How old must one be to wear this bag?
- Thread starter MamaSleepy
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
looks like a bag for an older woman. the color probably makes a huge difference. a croc bag in black/brown will look old-lady and a croc bag in hot pink/purple/neon will look like something for a younger woman. black makes us all mature. bright colors tend to denote a younger age
Well, that's certainly an interesting viewpoint, ccbaggirl89. I've always thought of black bags as the equivalent to the LBD.
Hm-m-m, I wonder what other TPs thoughts are?
This is hilarious! Love your sense of humor.
Thanks MamaSleepy, from another sleepy mama
But it was a huge meme failure as it was supposed to come directly under my own first post in this thread,. Oh well 
I agree that neon colours etc are "younger" but I also agree that black bags are the equivalent of the LBD- and ageless. I think if, like me, you spent part of your youth in obscure rock clubs listening to checking out growling young men whipping their long locks of doom about (or something similar : ) black will never be an overly mature colour
It's an eternally classic colour, with an edge. My favourite black bag, the Balenciaga City, of course confirms that it is so 
I really think it comes down to personal style, accessorising, your general "vibe" etc much much more than a particular colour or type of leather.
I'm old, and crocs just say to me "even older than I am." I was a kid in the fifties, and I saw croc bags all the time, usually along with one of those fox stoles with heads on them. Never got over it.
Black bags are not just for the old! Black can be classy, edgy, rock and roll....but it will always be classic!
If you like structured shapes, a colorful bag is less predictable on a woman over 50 than a dark neutral. Something with smart lines would keep it clean and crisp, and a wow color would make it unexpected, modern and fun.
Last edited:
I think you said you were not interested in a backpack, but I included this one anyway, as it is not typical. It has structure, nice size, quality and a modern edge.
Unrelated to this bag, but general musing...the trick (for all of us who want to stay current but not appear trendy), is probably to use what works for our lifestyles, but just sort of...stay in the game...keep pushing the boundaries of that comfort zone a little. Knowing who we are and staying true to that is stylish. On the other hand, possibly the older we get, the more we're likely to get a little too comfortable and get stuck in a rut. Which is decidedly not stylish.
Unrelated to this bag, but general musing...the trick (for all of us who want to stay current but not appear trendy), is probably to use what works for our lifestyles, but just sort of...stay in the game...keep pushing the boundaries of that comfort zone a little. Knowing who we are and staying true to that is stylish. On the other hand, possibly the older we get, the more we're likely to get a little too comfortable and get stuck in a rut. Which is decidedly not stylish.
Last edited:
Good advice, Ms. P.I think you said you were not interested in a backpack, but I included this one anyway, as it is not typical. It has structure, nice size, quality and a modern edge.
Unrelated to this bag, but general musing...the trick (for all of us who want to stay current but not appear trendy), is probably to use what works for our lifestyles, but just sort of...stay in the game...keep pushing the boundaries of that comfort zone a little. Knowing who we are and staying true to that is stylish. On the other hand, possibly the older we get, the more we're likely to get a little too comfortable and get stuck in a rut. Which is decidedly not stylish.
View attachment 3758798
It seems to be a balancing act, doesn't it. Push the boundary a little too far and one can look ridiculous. Remain nervously well within the boundary line and risk appearing like the Church Lady clutching her pearls on SNL.
The middle bag's design looks edgy (to me, at least) but appears to be functional too. Sometimes edgy is fun to look at but not very useful. Do you know the brand and style name, Prepster?
Oh, and let me not forget to thank you for taking the time to find these great examples.
Ok ladies, how about these bags? I know they're not as "hip" as the edgy/cute ones that Prepster listed but they go with more in my wardrobe. More foundational? Or just more old lady again?The Salvatore Ferragamo double 'Gancio' tote is calfskin with a saffiano texture. I dislike saffiano, esp. since so many cheaper bags (MK, KS) are saffiano. I think they look like plastic. I'm not sure if that's due to saffiano itself or the quality of the saffiano used in making these bags? Anyway, I like Ferragamo as a whole, which is why I'm considering this tote. Top zip, structured, convertible handles, interior holds my purse organizer, $1590.
The other bag, modeled, is a Narciso Rodriquez calfskin. From the photos it appears to be box calfskin. I know Rodriquez is a designer and has lovely fragrances but I don't know anything about this leathers. I think this bag is more stylish? Top zip, convertible handles, structured, interior holds my purse organizer, $1895
Or, as a surprise I'm throwing in a Longchamp tote in blue. Color has been recommended to me but not sure if this blue is a "good" blue? Or that bag for that matter.
Perhaps this Burberry in blue is a better choice?
I need to quit shopping online!
Have at it - any and all opinions.
Last edited:
I like all these choices, but I love the first black bag, the one on the model. Gorgeous!!!
They are all Valextra, except the Mansur Gavriel (3rd pic with top handle, way up in my earlier post). I tried to include all top handles in that post, because that seemed to be what you gravitated to in your initial pics. I agree with you about the second bag. It is called "Twist," and is a super stylish, functional bag. Totes are probably going to be more practical if that is what you are going for. I hesitated to include it though because for some reason I thought you said "no totes." I may be imagining that, if so my apologies. Here's what I like about the first Twist I had posted: It has structure but is roomy. Easy to get into but still covered--not an open tote. Real suede interior, bottom feet, lots of fun pockets including an outside pocket (yay!). The third pic in this post is also Valextra, the "Twist Shopper" in Blue, since you seem to like blue.
I am also including the blue Valextra Brera (the top two pics) but you can check all of them out and more on the Valextra website, and see the colors and features for yourself. They also have a Brera soft tote, and a bag called Trieniale which comes soft or structured I believe, and multiple other bags you might like. Lol! I don't work for Valextra, I just think they make great bags and are somewhat "undiscovered" for an 80 year old luxury company. I think for what you get, the prices are reasonable. I also like that so many of the bags come in small, medium and large, and versions...for ex. The Twist comes in two tote styles, several versions of shoulder bags/cross-bodies and a clutch. I also like that you can get matching accessories.
Of the bags you posted above, the Narcisco is the most clean and modern. There's nothing wrong with the others, they're fine. But (in my opinion, taken for what it's worth) the others will not necessarily update your look. The black Ferragamo is always a classic, can't go wrong there, but IMHO the other two are a little dowdy.
Good luck and happy exploring!
Last edited: