Like Mother, Like Daughter, or Not

[pbnjam]

My mom has 2 LV bags (she only takes them out for parties) and 3 Coach bags (2 of which I gave her). She scolds me for buying so many bags. So I have to hide my stuff from her. She secretly likes my bags but thinks I'm spending too much and tells me all the time that I should save more. Sigh...

 

[Violet Bleu]

My mother hates all bags, even inexpensive ones. She prefers to carry her phone and money in her pocket and is pretty thrifty in general. She doesn't purchase designer anything and has no interest in it.

My mother is pretty thrifty as well. She doesn't like purchasing designer things for herself, but if I buy her something she treasures it.

My mother likes handbags. But she has only cheap ones and she has stopped asking me how much I spend on my bags. She is not scolding me for spending more money on bags, because she has a lot, too. She borrows now and then some of my bags.

I noticed that my mother got to a point where she stopped asking prices. Now, she is extremely curious and starting to appreciate the quality more. Slowly but surely. . .

My mom LOVES handbags - I think I got my bag-loving genes from her.
But there's a big difference between us in the way we use our bags. As in, I actually use mine. She doesn't. She has a lot of nice bags (although mine are usually more expensive styles from the same designers) but most of them are sitting in her closet, not getting any wear. She had a Mulberry which she sold because she didn't have any more use for it - I think she wore it around 5 times and then stashed it away. My bags get rotated all the time, and even the Mulberry I didn't use much for the first 3 yrs of its life is getting a longer shoulder strap soon to help me carry her more often. She is still for sale, but I am trying my best to make use of what I've bought...
Mom has now started to ask me if I want a bag - I think she's starting to realise it makes no sense keeping the bags when they don't get so much as a brief outing. Ever. She also never gives away anything so her closets and attic are stuffed - a bit of a hoarder. It's my project for the summer to help her clear out all the clothes from the 80's etc. :weird:

I gave her an Abro bag for last Christmas and she told me she's carried it alot, so maybe she hasn't had a clear idea on what she needs and the bags she's bought in the past have just been cute but not very practical. IDK. I'm off to the shops now and need to dig something "new" from the closet to put my stuff in. Who carries the same bag for 3 days in a row?!

My mother uses her bags until they are dead. Lol. I am trying to introduce her to other brands, so she can see how a quality leather bag will last a very long time. I have made progress in getting her away from logos. Now, I just need to introduce her to "Made in Italy" handbags.

Chiming in from a Mom's perspective...

While I am a confirmed bag addict, my daughter is far less so. She appreciates a good bag, but it's not her passion. Aside from her professional accomplishments, she is a dedicated athlete.

Running is her passion. So I applaud her efforts (not with a bag I would love to have, or think she should have) but with running shoes, Under Armour, etc.

To each her own...

Thanks for giving a mom's perspective. I guess it is not as uncommon as I thought for mothers and daughters to not share the handbag lovin' gene. Lol.

She is not a shopper at all either! never has been, apparently though my grandmothers sister was so i guess it skipped around the family a bit lol

My mother hates shopping for the most part. Now, she is slowly learning to enjoy it if she is with me. Haha

My mom loves purses, too. No. She doesn't share my love of designer bags. She has her own circle of independent bag-maker. I love them, too, but I also love designer ones.

Thanks for this response. I think that I can get my mother into something like this. The ironic thing is that she doesn't like things if they are not "name brand", or she has never heard of the designer. That's why she likes Coach. It is reasonably priced and everyone will know what a Coach bag is. It baffles me every time.

 

[Violet Bleu]

Interesting thread, Violet Blue! Love everyone's posts!
My Mother, God rest her soul, was not into expensive anything with the exception of jewelry. She could certainly afford it. She always bought "nice" things but not extravagant things. I always thought living through the "great depression" caused her thriftiness. She (and my Father) invested in real estate...that was their thing. She never knew half the bags/jewelry I had in my collection and for everyone's sake I kept it that way.
I often wondered where I came from???

Thank you! My mom can certainly afford these bags more than I can as a college student! Lol. I often feel the same way regarding your last comment. Both of my parents wonder how I have a taste for the finer things in life. On the other hand, my father finally understands my obsession. I bought him a Bottega Veneta wallet for his birthday, and he just loves it. I am transparent about my purchases with him because he is accepting and understanding. I often don't tell my mother about my purchases because she thinks I am just being materialistic.

Great thread, especially on the heels of Mother's Day, when feelings about moms may run stronger than usual!

I think in my family it skipped a generation. My mother is very wash-and-wear. The last time she visited, she was carrying an old Coach bag from the outlet. It was cream colored and showing its age. She made a comment about how the bag won't really get clean anymore, but she just loves it so much. Personally, I wanted to take it from her, throw it in the trash, and buy her a new one! She would never in a million years understand spending money on Balenciaga or Prada, much less Chanel or Hermes.

She loves jewelry but again, our tastes are very different, as she wears a lot of Native American jewelry, and my taste is more classic.

My paternal grandmother, OTOH, was a clotheshorse. I remember visiting her as a child and being fascinated by the full closets. She loved jewelry, too, and always had her hair done. I have no doubt that if she had been alive for the "It Bag" phenomenon, she would have had one of each! Unfortunately, she died when I was just 11, and most of her stuff went to Goodwill. I do have her diamond stud earrings, however, and it's a rare day they aren't in my ears.

My sister likes bags but doesn't love them the way I do. Her passion is shoes!

Interesting reply! My mother hates jewelry while my grandmother loves it. Ha . I never thought about that. When I visit my grandmother, she always wants to take my gold necklaces. I guess the gene may have skipped my mother.

My mom has 2 LV bags (she only takes them out for parties) and 3 Coach bags (2 of which I gave her). She scolds me for buying so many bags. So I have to hide my stuff from her. She secretly likes my bags but thinks I'm spending too much and tells me all the time that I should save more. Sigh...

Wow! This sounds like my mom! She is always telling me I need to save, save, and save. I think my mom secretly likes them too. If I gave her one of my bags, she would accept it happily.

 

[vink]

My mother is pretty thrifty as well. She doesn't like purchasing designer things for herself, but if I buy her something she treasures it.







I noticed that my mother got to a point where she stopped asking prices. Now, she is extremely curious and starting to appreciate the quality more. Slowly but surely. . .







My mother uses her bags until they are dead. Lol. I am trying to introduce her to other brands, so she can see how a quality leather bag will last a very long time. I have made progress in getting her away from logos. Now, I just need to introduce her to "Made in Italy" handbags.







Thanks for giving a mom's perspective. I guess it is not as uncommon as I thought for mothers and daughters to not share the handbag lovin' gene. Lol.







My mother hates shopping for the most part. Now, she is slowly learning to enjoy it if she is with me. Haha







Thanks for this response. I think that I can get my mother into something like this. The ironic thing is that she doesn't like things if they are not "name brand", or she has never heard of the designer. That's why she likes Coach. It is reasonably priced and everyone will know what a Coach bag is. It baffles me every time.

Maybe gifted her some bags with a lesser known brand, to her, with very good leather? I mean even though she doesn't know whose it is doesn't mean it's less of a status symbol? Because my mom can always get something with good quality from her "circle", I never dare let she know the price I pay for my designer bags. Even though it's my money, I'm so afraid she will stare me down so hard I melt into the ground. (*insert mom's judging eyes and eyebrows here.) I guess I'm still 5 years old when I'm with her.

 

[chessmont]

My mother is no longer with us, but I doubt she ever had a real leather bag in her life. We were not well off and there were other things more important than fashion and bags. Even in later years when she could probably have afforded a moderately priced leather bag it wouldn't have occurred to her to get one. I don't know where my addiction came from.

 

[Ludmilla]

Maybe gifted her some bags with a lesser known brand, to her, with very good leather? I mean even though she doesn't know whose it is doesn't mean it's less of a status symbol? Because my mom can always get something with good quality from her "circle", I never dare let she know the price I pay for my designer bags. Even though it's my money, I'm so afraid she will stare me down so hard I melt into the ground. (*insert mom's judging eyes and eyebrows here.) I guess I'm still 5 years old when I'm with her.

I guess we are all still 5 years old in the eyes of our mothers. [emoji1]

 

[lenarmc]

I definitely got my love for handbags from my mother. However, she didn't do designer bags. She'd rather take that money and buy custom jewelry, clothes, and shoes. I, on the other hand would rather have a designer bag and shop for clothes at a thrift store/consignment shop. I tend to wear just black shoes, Chuck Taylor's, or Sperry. With jewelry, I can take it or leave it.

 

[misstrine85]

My mom and I have very similar taste in bags. We both love smooshy leather from different brands and have classics from Louis Vuitton. And we both have the exqct same wallet (Mulberry Long Locked Purse in oak).

She has fewer bags than me, and a lot of them are ones she was gifted/bought from me.

She wasn't that much into bags before I started to be, but she has always loved nice quality leather. Back then she just only had maybe oneor two bags at a time.

I feel so lucky to be able to share my passion for bags with my mom. And even more lucky because I know that my dad loves it when he can occasionally spoil her with something nice.

EDIT: and my grandmother (moms mother) also love bags. At my birthday party last year she complimented me on my "beautiful Chanel bag". I didn't know that she knew - and could regognize- Chanel

 

[HesitantShopper]

Chiming in from a Mom's perspective...

While I am a confirmed bag addict, my daughter is far less so. She appreciates a good bag, but it's not her passion. Aside from her professional accomplishments, she is a dedicated athlete.

Running is her passion. So I applaud her efforts (not with a bag I would love to have, or think she should have) but with running shoes, Under Armour, etc.

To each her own...

I'm a mother as well and have two daughters amongst my several children, my oldest is into purses and shopping, the younger not so much, of coarse we all have different passions... i also think they change and evolve as we get older, at one time i was not into purses either.

 

[HesitantShopper]

Thanks for this response. I think that I can get my mother into something like this. The ironic thing is that she doesn't like things if they are not "name brand", or she has never heard of the designer. That's why she likes Coach. It is reasonably priced and everyone will know what a Coach bag is. It baffles me every time.

Perhaps it's fear of the unknown? she knows Coach and feels comfortable with it, it's hard to brand out sometimes.. as it doesn't always work so great lol

 

[Violet Bleu]

Maybe gifted her some bags with a lesser known brand, to her, with very good leather? I mean even though she doesn't know whose it is doesn't mean it's less of a status symbol? Because my mom can always get something with good quality from her "circle", I never dare let she know the price I pay for my designer bags. Even though it's my money, I'm so afraid she will stare me down so hard I melt into the ground. (*insert mom's judging eyes and eyebrows here.) I guess I'm still 5 years old when I'm with her.

Thanks for the tip! I am considering getting her a really nice leather bag that is of really good quality. Haha. I still feel like a child when I am around my mother.

My mother is no longer with us, but I doubt she ever had a real leather bag in her life. We were not well off and there were other things more important than fashion and bags. Even in later years when she could probably have afforded a moderately priced leather bag it wouldn't have occurred to her to get one. I don't know where my addiction came from.

This is an insightful response. My mother didn't have much either growing up, and I think that is why she considers many of my purchases frivolous. I guess our addictions didn't come from either of our mothers. Lol

I guess we are all still 5 years old in the eyes of our mothers. [emoji1]

+1

I definitely got my love for handbags from my mother. However, she didn't do designer bags. She'd rather take that money and buy custom jewelry, clothes, and shoes. I, on the other hand would rather have a designer bag and shop for clothes at a thrift store/consignment shop. I tend to wear just black shoes, Chuck Taylor's, or Sperry. With jewelry, I can take it or leave it.

I love jewelry! My mother can't understand that either. I guess everyone is just really different. My mom thinks I am crazy because I don't really skimp on anything. I just like nice things.

My mom and I have very similar taste in bags. We both love smooshy leather from different brands and have classics from Louis Vuitton. And we both have the exqct same wallet (Mulberry Long Locked Purse in oak).

She has fewer bags than me, and a lot of them are ones she was gifted/bought from me.

She wasn't that much into bags before I started to be, but she has always loved nice quality leather. Back then she just only had maybe oneor two bags at a time.

I feel so lucky to be able to share my passion for bags with my mom. And even more lucky because I know that my dad loves it when he can occasionally spoil her with something nice.

EDIT: and my grandmother (moms mother) also love bags. At my birthday party last year she complimented me on my "beautiful Chanel bag". I didn't know that she knew - and could regognize- Chanel

Can you adopt me? Lol

Perhaps it's fear of the unknown? she knows Coach and feels comfortable with it, it's hard to brand out sometimes.. as it doesn't always work so great lol

This is an excellent point! That's why I am slowly trying to expose her to other brands. Eventually, she will come around!

 

[remainsilly]

My mother died long ago.
She didn't collect handbags.
She carried 1 bag until it fell apart, then bought another--had to be real leather & black, but brand didn't matter. On sale was a giddy bonus.

If she could see my chanel or mulberry bags, she'd want to hold them & feel the leather.
Work the clasps & inspect inner pockets. She'd say they were very nice.
Then, would mention how a sturdy set of cookware was a more wise use of money. Or buying an antique clock, possibly end tables.
There would be concerned head-shaking.
But, underneath, there would be motherly pride & slight envy.

Then, I'd spill something & ruin the moment.

 

[remainsilly]

I guess we are all still 5 years old in the eyes of our mothers. [emoji1]

So true!

 

[Violet Bleu]

My mother died long ago.
She didn't collect handbags.
She carried 1 bag until it fell apart, then bought another--had to be real leather & black, but brand didn't matter. On sale was a giddy bonus.

If she could see my chanel or mulberry bags, she'd want to hold them & feel the leather.
Work the clasps & inspect inner pockets. She'd say they were very nice.
Then, would mention how a sturdy set of cookware was a more wise use of money. Or buying an antique clock, possibly end tables.
There would be concerned head-shaking.
But, underneath, there would be motherly pride & slight envy.

Then, I'd spill something & ruin the moment.

Thanks for your contribution! My mother is starting to appreciate quality on luxury goods.

 

[missmandymarie]

Great thread!

My mom isn't all that into bags. She uses the same one every day and only changes it if she's going to a nice dinner where a smaller, fancier bag is called for. She does use a designer bag because I was showing her mine (I have the same one- MbMJ Natasha in nylon) and she liked that it was easy to clean and secure. She likes nice leather, and always squishes and smells my new bags, she's just not "into" them the same way all of us are. She thinks I have too many purses, but she does like to feel them and she likes most of them. She doesn't ask prices often, I think she doesn't want to know, haha.

My aunt, my mom's sister, on the other hand- totally purse obsessed, she must have over a hundred. She gave me my first Louis Vuitton bag. I must have gotten it from her