I also take the time to inspect the bag in the store to make sure it isn't scuffed or has scratches or has an off kilter turn lock or some other issue. I'd rather do that then waste my time having to go back to the store!
Luxury handbags - quality and expectations (Chanel, Hermes, LV)
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I also take the time to inspect the bag in the store to make sure it isn't scuffed or has scratches or has an off kilter turn lock or some other issue. I'd rather do that then waste my time having to go back to the store!
Very interesting question.
There are times I've reassured others what they think is a flaw is meant or natural and other times I have no clue what they are seeing as a fault. However, generally speaking, I think at the ridiculous prices bags have now reached I'm not surprised people want perfection and treat their bags as an investment/magic wand. I think prices are now basically insane. Perhaps that's why many think that a new miracle bag will change their lives in a magic way forevermore and hence go over the bag with a microscope when it fails to live up to equally crazy expectations. Brands sell us dreams we can barely afford and buyers want the impossible, like some weird co-dependant fantasy.
Most of the threads that question the quality of premium (or contemporary) brands often note a general deterioration of quality (and aftercare) compared to same-brand bags/items bought in the past. Hence why many actively seek out vintage pieces rather than buy new.
Speaking personally, it depends on the bag, the leather type and what I want to use it for. I'll look at quality along with style/colour/size etc. Nor do I usually resell so it may need to age gracefully. I'm not looking to pass on my bags to my (still imaginary) daughters but I do expect them to last me a lifetime, why not? I have yet to wear out any I inherited from relatives. If I'm buying new, I'd perhaps inspect a precious evening bag a bit differently than a robust hobo, but whatever the bag I wouldn't take a display piece or a scratched example and of course I'd reject any with obvious flaws but I'd be happy to see evidence of hand-stitching or something that gives the type of leather 'character'.
There are times I've reassured others what they think is a flaw is meant or natural and other times I have no clue what they are seeing as a fault. However, generally speaking, I think at the ridiculous prices bags have now reached I'm not surprised people want perfection and treat their bags as an investment/magic wand. I think prices are now basically insane. Perhaps that's why many think that a new miracle bag will change their lives in a magic way forevermore and hence go over the bag with a microscope when it fails to live up to equally crazy expectations. Brands sell us dreams we can barely afford and buyers want the impossible, like some weird co-dependant fantasy.
Most of the threads that question the quality of premium (or contemporary) brands often note a general deterioration of quality (and aftercare) compared to same-brand bags/items bought in the past. Hence why many actively seek out vintage pieces rather than buy new.
Speaking personally, it depends on the bag, the leather type and what I want to use it for. I'll look at quality along with style/colour/size etc. Nor do I usually resell so it may need to age gracefully. I'm not looking to pass on my bags to my (still imaginary) daughters but I do expect them to last me a lifetime, why not? I have yet to wear out any I inherited from relatives. If I'm buying new, I'd perhaps inspect a precious evening bag a bit differently than a robust hobo, but whatever the bag I wouldn't take a display piece or a scratched example and of course I'd reject any with obvious flaws but I'd be happy to see evidence of hand-stitching or something that gives the type of leather 'character'.
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You have captured my thoughts to a tee. I do believe that some people have these unrealistic expectations or standards for these designer handbags. One tpfr recently posted about some bag and how there were all these issues with it. It was her first bag from this designer and her dream bag. I honestly could not see 5 out of the 6 issues she was so upset about. And he sixth one really was not a big deal in my opinion. I also expect my high end designer bags (which are not lambskin or delicate) to hold up better and to also be crafted better than my nylon longchamps or Tory burch handbag. So far I have not been disappointed, but I've just been lucky.
I've been thinking about this all week since I got my Chanel caviar rectangle mini and whether I've let myself become influenced by the threads discussing the 17b mini defects.
My mini has a twisted chain, poofier sides that gives the bag a slight trapezoid shape, and the flap is slightly slanted but I can push it back into shape.
I don't expect absolute perfection and to be honest, I didn't notice any of these "issues" in the store as I was so happy to have gotten the call (Australia is a tiny market and we get almost nothing).
However, a tiny tiny part of me does think that I should return it because it seems like lots of TPF'ers would see these "issues" as defects. At the end of the day, I don't want to bother my SA and I'd never sell it anyway!
My mini has a twisted chain, poofier sides that gives the bag a slight trapezoid shape, and the flap is slightly slanted but I can push it back into shape.
I don't expect absolute perfection and to be honest, I didn't notice any of these "issues" in the store as I was so happy to have gotten the call (Australia is a tiny market and we get almost nothing).
However, a tiny tiny part of me does think that I should return it because it seems like lots of TPF'ers would see these "issues" as defects. At the end of the day, I don't want to bother my SA and I'd never sell it anyway!
If you are happy with it then you shouldn't let tpfrs to persuade you one way or another! But I also think that you shouldn't be afraid to return something because aren't 100 percent happy with it. These bags are too expensive for that! We should not be worried that the sa will be annoyed or lose a commission. This is part of what they expect at their job - of course within reasonable boundaries!
I'll definitely be keeping it! It gives me that butterflies in my stomach feeling
I generally have low expectations which stems from a Prada bag that has so many defects it looks fake! It was 5-6 years ago and I felt bullied into keeping it. Will never buy from Sydney DJs concession again.
Don't let others dictate how YOU feel about a bag. I say that for you as much as for me! I received an LV Pochette Metis in Reverse last week - a lucky snag and heart-racing checkout when it popped up for a few seconds on the Canadian LV site. It is perfect except for a small cosmetic defect on the front flap which I know would bother other tPFers (I know as they said so!). Like you for a moment I wondered "should I return it because of this; because it bothers others?". The timing was interesting as just before I received it I had been involved in a discussion in the LV forums about "perfection" and said I thought sometimes I was too much easygoing when I looked at what some people considered defects.
But...point is...it does not bother me. I still absolutely love it, and think it is beautiful (birthmark and all!). My only doubt is spending so much on another PM when I just got a classic mono PM a couple days earlier, but after using that latter all weekend I really think PMs are the best. I never sell my bags (I have donated in past, but never sold) but I can't see ever parting with the PMs unless I am "forced" too, so resale does not matter.
Thanks RayKay for the advice! I feel very lucky that I'm quite easygoing and little cosmetic issues with bags actually makes me enjoy them more as I start to baby them less!
And oops! I didn't mean to say that I feel butterflies in my stomach when I look at my bag. I meant to say something positive like it makes my heart skip a beat!
And oops! I didn't mean to say that I feel butterflies in my stomach when I look at my bag. I meant to say something positive like it makes my heart skip a beat!
Thanks RayKay for the advice! I feel very lucky that I'm quite easygoing and little cosmetic issues with bags actually makes me enjoy them more as I start to baby them less!
And oops! I didn't mean to say that I feel butterflies in my stomach when I look at my bag. I meant to say something positive like it makes my heart skip a beat!
Funny, I am the same! I am not worried about ruining something that is "perfect" so I can actually enjoying living with it instead. It is like getting that first ding on a new car, or what have you. It sort sucks at first, but then I can relax and enjoy driving the damn thing (and be less stressed about parking it in the Costco parking lot)! This is also why I like to buy my vehicles used, ha.
I'm so happy you started this discussion!
I have purchased Coach, Juicy Couture, Tory Burch, Ferragamo, Rebecca Minkoff, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and most recently, Chanel.
I worked at Coach in 2002-2005. The quality was amazing. I probably have owned 30 bags and a ton of SLGs and never had an issue with any of them.
I purchased a Gucci bag in Italy in 2006. The glue came off within two weeks of light use. The US store refused to fix it without charging me about 50% off the price of the bag because I didn't have the receipt. I told myself I would never buy Gucci again.
My Ferragamo patent leather bag was used everyday for two years. It's still in excellent condition.
Tory Burch had the same glue issue as my Gucci. This bag was $600.
Never had any issues with my leather Juicy bags. I have four Minkoffs and there is only one loose stitch that I believe I must have snagged.
I do not have any issue with my Chanel bags or wallet. But I'm scared that my wallet will have the peeling leather. I only use my bags on the weekends, so they are not getting the usual treatment as my other bags.
As someone who typically spends $200-600 on a bag, the Chanel prices are very steep. I agree that a lot of TPFers will show photos of their purchases and think that something is wrong. Usually I can't see it or I just don't expect every bag that comes out of the Chanel factory to be perfect. The frayed leather on some of the rose gold minis is a huge disappointment. My mini does not have the issue, but it still scares me. I don't even know if my bag has the twisted chain issue, as I can wear it fine so I guess I don't have a problem?
So my short answer is this; the bag should be durable with no glue peeling, leather peeling, or hardware that falls off. But loose threads, pockets not aligned, some quilts being puffier than others, or small scratches are OK in my book. I don't expect perfection, but I expect to be able to use the bag for years and years without an issue in the quality. I understand when I buy Chanel that I am paying for the name and to fund all the celebrities in the Chanel magazine, and quality falls lower on the list. I just hope the quality is as good or better than my Coach, Juicy, and Marc Jacobs bags.
And on another note, I know that no one wears Juicy anymore, but I have some beautiful leather Juicy bags in metallic colors that might come out of hiding after this!
I have purchased Coach, Juicy Couture, Tory Burch, Ferragamo, Rebecca Minkoff, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and most recently, Chanel.
I worked at Coach in 2002-2005. The quality was amazing. I probably have owned 30 bags and a ton of SLGs and never had an issue with any of them.
I purchased a Gucci bag in Italy in 2006. The glue came off within two weeks of light use. The US store refused to fix it without charging me about 50% off the price of the bag because I didn't have the receipt. I told myself I would never buy Gucci again.
My Ferragamo patent leather bag was used everyday for two years. It's still in excellent condition.
Tory Burch had the same glue issue as my Gucci. This bag was $600.
Never had any issues with my leather Juicy bags. I have four Minkoffs and there is only one loose stitch that I believe I must have snagged.
I do not have any issue with my Chanel bags or wallet. But I'm scared that my wallet will have the peeling leather. I only use my bags on the weekends, so they are not getting the usual treatment as my other bags.
As someone who typically spends $200-600 on a bag, the Chanel prices are very steep. I agree that a lot of TPFers will show photos of their purchases and think that something is wrong. Usually I can't see it or I just don't expect every bag that comes out of the Chanel factory to be perfect. The frayed leather on some of the rose gold minis is a huge disappointment. My mini does not have the issue, but it still scares me. I don't even know if my bag has the twisted chain issue, as I can wear it fine so I guess I don't have a problem?
So my short answer is this; the bag should be durable with no glue peeling, leather peeling, or hardware that falls off. But loose threads, pockets not aligned, some quilts being puffier than others, or small scratches are OK in my book. I don't expect perfection, but I expect to be able to use the bag for years and years without an issue in the quality. I understand when I buy Chanel that I am paying for the name and to fund all the celebrities in the Chanel magazine, and quality falls lower on the list. I just hope the quality is as good or better than my Coach, Juicy, and Marc Jacobs bags.
And on another note, I know that no one wears Juicy anymore, but I have some beautiful leather Juicy bags in metallic colors that might come out of hiding after this!
I've had problems with gucci in the past too! With one bag the handle fell off after a few months of use. With another, the canvas on the bag started to fray. I have never had a problem with any of my coach bags. Also have had problems with tory burch. Owned a bag for a year and then the handle started to peel and crack. Will never buy another TB bag, probably won't buy a Gucci either!
TBH, when I've checked out Gucci in person, they didn't seem very high quality at least in terms of the materials. I think with Gucci you're paying for the name and the design, which is perfectly valid, but I would personally go for something that felt more substantial!
I'm a newbie of designer bags, I don't have any hermes or chanel yet but still would like to contribute my two cents here. My expectation is simple - I don't want to spend extra time on 'functional' defects once I purchase an expensive bag, especially at full price. For example, minor scratch is fine, but broken or tarnished hardware is not because I will have to repair it in the future.
Prior to this year I have one Gucci and one LV, along with other contemporary bags (Kate Spade, Rebecca Minkoff, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, etc.) I had no issue with my Gucci and LV but the magnetic closure of Tory Burch started to tarnish after just a few wears. So I thought I should switch to premium designers so that I don't have to worry too much about my bags. Turned out it is not the case.
I sold almost all my contemporary bags, bought one Fendi, one Dior, one Bally, and one Loewe. All bags are bought online or by phone, since I live in a small city with no premium department stores/boutiques. As I shared in other posts, the Fendi had cosmetic defects, the Dior and Bally have hardware issues. While the Fendi did not bother me as much, I actually spent a lot of time exchanging and waiting for repair for the Dior and Bally. Now I realized that I was just very lucky with my first 2 premium designer bags, or the quality of bags are indeed declining over these years.
I think my handbag collection is pretty much complete as of now, but if I plan to buy new bags again, I would much prefer shopping in person - at least I will notice the 'functional' defects right away.
Prior to this year I have one Gucci and one LV, along with other contemporary bags (Kate Spade, Rebecca Minkoff, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, etc.) I had no issue with my Gucci and LV but the magnetic closure of Tory Burch started to tarnish after just a few wears. So I thought I should switch to premium designers so that I don't have to worry too much about my bags. Turned out it is not the case.
I sold almost all my contemporary bags, bought one Fendi, one Dior, one Bally, and one Loewe. All bags are bought online or by phone, since I live in a small city with no premium department stores/boutiques. As I shared in other posts, the Fendi had cosmetic defects, the Dior and Bally have hardware issues. While the Fendi did not bother me as much, I actually spent a lot of time exchanging and waiting for repair for the Dior and Bally. Now I realized that I was just very lucky with my first 2 premium designer bags, or the quality of bags are indeed declining over these years.
I think my handbag collection is pretty much complete as of now, but if I plan to buy new bags again, I would much prefer shopping in person - at least I will notice the 'functional' defects right away.