What have you learned through your handbag addiction?

[ladysarah]

I've learned
2: That I want to make an efford to buy from companies that are responsible when it comes to human rights / animal welfare / the invironment. (This is a difficult one!!)
!

I like your thinking....as much as I like fendi bags I cannot bring myself to buy from a company that has a fixation with using real fur on everything, including those ridiculously overpriced FENDi monsters,,,

 

[absolutanne]

I do not like unstructured bags
I do not like bags with hardware that smells (ex: brass or coated brass)
I will never buy tophandles even ones with shoulder straps.. seems like an after thought.
Neutrals work for utility: black, beige, deep dark brown and cognac.
Metallics and reds work for special occasions.

 

[pandorabox]

I've learned that there is a difference between being able to afford a bag and being comfortable with the price. I had a bag I could afford, paid in cash, and I was so obsessed with how much it cost I never carried it! Somehow I was intimidated by a purse. I cursed myself for spending all that money when I could have bought a lower-key bag that actually got used.
Don't buy for show, or a lifestyle I want to have. Buy for one I do have.
There is no "one perfect bag to end all bags". They will all be suitable in one way and annoying in others. And I will probably get bored with them in time.
Its just a bag. Its for fun. Sometimes its good to forget about the bag hunt and go do something else. Ultimately its just a fun accessory that also carries stuff.

You sort of stole my thought. Lol. Actually you worded my thoughts exactly. I guess that's why I have a love hate relationship with a certain higher level brand. I lust after it. Look at it. Sure looks pretty but once I have it I stress over over it and wonder why I bought it. Lol.

I have learned also the following

I don't like bags that are too structured or not structured at all. I need a happy medium because I like the bag to stand up by itself when put down.

I don't like zippers. They tend to scratch my hands and I am always in and out of my bag.

I don't carry a lot so I don't care for large bags. I prefer small and I also prefer a hand carry. Anything with a shoulder strap always ends up on my shoulder and at the end of the day my shoulder hurts and I wondered why I did that again. Lol.

I have also learned too many SLG is a bad thing with the current size of smart phones that I use I really don't need so many SLG.
(Mini pouchette, change purses...etc)

I have learned that as much as I love some higher end brands it just does not meet my needs. A lot of dough for so little to offer in a bag aside from name and price tag.

I try to buy more for the lifestyle I live and not the one I want.

I like satchels / totes and clutches.

I think really you need to have or should have one or two classic clutch pieces that will go for any occasion and you will be set.
I also prefer a classic timeless design. Trends are cute but usually too trendy for me.

I also do not own a black bag. I have colors and no black bags at all.

I have learned that I don't like dark colored interiors inside of bags, they turn into a black hole and I also don't like and black SLG either. I much prefer bright or colored ones so I can easily find what I need.

Basically I have learned a f*ton from TPF.

 

[KaseyHK]

i've learned that i've bought too many so fast. i need to learn to slow down.

 

[rose60610]

I've grown an appreciation for bags with a good company story behind them, like Chanel, Hermes, LV, Gucci, and others. I feel like I'm wearing history when I carry them. Bags that I hadn't cared for in the past I now like and vice versa.

 

[Pimpernel]

I've grown an appreciation for bags with a good company story behind them, like Chanel, Hermes, LV, Gucci, and others. I feel like I'm wearing history when I carry them. Bags that I hadn't cared for in the past I now like and vice versa.

That´s quite interesting... over at the "Designer Brands You´ll Never Buy" thread (within this subforum) several posters state they boycott Chanel, Hugo Boss and/or LV for their really not so "good company history", i.e. being Nazi collaborators, exploiting Jew forced labourers and even being Hitler´s tailor. Not to speak of the modern plague of sweatshop production + slap on the luxury brand in Italy, France or the USA just so the label can read "made in Italy/France/USA".

I guess with every fashion brand (unless it´s some obscure local fair trade ecological cooperative producer) there always comes a point where every person has to compromise, morally or financially.

 

[mrsn03]

Wise woman😉 well said! You made me reconsider my addiction on high end bags. I own 5 michael kors bags.
Hamiltons and selmas one Cynthia but was saving for a Louis vuitton bag. I own my home and make payments on a nice luxury car but that's only by Gods will. I don't have a lot and need to make small repairs on home and improve my homes interior and here I am obsessing on the next "IT" bag no one around me has.
Thank you for the wise words! It's ok having nice quality things but not going over your means (financial position ).

 

[Jereni]

This thread has been so interesting and educational to read! Many posts made me smile.

For me:
2. If you're wondering if you like it or not then you don't like it

4. White is beautiful... but too difficult to take care of

LOL at #2... So true. And #4 - this is my plague. I have not yet successfully escaped the lure of the white handbag.

Plus when your essentials are organized you can rotate your purses more easily!

So much this. For me the key to having multiple handbags is rotating them and pairing them to outfits - so I HAVE to be organized.

Good things happen, when I carry a red bag
My coworkers just wonder, why I get the best hotel room, champagne on the plane, when its hardly left up in running. I never reveal, that it
is the red, that causes these things, correct me, if I am wrong

Omg so funny, I die.


I'm relatively newer to the designer handbag addiction, though I have loved handbags all my life. What I've learned so far:

- Quality over quantity for sure

- It's ok to build a decent collection of staples, which is all I plan to do

- That half the fun is searching. Often I find something, bookmark it, and just sit and sit on it. Most of the time, I later find something else, stop looking at it, and delete it from my bookmarks. I'm saving myself from a lot of buying mistakes this way.

- That it IS possible to find 'the one that got away' on eBay!

- That I prefer satchels (as long as they have a strap option), cross bodies, and shoulder bags with a long strap. Shoulder bags that bulk up and sit under my arm are not for me.

- That I won't buy a bag, even online, without touching it and trying it on in a store first. This has recently saved me from Prada, Phillip Lim, and Givenchy.

- That whatever it is, it will always look better in suede. You just have to fight the urge bc OMG maintenance.

 

[mtstmichel]

I've learned that there IS too much of a good thing.

I agree! The less that I have the more I appreciate it. The more that I have the less that I appreciate it. It's not about how much you have it's about appreciating the little that you have.

Besides, I enjoy the "chase" as much as actually acquiring the piece. So sometimes I hold out from buying a bag so I can lust for it a little longer.

 

[mtstmichel]

I also learned that even though I love structured classy bags, I'm a casual girl and find better use for soft slouchy casual bags that are easy to wear.

I found out that I am a weakling and can't stand heavy bags. I hate carrying heavy things and I hate carrying bags in my hands or the crook of arms. So now I consider the weight and the versatility of the bags more heavily than just the style of it.

 

[remainsilly]

I suppose the most important thing I've learned is more about myself. And about other viewpoints.

At the end of the day, my decisions are mine to live with--so, advice & info. are great but not law. Bags others find amazing may baffle me--which is fine, as my choices may baffle them.

I've learned that no bag changes who I am inside, but may change how others perceive me--which can be both helpful & annoying. But that isn't what's most important.

And, I've learned that fancy boutique ribbons cause a lot of excitement for housepets--which is fun, but not so fabulous once drool & mud coats them.

As with most of life, it's an adventure & a process. But, I'm happy with how it's going, so far.

Thanks, tpf.

 

[Fimpagebag]

What I've learned from my handbag addiction is (by process of sometimes painful elimination) what bags work for me and (whenever earthly possible) to buy bags IRL. Though online shopping has resulted in some amazing bags, there have been some epic fails.

 

[skyqueen]

What I've learned:
1. I get bored easily, no matter what the cost/prestige.
2. Cannot part with a handbag no mater how much I hate it...I have a closet full of bags to remind
me. I need a handbag exorcist!
3. In some cases, I love the hunt more then the actual bag.

 

[closedaccount.3837238]

- If I don't use a bag, I should sell said bag! Make more closet room and get some money back.

- If you take beautiful designer bags to work in an environment where other women do not buy or use designer bags, be prepared to be judged. I've been profiled as a snob with no life experience who cannot relate to "normal people" because I have lovely clothes and bags.

- Buy classics only! I can cycle them in my collection.

 

[Bags4beauty]

3. In some cases, i love the hunt more then the actual bag.

100% + 1!