Share Your Edited Bag Closet Journey......

[Bag peace]

@diane278 I would never have thought a clutch could be dressed down this way, so thanks for the eye-opening perspective.
You have a natural sense of style, thus being able to take what is deemed formal and effortlessly making it something that fits in so well with casual clothing! Not many people could do that. Effortlessly stylish.

 

[diane278]

@diane278 I would never have thought a clutch could be dressed down this way, so thanks for the eye-opening perspective.
You have a natural sense of style, thus being able to take what is deemed formal and effortlessly making it something that fits in so well with casual clothing! Not many people could do that. Effortlessly stylish.

Thank you. I’m hoping to increase the membership of The Bag Closet Clutch Gang.

 

[poulinska]

Here's the secret: the next one will always be better. The entire market is designed to make us constantly consume. There's more variety than ever before and companies roll out so many options each season that it becomes stifling.
You don't need to own the best one, or the perfect one, you just need to own the one that works for you at a price point that won't make you cringe. [...]
With that in mind, grab the piece that you love in the moment. Use it to the fullest, enjoy it. Should another, better bag come along, know that you can admire it from afar and it's okay that you don't own it.
I have a feeling you won't be lusting after the next bag and the next, because once you commit to a purchase it will be the right one for you at that phase of life.

Tangentially, I'd like to link this thread here:
https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/yippee-my-first-hermes-my-journey.981006/
I adore this approach. I believe this TPF member has only 1 H bag (this may have changed since). But the love, care and fun she has with it is, in my mind, the epitome of how one bag can be the perfect number, or the ultimate edited bag closet.

Thank you @jblended - you really nailed it. The Hermes-Thread is wonderful, it shows how the research can be fun.
About the price point: After my LC and my MCM I thought these would be the most expensive bags I'd ever buy but this year I thought I needed something pricier. But you are right: it doesn't have to be the premium designer, especially if it doesn't fit my lifestyle. That said I've been looking at a LC quilted Amazone for about a year now. Maybe I should just go for it. So thank you again for encouraging me

 

[Diva_k3000]

I know clutches aren’t for everyone on a regular basis, and I also carry a bag I can sling over my shoulder when I feel the urge, but I wear my clutches very casually, too. I decided to post a couple of old photos (most are from the BV forum ‘what are you carrying today?’) showing how casual I think clutches can be. Again, I know not everyone wants to carry something small that needs to be held, but I want to suggest that they aren’t always dressy. I rarely dress up for anything.

One of my mantras is “no ironing”.....
View attachment 4596583
Come on.....gotta love a clutch worn with jeans & hiking boots, right? It was a rainy day....perfect for breaking in boots...
View attachment 4596584
Thoroughly wrinkled linen. This is about as dressed up as I get in the summer: I added a pendant necklace...
View attachment 4596582

@diane278 I would never have thought a clutch could be dressed down this way, so thanks for the eye-opening perspective.
You have a natural sense of style, thus being able to take what is deemed formal and effortlessly making it something that fits in so well with casual clothing! Not many people could do that. Effortlessly stylish.

I love a casual day clutch! I have a black Mansur Gavriel mini moon clutch and a Koch Leather clutch in brown. I love that the MG can be dressed up or down. ❤️❤️❤️

 

[More bags]

My pleasure! Having spent a number of years here, the tpf has provided me with tons of information and enabling of Olympic proportions...not to mention comrades in arms! Last night I tackled the section of my closet I use for bag storage. I made some progress but I know there’s going to be more eliminations coming.
My closet is outfitted with a 20 year old California Closets system so there’s limited options when it comes to rearranging the sections. (I put a glass framed watercolor in the closet and failed to consider the reflection of the lighting but am too lazy to take a new photo. I also left the dumping shelf on the bottom right so I wouldn’t cut off the shelf on the right.)
View attachment 4594049
Here’s a closeup of the slide-on dividers I found on Amazon last week that really got me to my current finish line. Because I have mostly clutches, it’s a challenge to keep them upright, which is my preferred placement, especially with my limited shelf room. View attachment 4594086
So....I’m currently at 15. I haven’t made a list, but my next step is to take photos of my bags to carry on my phone as a reminder that I have more than enough right now.
There’s always the possibility I’ll add something new, but if I do, I’ll remove something else....at least that’s my plan. Thanks @Rami00 for the inspiration. And I love having this group to return to for support. As a matter-of-fact, I think I’ll be removing one more in the very near future....I’m looking at you, small mist clutch. You deserve more love.

I know clutches aren’t for everyone on a regular basis, and I also carry a bag I can sling over my shoulder when I feel the urge, but I wear my clutches very casually, too. I decided to post a couple of old photos (most are from the BV forum ‘what are you carrying today?’) showing how casual I think clutches can be. Again, I know not everyone wants to carry something small that needs to be held, but I want to suggest that they aren’t always dressy. I rarely dress up for anything.

One of my mantras is “no ironing”.....
View attachment 4596583
Come on.....gotta love a clutch worn with jeans & hiking boots, right? It was a rainy day....perfect for breaking in boots...
View attachment 4596584
Thoroughly wrinkled linen. This is about as dressed up as I get in the summer: I added a pendant necklace...
View attachment 4596582

Diane, thanks for sharing the evolution of your closet, your pics take my breath away both from the curation process you’re undertaking and from the gorgeous, organized aesthetic - well done, great conversations. I admire how you make clutches work in your daily, casual wardrobe - great style, so inspiring!

 

[diane278]

If I couldn’t wear m

I love a casual day clutch! I have a black Mansur Gavriel mini moon clutch and a Koch Leather clutch in brown. I love that the MG can be dressed up or down. ❤️❤️❤️

View attachment 4597737 View attachment 4597738

If I couldn’t wear my clutches with my jeans, they’d never be worn at all! I love the way you wear yours.

 

[diane278]

Diane, thanks for sharing the evolution of your closet, your pics take my breath away both from the curation process you’re undertaking and from the gorgeous, organized aesthetic - well done, great conversations. I admire how you make clutches work in your daily, casual wardrobe - great style, so inspiring!

Thank you! I decided to put it all out here as a way to keep myself accountable. I still have a lot of work to do. Just prior to signing onto this thread, I was cruising around online checking out new fall bags.

 

[whateve]

Maybe this would be a new job - so I could afford more bags?
I guess it is kind of a FOMO. Whenever I try to buy a bag I think: oooh - this would be the last bag for a long time so it has to be perfect and what if an even nicer bag comes along?! What doesn't make it easier is that I bought a bag from a small shop at camden market (house of martin if anyone knows it). This bag was so perfect in size and everything that I am still searching for a similar option but dressier. This is my shopping anxiety

I have a similar shopping anxiety, especially when the bags are very expensive. The problem is that I've started to treat bags that are relatively cheap as no big deal. A few months ago I bought a bag for almost $400 without much thinking about it; I just handed over my credit card. Most of my bags were bought second hand so none were extremely expensive. That's why I have a relatively large collection. When something is a bargain, I don't give it much thought. If I were to buy something very expensive, I would feel too much obligation to get my money's worth out of it. It might become a chore to carry it. I would also worry too much about damaging it.

When I look for something specific while shopping and I finally find it, it is hard to stop looking. Like now, I'm looking for a bright pink bag. If I find one that is perfect, what if right after I buy it, I find one that is even more perfect?

 

[whateve]

My pleasure! Having spent a number of years here, the tpf has provided me with tons of information and enabling of Olympic proportions...not to mention comrades in arms! Last night I tackled the section of my closet I use for bag storage. I made some progress but I know there’s going to be more eliminations coming.
My closet is outfitted with a 20 year old California Closets system so there’s limited options when it comes to rearranging the sections. (I put a glass framed watercolor in the closet and failed to consider the reflection of the lighting but am too lazy to take a new photo. I also left the dumping shelf on the bottom right so I wouldn’t cut off the shelf on the right.)
View attachment 4594049
Here’s a closeup of the slide-on dividers I found on Amazon last week that really got me to my current finish line. Because I have mostly clutches, it’s a challenge to keep them upright, which is my preferred placement, especially with my limited shelf room. View attachment 4594086
So....I’m currently at 15. I haven’t made a list, but my next step is to take photos of my bags to carry on my phone as a reminder that I have more than enough right now.
There’s always the possibility I’ll add something new, but if I do, I’ll remove something else....at least that’s my plan. Thanks @Rami00 for the inspiration. And I love having this group to return to for support. As a matter-of-fact, I think I’ll be removing one more in the very near future....I’m looking at you, small mist clutch. You deserve more love.

Do you have a link for these dividers? They look like they might be helpful on my purse shelves.

 

[diane278]

These are the ones I bought. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BK3KQ3X?aaxitk=meoZQLxdt1V-JQaLvNiszA&pd_rd_i=B07BK3KQ3X&pf_rd_p=44fc3e0f-4b9e-4ed8-b33b-363a7257163d&hsa_cr_id=5202434060501&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61nWijAfUrL.jpg&sb-ci-a=B07BK3KQ3X
I bought two of the largest sets (8 in each set) but they sell smaller sets, too. They’ve been a game changer for me. Before, my bags were falling over and the shelves looked messy. Now I can pull them in and out without messing up the other bags on the shelf....

 

[CoastalCouture]

This thread is inspirational. I recently did a pretty thorough trimming of my collection. Now I feel ready to let go of a few more.

Diane, I love your closet photo. Uncluttered and clean. My closet is less so.

 

[whateve]

These are the ones I bought. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BK3KQ3X?aaxitk=meoZQLxdt1V-JQaLvNiszA&pd_rd_i=B07BK3KQ3X&pf_rd_p=44fc3e0f-4b9e-4ed8-b33b-363a7257163d&hsa_cr_id=5202434060501&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61nWijAfUrL.jpg&sb-ci-a=B07BK3KQ3X
I bought two of the largest sets (8 in each set) but they sell smaller sets, too. They’ve been a game changer for me. Before, my bags were falling over and the shelves looked messy. Now I can pull them in and out without messing up the other bags on the shelf....

Thank you!

 

[pursegirl3]

Reading this thread has inspired me to take the plunge . I sent 3 Bottega Venetas I never used along with a Black petite Epi Noe that I realize I am not a Drawstring girl which is why I rarely used it out to Ann's . I consigned a Dooney and Bourke locally again just sat on shelf. 5 bags in 24 hrs. Want to be going into 2020 with more what I love and less I never use . Feel lighter all ready !!

 

[V0N1B2]

I must say that there is no such thing as the perfect bag. Holding off because the next one might be better will only prevent you from enjoying anything at all.

YES!

Here's the secret: the next one will always be better. The entire market is designed to make us constantly consume. There's more variety than ever before and companies roll out so many options each season that it becomes stifling.

YES!

You don't need to own the best one, or the perfect one, you just need to own the one that works for you at a price point that won't make you cringe.

YES!

Should another, better bag come along, know that you can admire it from afar and it's okay that you don't own it.

Yes!
Sweet Baby Jesus carrying a fringe bag at Coachella!

 

[Bag peace]

YES!

YES!

YES!

Yes!
Sweet Baby Jesus carrying a fringe bag at Coachella!