True, its not hard to buy an expenisive bag, its harder to find a bag which you fall in love more and more with time.
Tim Gunn Advises Saying "No" to the "It" Bag
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True, its not hard to buy an expenisive bag, its harder to find a bag which you fall in love more and more with time.
I agree with Tim Gunn!
I refuse to pay more than $400 maybe $500 for a bag.
And I still haven't run out of wonderful, good quality bags to lust after.
I refuse to pay more than $400 maybe $500 for a bag.
And I still haven't run out of wonderful, good quality bags to lust after.
Good point! I fall in love with bags all the time, but the question of whether that love will last is much tougher. Two examples: after seeing dozens of pictures of celebs carrying the Celine Trapeze, I was in love, or at least, in lust. Thought about the bag constantly for about a week, until I walked into Barney's, picked one up, and felt the weight of it nearly pull my arm out of its socket! Lust ended quickly on that one!
My second example is the opposite: when the Balenciaga moto bag first came out, I couldn't afford one, but the cool-ness factor never left me. Years went by and the bag went from "It" bag to a quasi classic. I'd look at them from time to time and still think they were cool, but for a while, there was always some other bag I wanted to get more. Finally got a Bal City a couple of months ago, and I know I will love this bag for a long time! The style, the shape, the feel of the leather, and the fact that it somehow works with my everyday life is why I'll continue loving it, although it all started years ago with a picture of Courteney Cox carrying the original Bal when it first came out!
Most bags fall somewhere in the middle, though. I've learned to try to take a step back when I first see a bag and think LOVE!!! Most of the time, that feeling will fade if I give it a few days or weeks.
I think Tim gunn is very wise and I agree with him on most things, and I get what he's saying here -- you don't have to spend a ton to get a quality bag nor do you have to have the latest styles to be stylish. However, as far as I'm concerned no man really gets handbags. They are something that strictly women understand completely in the way that we appreciate and relate to them. Bags for men is very different than for women. I'm not trying to be sexist or offensive because I know very many men who own luxe handbags and who work with them, but I think it's from a different perspective.
I know of at least one exception to your rule, and I laughed my azz off when I read his confession of his addiction to bags. Eric Weiner is the author of "The Geography of Bliss" and his wife wishes he would look at porn on the internet like a normal guy. Instead, he looks at bags, and he counts a total of 64 in his current collection. OK, they're camera bags, briefcases, tote bags, etc., not handbags, but still!
Here's a link to the applicable excerpt from his book:
http://tinyurl.com/bkrr24z
Here's a link to the applicable excerpt from his book:
http://tinyurl.com/bkrr24z
Me too, I fall in love with bags and shoes often, but after a while, I know I'm not going to use it, which for me is the problem with spending large sums on bags. I my use it again from time to time, but I know that there is another new bag out there that I'm going to want.
Great article! So happy it's still available to read years later. I made an official lifetime fashion Wishlist to keep myself on track, saving/spending-big only on timeless iconic (Grace Kelly inspired) items or practical functional items or items I have coveted for years. Only about 15 things on it, one was a black Mulberry Bayswater bag! So tickled & reaffirmed to see the brand mentioned in the article:
""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." "
... Exactly why I loved the black Bayswater! Sometimes once you get an uber-chic bag on your arm (i.e. Hermes Birkin) you'll find yourself feeling a tad awkward in certain situations, of course it's totally on my Wishlist for my 40th bday in 11 years. Now that I have the Bays, I'll be stashing cash & hunting for a black 2005 Chanel 50th Anniversary 2.55 Reissue, next on the list - classic, not in-your-face branding.
""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." "
... Exactly why I loved the black Bayswater! Sometimes once you get an uber-chic bag on your arm (i.e. Hermes Birkin) you'll find yourself feeling a tad awkward in certain situations, of course it's totally on my Wishlist for my 40th bday in 11 years. Now that I have the Bays, I'll be stashing cash & hunting for a black 2005 Chanel 50th Anniversary 2.55 Reissue, next on the list - classic, not in-your-face branding.
I agree some and disagree some. I like big bags, because I commute a lot. I have restricted styles for work, because the place is rather conservative. So for work bags I really only need one or two if I rotate them. And definitely no IT bags or I will be judged severely. Basically black is best and suit my style. So I don't have many bags for work. I prefer to shop for bags that go with me on weekends and holidays, where I can carry colour and maybe studs and various styles.
I'm glad I found this thread re: Tim Gunn's article. It reinforces what I already came to realize on my own since buying my first premier designer bag - I'm perfectly happy carrying less expensive handbags! But still, I get fixated and love the hunt, love buying new bags. I went on quite the binge recently and every single handbag is still within range of a full refund but I don't think I can...what I can do is to simply stop pursuing any more. I have more than enough, full stop. I'm going to re-read Tim Gunn's article whenever I feel weak - and maybe, just maybe, he will even give me strength to return something this month.