Hermes lover - What is your take on Chanel price increase

[needmoneyforbirkins]

My thoughts echo everything I read from the others above me.
Most of my mom's handbags were either Chanel or Hermes, and even as a kid, I could immediately tell the difference in quality between the two. The Chanel bags she had were fun & seasonal, but even if the hardware was ruthenium or intentionally aged, over time it'd inevitably show the brass underneath. On the other hand, I remember feeling the leather on her Lindy once and thinking to myself, wow this feels incredible. IDK, somehow caviar leather has always felt like hard durable plastic, kind of like LV's canvas, whereas H's leathers (especially grained ones like Togo/Clemence) felt luxurious. Also, I own a couple Chanel bags and some of them have areas where the seam stitches shows a lot of wear / breakage

 

[mesvalises]

I'm going to take away the poll at the top of this thread as we're not in the Chanel forum and makes no sense whatsoever in the Hermes Forum since we buy H. If the OP wants it back I'll move the thread to the general Handbags forum for multi-brand buyers.

I did not intend it to be a poll.

 

[mesvalises]

I did not intend it to be a poll. And, obviously, this is of interest to at least some Hermes bag lovers. I have been buying Hermès bags since 1981, and it's certainly relevant to me. It may make no sense to you, but a comparison of quality and value between Chanel and Hermes and the fact that Chanel is going head to head with Hermès is VERY relevant to Hermès. However, move it where you feel you must.

 

[biorin]

I love a lot of Chanel's designs, and would say they are overall arguably more my style than Hermes. That said, I think the prices increases are a joke, and I struggle to buy anything from them now on principle alone. As others have said, there's no increase in quality or after-sales service that they can use to justify it -- it's a slap in the face being asked to pay multiples more for something of lesser quality.

 

[880]

I wear both chanel and Hermes, but my bag collection is now primarily Hermes. Every time there is a chanel price increase I buy more Hermes. I buy a mix of preloved and bounique. when Chanel preloved prices rise, there are eventually corresponding better deals on Hermes (if you can wait for the prices to swing). I still buy chanel RTW, but H RTW is better priced.

 

[jmen]

Agree.

Re the quality of chanel leather, I‘ve owned many chanel bags, first, as gifts from family in the 1990s, then later, my own purchases, 2001-2008. I don’t see as much of a decline in quality as other people see. What I do observe is increased scrutiny of every stitch due to the enormous price increases. JMO

my take on the price increase, is KL reinvented chanel as a fashion powerhouse, and he was not so concerned with the longevity of his accessories. The price increases demonstrate chanels focus on the fraction of 1% that is somewhat immune. JMO of course. I’m glad i kept my favorite older RTW And a few bags.

The chanel and H bags are such different animals, there is room for both styles if a person likes choice. (I say that having gotten rid of most of my chanel leather in 2008 bc I was convinced I would only carry Hermes going forward) whoops.

Chanel flaps from the 80s are noticeably better quality wise. Back in 2008 I put a new flap next to my era 80s and compared the two. Perhaps there was less quality control so defectives were sent to market. I have a collection of both Chanel and Hermes but the Chanel’s have not seen daylight for years but thanks to COVID only the Clic 16s are getting used. Tis time for a fire sale, I suppose, but matches are in short supply. (Joking, I think as I haven’t looked for fire starters,)