love about Chanel is that it transcends time and life changes. When I first started buying Chanel I was just a teenager and now I'm a mom of two young kids. They are just are functional now as they were decades ago. My 1 1/2 year old daughter also seems to have an affinity for Chanel bags. She love lugging them around the house.
I have classic flaps from 80's and 90's at my disposal from my mothers collection. They do not look dated. They actually look pretty similar to whats on offer today. BUT those are classic flaps and mini flaps which are hard to get wrong. I feel that other styles age more obviously. I always wander about the GST what people will feel about it in like 15 years time!!