I used to choose my next quota bags based solely on my personal preference (size, leather, etc) and not caring about price differences. (I am not into exotics and have never been offered exotics, so I’m only talking about 1-2k USD price differences here.) However, currently I find myself debating between a k25 vs k28 in chèvre for my SO, and price has become a factor in my decision. With the time it takes for SOs to arrive, there may be another 2-3 price increases including this alleged 10% due to tariffs, potentially putting a k28 chèvre at close to 20k after tax by the time it is ready for pick up. To me, my hesitation is a sign that I’m at the upper limit of what I’m willing to spend on a bag, even though I’ve never set a number in my head. I just felt it in my gut. 🫣
Hermes and Budget - the Oxymoron
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Yes I know that denim jacket!! I also said no to that one even though it was super cute. my SA ordered it anyways because he says he has another client in mind who might want it LOL. I made it very clear, it's not going to be me!
P.S. I did ask about that 10% increase today and he said they had not heard anything from corporate yet. (I guess YET being the operative word!)
For H RTW, I always allowed for 30% more than other luxury/designer brands.Lately other brands like Gucci, BV etc are really catching-up. This Hermes leather trimmed coat is £5430 V Gucci's £5490 V BV @£4,930, those prices are quite typical lately, and I could go on with Valentino, Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga.... I am priced out of most new Chanel RTW.
Hermes loves to be the most expensive, in fact it can't bear not to be, I think other brands across the board keep escalating their prices (to make up for falling sales). In response H has to up its prices again. I think this is why we end-up with an H denim jacket at $16K.
Well….I guess I’m sorta, kinda at my limit. I’ve been very fortunate to have been offered several bags at my boutique that are very special to me, and I’ve made what I consider to be judicious purchases in the secondary market. These bags have, for the most part, met my needs in terms of a vehicle to transport my stuff. (For me, it’s truly just a bag.).
I’m not in the market for another Hermes boutique bag because the current prices are inconsistent with my budget priorities, never mind what may come from tariffs or ordinary future price increases. It’s a very personal decision, and it’s obviously driven by one’s financial situation, but for me, even with some amount of discretionary funds in hand, I just can’t bring myself to spend $20K for a handbag. As is often said, YMMV; no judgment here, presuming the decision is financially sound.
I’m not in the market for another Hermes boutique bag because the current prices are inconsistent with my budget priorities, never mind what may come from tariffs or ordinary future price increases. It’s a very personal decision, and it’s obviously driven by one’s financial situation, but for me, even with some amount of discretionary funds in hand, I just can’t bring myself to spend $20K for a handbag. As is often said, YMMV; no judgment here, presuming the decision is financially sound.
@jbeans , @Bdbunny , my SA ordered the denim for me too. lol. For the same price, I did tell her that I might prefer the shearling. But, given what I already have, I may be okay with that item taking up the remainder of the H budget this year lol. Like @textilegirl , I’ve reached a limit. Not sure I even want a bag this year if I stretch for the RTW pieces.
I used to think of H RTW to be a bargain compared to some of the brands you listed. Chanel has gone insane. Luckily the wife loves Loewe and Sacai and their prices are significantly lower.
When we came back from Paris, my wife said “we need to go shopping to Paris. It’s like the things are free”. H aside, I think that may be a solid option.
I’ve been very fortunate with bag offers this year. I have a SO in the pipeline which may come before the end of the year, and if so that will likely be my only other bag purchase for the year. But I’m shopping in AUD so am already used to some things starting with a 2. @haute okole wrote somewhere recently that she was noticing some redundancy in the RTW collections these days and I am trying to keep in mind that there is already too much redundancy in my existing wardrobe (just how many pairs of jeans do I need lol). Plus, I don’t get enough wear out of the silks I already own. And I have other priorities for my discretionary spending as well, so I don’t want it all to be absorbed by H. All of that adds up to a renewed effort to limit myself only to truly special things. I’m with @880 - fewer better.
I agree fewer better. I have many of the H items I really wanted so my bar to purchase something new is very high anyway. The RTW price increases combined with lack of tailoring in my store have totally turned me off. I am enjoying what I have and I would need to be confident I would get the same enjoyment out of any new purchase.
IDK, this fall/winter sample sale might be epic lol
I don't where my bag "cutoff" is but I am fortunate to be near QB purse peace so hopefully that comes first.
My annual shopping budget is pretty concrete, this increase will effect it the same way the top of the year increase does. But that is between me and my wallet. My budget is not of my SAs concern lol
My annual shopping budget is pretty concrete, this increase will effect it the same way the top of the year increase does. But that is between me and my wallet. My budget is not of my SAs concern lol
Apparently, at one point, I thought I did need X pairs of jeans and X tens of silks but I don't. I'm actually trying to pare down my closet and whenever I'm out shopping with a friend I ask myself 'when would I wear this new item rather than the very similar one I have at home?' If I can't distinguish the two, I decline.
I wondered, at the beginning of the year, if I was at 'purse peace' because I have some lovely bags and I can only carry one at a time. I think the tariffs and price increases together may hasten that conclusion along.
I find that if l space out my purchases abit the high price is more acceptable 😂
I don't feel the need to explain my finances in any way with my SA. But it's also different in Germany. There's no such thing as a journey, because SAs don't get a commission. That way they can't really force you into buying a lot of stuff you might not want. We ask and at some point get what we're asking for. It definitely helps to have a good and respectful relationship, but that doesn't necessarily entail spending crazy amounts of money.
For me, personally, I realized that my collecting had started to become more like hoarding. There were bags that never made it into my rotation, so I sold a lot of things that I wasn't using. I downsized and implemented a "One-In-One-Out" Rule. Which also helps with the budget. I do have to make a conscious effort to spend less in areas that aren't as important to me in order to spend on things I really want. For example, my car is far from a status symbol. It's a very small Fiat 500 Convertible. It's cute, efficient and practical, but far from luxury.
And now that my boyfriend and I are planning to start a family, buy a home and get settled, I definitely will be even more considered, as I really want to be part of everything and not have all of these responsibilities on his shoulders.
So my conclusion is, there are people who have budgets and a few lucky ones that don't.
For me, personally, I realized that my collecting had started to become more like hoarding. There were bags that never made it into my rotation, so I sold a lot of things that I wasn't using. I downsized and implemented a "One-In-One-Out" Rule. Which also helps with the budget. I do have to make a conscious effort to spend less in areas that aren't as important to me in order to spend on things I really want. For example, my car is far from a status symbol. It's a very small Fiat 500 Convertible. It's cute, efficient and practical, but far from luxury.
And now that my boyfriend and I are planning to start a family, buy a home and get settled, I definitely will be even more considered, as I really want to be part of everything and not have all of these responsibilities on his shoulders.
So my conclusion is, there are people who have budgets and a few lucky ones that don't.
Since there isn’t an H store in the country where I’m currently based due to DH's work, and since I’m also tied to France because of my DH, I do my shopping in Paris. I usually travel to France about three times a year.
With the thoughtful advice of dear @880 , I’ve become a small-scale RTW client. I don’t have a set budget, whether defined or gently suggested (lool) by DH, but I do keep my shopping plan minimal, mainly because certain things just don’t suit my lifestyle.
I am planning to buy one outerwear piece per year. I got a cashmere jacket(6k) in October, and for this fall, a leather jacket (8k) is on my list.
Due to the country we’re stationed in, people sometimes mistakenly assume we’re oil-rich, which can lead to inflated expectations—often adding an extra zero to spending assumptions. Thankfully, the SA who welcomed me this year is also the SA of my French family member, so there haven’t been any unrealistic expectations between us.
Because of my illness, I hadn’t been able to travel to France for the past three years. Starting last summer, this June will mark my 4th visit since past summer. After that, I’ll be spending the entire summer in Paris. My plan is to spend amount as a QB and hope for QB (new target is K Elan), then continue with reasonable spending to keep things sustainable. Aside from the SO that's currently in production, my only bag expectation in the near future is a K Elan.
Thanks to let me share my tiny budget plans. 🤣
With the thoughtful advice of dear @880 , I’ve become a small-scale RTW client. I don’t have a set budget, whether defined or gently suggested (lool) by DH, but I do keep my shopping plan minimal, mainly because certain things just don’t suit my lifestyle.
I am planning to buy one outerwear piece per year. I got a cashmere jacket(6k) in October, and for this fall, a leather jacket (8k) is on my list.
Due to the country we’re stationed in, people sometimes mistakenly assume we’re oil-rich, which can lead to inflated expectations—often adding an extra zero to spending assumptions. Thankfully, the SA who welcomed me this year is also the SA of my French family member, so there haven’t been any unrealistic expectations between us.
Because of my illness, I hadn’t been able to travel to France for the past three years. Starting last summer, this June will mark my 4th visit since past summer. After that, I’ll be spending the entire summer in Paris. My plan is to spend amount as a QB and hope for QB (new target is K Elan), then continue with reasonable spending to keep things sustainable. Aside from the SO that's currently in production, my only bag expectation in the near future is a K Elan.
Thanks to let me share my tiny budget plans. 🤣
I don’t discuss budget with my SA. I’m a long distance client, so only visit the boutique once or twice per year. I send a list of what I’m interested in checking out in store when I contact my SA for an appointment, with plans to purchase anything on that list she has in stock if I like it. Since I start building my list about six weeks out - and visit the site to review my list several times - it’s rare for me to turn down an item if my SA has it. Because I’ve selected items from the website, I’m well aware of the potential total cost before I even visit the boutique and I make peace with it. I do most of my luxury shopping when we travel to this city, so try to schedule my H appointment on the earlier side, since that dictates how much I have left to spend in other boutiques (I go with a set budget). My SA will occasionally show me other items she thinks might be of interest, I always do at least one lap of the store to see if there’s anything I missed, and there have been a couple of visits when H must have known I was in town because an item in an email caught my attention and I asked about it during my appointment. Based on the lists I’ve sent over the years and the items I’ve ultimately purchased, my SA seems to have developed a good sense for what I like and roughly how much I’m willing to spend (outside of bag purchases; those are an extra, but also something I have carefully planned for so am at peace with).