Tim Gunn Advises Saying "No" to the "It" Bag

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

I shop there for home, kids clothing, toys etc., and always giggle at Target handbags, because I see so much mimicking of current designer styles. My girls and I always have fun trying them on!


entheos:

I buy mostly Coach but do occasionally purchase a bag at Target just to knock around. Usually when we have a heavy rain (we've gotten alot of rain this year in NYC)
I am wearing a Target Bag, usually an Isaac Mizrahi. I don't worry about them wet/damaged in a heavy downpour. BTW, Target is going to have a new Handbag Designer -Devi Kroell debuting her faux snakeskin bags. She makes really cool high end snakeskin bags and this is a line made just for Target. I know that I will purchase at least two bags in July from this line. I am purchasing the Ergo Tote again in the Turquoise color for the PCE though. I will wait until the Fall to get a new Legacy Bag though, probably something in the bottle green Color.


Liz
 
Thank you TejasMama for posting such a wonderful article.

Remember that rediculous PVC bag by Coach (and CHanel) that everyone just despise? I bet you can get something similar at the Target. LOL High fashion isn't necessarily the best. What suits your personal style will, indeed, be the best.
 
Thank you TejasMama for posting such a wonderful article.

Remember that rediculous PVC bag by Coach (and CHanel) that everyone just despise? I bet you can get something similar at the Target. LOL High fashion isn't necessarily the best. What suits your personal style will, indeed, be the best.

That PVC bag from Coach almost made me feel like one of the designers said, "Let's see if we can get some crazy ladies to fork over 5 big ones for a plastic bag! Insert evil laugh here!" :nuts:

I just loved this article because it helped remind me how easy it is to get caught up in the 'next new thing' and to buy based upon my own personal preferences. I think doing that also cuts down on how many returns we make!:yes:
 
I was totally just thinking about him saying the exact same thing in his book while I was reading the "Blinded by the Plastic" thread.. I know there are more than a few bags at Target I would rock. And as much as I love the styles (and the price tag), I feel like I would be cheating on my Coach purses - I spent so much money on them only to use a 24.99 bag from Target to be my workhorse because I don't have to be extra careful.. am I the only one that feels this way?

I'm not dissing Target bags at all - quite the opposite.. I love their designer inspired styles and at those prices, I would be able to afford to be a little more out there and trendy than I would normally with an expensive bag...
 
Not to get up on my "high horse" or anything, but I think that in the beginning I was this victim, but now I buy smarter!!!

I LOVE Target bags, and just a couple months ago I had one in my hand, and put it down! Why?? Not because I felt I'd be cheating on Coach, or because it wasen't Coach..but for an obviously SUMMER ONLY faux patent bag I thought that over $30 + tax in the CLEARANCE ISLE was too much!!!

I don't really have any "out there" bags that will only be good for a season. I know people say my tattoo tote won't be good, it's my only cross to bear BUT it's MY STYLE, so how can it go out of style for me??? Keep in mind I live in the midwest, I don't have to do alot to look on trend when I go out. I just feel like the seasoned, educated Coach buyer is not THAT guilty of this!!!

I think it was a GREAT read, and I've gotta read his book. Just had to defend us Coachies a little!!!

Here's my list of bags that I currently own, and I'm very happy with where I'm at. I think they are ALL workhorses.

~Bonnie leather satchel black/black with silver hardware
~Teal Lindsay brass hardware
~Black leather medium Ergo Tote (legacy lining) YUM!!
~All black Hamptons patchwork satchel (carried by hand or with extra shoulder strap)
~Zoe Lg. Berry patent (in this bag I may be a slight bit guilty, but needed to fill this color slot)
~Black canvas tattoo tote
~Light grey leather Julianne
~Sabrina Lg. black on black OpArt
~Heritage stripe tote Lg. khaki signature/gunmetal trim
~ Lg. Brown/bronze signature stripe tote

I think this is it. I have 2 signature bag (HS) and Signature stripe (which is tone on tone) and my OpArt Sabrina is tone on tone. I like the Coach bags that don't scream COACH!!! My heritage stripe was purchased JUST for rainy days and I got it for a fraction of retail at the outlet!!

So, this is why I think that my collection is NOT a collection of "IT" bags. Like I said, I think the Coachies are least guilty of this!!!
 
Sorry to bump this...

But it was a really NEAT article!

On a side note.... how many of the people who posted on this thread are still regular posters?


Hahaha, I'm glad this was a "purposeful" bump and not that you were just tired and accidentally responded to an old thread (which I have done a couple of times :shame:)

ITA that the article is great and still very relevant! Besides I LOVE Tim Gunn and with the new Project starting this week I think this is the perfect time to remember his spot-on fashion advice.

And good question re: the number of people who responded to this thread back in '07 who are still regular posters??? :thinkin:
 
Last edited:
I'm actually REALLY GLAD this got bumped. I went on Target's website just to have a look-see and found a couple bags I love, not one of them more then $40 bucks, most $30 and under. The bags I liked didn't upload, but here's a pair of shoes I MUST have!!!
 

Attachments

  • target014.jpg
    target014.jpg
    27.6 KB · Views: 344
I'm actually REALLY GLAD this got bumped. I went on Target's website just to have a look-see and found a couple bags I love, not one of them more then $40 bucks, most $30 and under. The bags I liked didn't upload, but here's a pair of shoes I MUST have!!!

Wowza, hot shoes! I have an extensive "collection" of Target shoes most that I bought on sale for less than 20 bucks...I say go for it! :tup:
I don't buy bags there anymore but I did for years and if you see something you like and will use, again go for it! Besides, you have Tim Gunn's blessing :p
 
Step away from the It bag, ma'am

Don't drop thousands of dollars on today's trend -- go for what fits your lifestyle, says 'Project Runway's' Tim Gunn.
By Booth Moore, Times Staff Writer
May 6, 2007

latimes.com/media/thumbnails/photogallery/2007-05/29502771.jpg latimes.com/images/icons/photoicon.gif Photo Gallery
Tim Gunn finds a bag that works


THE Birkin, the Paddington, the Speedy and the Spy. Anyone who picks up a magazine or catalog these days knows it's all about the It bag. With the advent of high-low chic and today's more casual approach to dressing, accessories — not clothes — are driving retail sales.

It's easy to get caught up in the frenzy — the steady diet of paparazzi photos of celebrities carrying the latest bag (gifted, of course), the waiting lists that begin mere minutes after a bag has been carried down a runway, the limited editions, the breathless purse blogs. (I admit, I look at them.)

My newest obsession is the Yves Saint Laurent Downtown tote, size medium, in black patent. It's $1,395, or $2,195 with cute flower cutouts on the sides. Jessica Biel's got It in white, Salma Hayek is using It to cover her pregnant belly, and one of the Olsen twins (I'm not sure which) has It in the straight-from-the-runway black-and-white check. I get butterflies just thinking about It.

But the reality is, very few people have the means (or celebrity cred) to have a new bag every season, especially when everyday styles cost $2,000 and up.

So, Tim Gunn, America's favorite fashion authority from Bravo's "Project Runway," has a radical suggestion: "Just say 'no' to the It bag." This nugget of fashion advice and others are outlined in his new book "A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style" (Abrams).

On a recent visit to L.A., I invited him to join me in the handbag department of Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, along with his co-author Kate Moloney. I challenged them to cure me of It, and teach me how to choose a work bag that will last longer than a high school crush.

"Am I becoming a victim?"

"Ask yourself," Gunn suggests. "And if the answer is even a remote nod to yes, then back away from the bag. Think about having things in your wardrobe that you will want to use season after season, instead of something you bring out every two to three years for a wedding."

It bags are dangerous

"I've had three people tell me in the last couple months that they've had a Birkin bag stolen," Gunn says. "And from very high-end places. Can you imagine being at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York and having your Birkin bag stolen by someone who is sitting at an equally tony table right next to you? It's horrifying. And there is a kind of social embarrassment to having an It bag. I would rather say, 'Gee, this is a $4,000 bag. Why don't I spend $600 instead and give the balance to charity?' "

A better buying policy

"Stay on the lower end for on-trend bags and invest in real pieces," Moloney says. "I like Mulberry because it isn't immediately recognizable. It's subtle, and I will have it forever."

She and Gunn suggest spending money on your "workhorse," the bag that will go to the office with you every day. Choose a color that works with whatever dominates your wardrobe, and make sure the strap is thick enough to distribute the weight of the bag.

As for those flavors-of-the-month — the patent tote, the nautical-inspired beach bag, the metallic clutch — head to Target.

Size matters

"What are you going to be carrying in your bag?" Moloney asks. "I see women carrying It bags and five shopping bags and a gym bag. Think about something that can accommodate your needs. On the other hand, the larger the bag, the more we stuff in it, so there's a balance."

Bigger isn't always better

"Make sure you're buying a handbag, not a weekend tote," Gunn says, throwing the $1,395 denim Chanel hobo over his shoulder like a potato sack. "Proportion is important. You need to think about the relationship of the bag to you."

If you are 5 feet tall, a big bag will overwhelm you. But just because you're tall doesn't mean you can pass off a piece of luggage as a purse. There's a fine line between spring's trend for supersized bags and a small carry-on.

When in doubt, Gunn says, size down.

Page 2...
Pay attention to structure ...

"You don't want to look like you are carrying an amoeba," Gunn says. "Hobos are nice for a casual look, but frame bags are great for work." Bags with frames and feet have a more tailored, professional appearance.

... And what you have to hide

"How and why and who?" Gunn scowls at an $895 see-through plastic Oscar de la Renta tote.

Runway isn't reality

"It looks like Cousin Itt," Gunn says of the $2,195 brown, allover fringe bag from the spring Prada runway show. "Or a Chia bag. You just keep watering it"

Don't forget the back shelf

"I like what she's doing with this," Moloney says, picking up a camel-colored Prada nylon frame bag with leather trim. "She's giving her signature nylon a new flavor."

"The nylon makes it lighter, more durable and stylish," Gunn adds. "I like this."

Goes over the shoulder, has room for a notebook — even an ID tag so I don't lose my $1,260 investment. Could this be It for me?


[email protected]
 
Thank you for the article. I do not seach these out enough.. This is truely right IT bags are great but normally you regret it....

That Oscar DeLa Renta Plastic Purse is a total NOT IT..
 
Top