How much variety?

[_purseon.of.interest_]

Hello all!

Over the last few years, I have been curating a modest collection of leather handbags and small leather goods. I started off with brands like Kate Spade and lower-priced MK, eventually moving on to COACH and discovering the 1941 line. More recently, I have been interested in vintage and pre-owned items from premier designers. TPF has been great for finding styles I love, and I thank you all for your contributions ☺

I am very much enamoured with most of the items I have acquired, but as my tastes have become more specific over time, many of my mid-range purchases have lost their appeal. I have slowly been selling them off and buying higher-end replacements, but between shopping and reevaluating my collection, it has dawned on me that my closet is starkly lacking in variety:

All of my SLGs are predominantly red, pink and purple. Of the items I decided to keep, there are three COACH Dinky bags, all of them in the pink/red colour family. I also have two Balenciaga Firsts (recommended to me on TPF!), one in Sorbet and one in Pale Rose. My two most recent purchases were a Balenciaga Money wallet in Rose Bruyere, and a vintage Chanel compact wallet in a reddish hot pink colour. (Detecting a trend yet? ) I own only three bags that are very different to the rest of my collection, a COACH Rogue 25 in black, a Dreamer 21 in chalk/beechwood/patchwork and a small vintage Miu Miu tote in olive green.

I usually do not carry much, so I am okay with my bags being on the small side. I do love having multiple versions of my favourites, and of course I always adore bright pops of colour, but as a novice when it comes to different styles and designers, I wanted to get opinions on what kind of variety is preferable when building a collection. Since I am so particular and will not buy something unless it ticks all the boxes, I feel like I might just continue to buy similar colours and designs. I worry that one day when I’m older, I might find my bags too “loud” or juvenile. But I just can’t help what I like! I will always prefer something girly and whimsical to something like LV monogram or Prada Saffiano, even though I know these are considered staples by many.

TL;DR

So ladies! Do you believe there any must-have silhouettes, colours, leathers, or designers? Which bags and SLGs do you find most versatile, and which ones have lost their lustre over time? How different do you like each of your bags to be? Have you ever been stuck repurchasing a single style or colour, and if so, did you ever tire of it? I’d love to hear all about it ☺

 

[mocktail]

Buy what you love, not what others think are staples! I say this as someone who buys bags in black almost exclusively (I have 1 small LV monogram bag but everything else is black). And sometimes I hear things like "everyone needs a tote in their collection", but I don't like totes so I would never use one.

If you love small bags in the pink/red color range, stick with that size and color range! Your collection should contain bags you love to carry.

 

[AliceWondered]

I agree with the advice to buy and carry what YOU love, not anybody else’s “must haves”.
I’ve been doing some wardrobe planning during the quarantine, and it has helped me to hone in on what works best for me as far as colours and styles of bags. I would recommend taking a look at your closet as a whole- what do you love to wear? What bags go best with your style and get carried the most? Using that info it may be easier to figure out how much variety you want in your collection.

 

[Joule]

I would guess that bag staples differ for everyone. And it could be that variety doesn't always work in every area. I'm neurotic and have compartmentalized my life, so I like to have bags for a host of occasions. On the other hand, I've discovered that (with only one exception) I seem to reach exclusively for black or brown bags. I'm unimaginative when it comes to color, it seems.

It sounds to me that a cheerful and vibrant color palette works for you. I would stick with it and make yourself happy by buying what you love to wear! I mean, if it ain't broke...

 

[_purseon.of.interest_]

Buy what you love, not what others think are staples! I say this as someone who buys bags in black almost exclusively (I have 1 small LV monogram bag but everything else is black). And sometimes I hear things like "everyone needs a tote in their collection", but I don't like totes so I would never use one.

If you love small bags in the pink/red color range, stick with that size and color range! Your collection should contain bags you love to carry.

Thank you for your thoughts ☺️ You are so right, carrying what I love always feels better than picking something that is frequently recommended by others. In the end I suppose I could just carry any old bag if I am worried about function or preparing for some occasion. But the main point of my expensive designer goodies is to have fun! I think I will take your advice and stick with my first instinct, thank you for reminding me that my own tastes matter more than trying to be classic!

 

[_purseon.of.interest_]

I agree with the advice to buy and carry what YOU love, not anybody else’s “must haves”.
I’ve been doing some wardrobe planning during the quarantine, and it has helped me to hone in on what works best for me as far as colours and styles of bags. I would recommend taking a look at your closet as a whole- what do you love to wear? What bags go best with your style and get carried the most? Using that info it may be easier to figure out how much variety you want in your collection.

Thanks for your reply! I definitely agree that I need to do a better job at understanding my wardrobe. I am pretty particular about my clothing as well, lots of high waisted bottoms and cropped tops, floral prints and flowy fabrics. One problem is that I also seem to gravitate towards pink/red clothes. I can usually make it work, but sometimes my bags clash with my outfit. I think I need to explore colours I wear less often, like yellow and green. Slowly trying to add in more navy blue, which I have ignored for long enough ☺

In any case I find that my black bag can “go” with anything, but I don’t really find that it “ties in” to my outfits or brings anything unique. Maybe wanting to dress special every day is a bit much, but it makes the day feel special ☺

 

[_purseon.of.interest_]

I would guess that bag staples differ for everyone. And it could be that variety doesn't always work in every area. I'm neurotic and have compartmentalized my life, so I like to have bags for a host of occasions. On the other hand, I've discovered that (with only one exception) I seem to reach exclusively for black or brown bags. I'm unimaginative when it comes to color, it seems.

It sounds to me that a cheerful and vibrant color palette works for you. I would stick with it and make yourself happy by buying what you love to wear! I mean, if it ain't broke...

Haha the only thing that‘s broke is me from buying bags ☺ I empathize with the neuroticism, I too need to have everything compartmentalized and put in the same place every time. I am a student and somewhat of a homebody, so I am lucky not to need too many types of bags to meet my needs, but that is my number one concern. I like to purchase things for the long haul, and I worry about my favourite bags fitting into my life once I have more responsibilities and places to go. Hopefully the vibrancy and cheerfulness will follow me into the future ☺️ Thank you for your insight!

 

[mocktail]

In the end I suppose I could just carry any old bag if I am worried about function or preparing for some occasion. But the main point of my expensive designer goodies is to have fun!

Yes!!! Focus on what you love, because that's the most important thing Thanks for starting this conversation; I needed to think about this too!

 

[Amazona]

I think the only staple that goes/should go for everyone's collection is "bag/s that works for you". That's as far as I'll go.
I need a big bag for most occasions and then there are those that can carry all day's necessities in a Chanel WOC - and let's not forget those who like to carry both a small bag or a WOC and also a bigger bag for bigger stuff. We all have different needs for sure.

If you prefer colorful clothes you might want a bag that will blend in but won't disappear in the outfit - something neutral like cream, taupe, beige, navy or a light, broken green will work with many colors without clashing.

I try not to overlap anything in my collection. I have no doubles, not in bags or SLGs. That works for me, I get a lot of variation from a smaller amount of bags and I like that.