What is your designer bag history/development?
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I inherited LV damier backpack in my sophomore year and by the time i graduated HS i was given a VTG Chanel flap i always wanted from my mum. That was the only thing i really loved and i wasn't obsessing over handbags at that point of my life(i was pretty nerdy)
I got a purple ostrich Birkin bag for my bday from ex at 20 but sold it after we broke up since i was living abroad and mostly so broke, besides i could not appreciate it then as i thought it looked like something that would belong to my grandma. It would have been one of the most amazing piece in my current collection if i kept it but designer bags weren't my priority then. I was mostly carrying again hand me down Herbag until i got done with school.
My interest in handbags was piqued when i started working with fashion industry back in 2004 and i started out with Chanel lambskin flap, Dior shoulder bag, 2 LV suhali pieces. From then whenever i traveled for work, i'd get 2-3 bags since i could get them tax free.. spent more $$ on bags than i was making
I really enjoyed collecting various Dior bags and Chanel in fun colors in my early 20s but when i reached mid 20s, my taste in bags turned towards to more understated elegance with lasting power such as Birkin and Kelly. It was time to let go of my beloved older bags and start a new family. I was able to acquire some beautiful exotic leather bags after i got married.. (many thanks to my DH) But as someone said, a woman can never have enough purses and shoes! I'm always trying to downsize my handbag collection just to make room for more
I got a purple ostrich Birkin bag for my bday from ex at 20 but sold it after we broke up since i was living abroad and mostly so broke, besides i could not appreciate it then as i thought it looked like something that would belong to my grandma. It would have been one of the most amazing piece in my current collection if i kept it but designer bags weren't my priority then. I was mostly carrying again hand me down Herbag until i got done with school.
My interest in handbags was piqued when i started working with fashion industry back in 2004 and i started out with Chanel lambskin flap, Dior shoulder bag, 2 LV suhali pieces. From then whenever i traveled for work, i'd get 2-3 bags since i could get them tax free.. spent more $$ on bags than i was making
I really enjoyed collecting various Dior bags and Chanel in fun colors in my early 20s but when i reached mid 20s, my taste in bags turned towards to more understated elegance with lasting power such as Birkin and Kelly. It was time to let go of my beloved older bags and start a new family. I was able to acquire some beautiful exotic leather bags after i got married.. (many thanks to my DH) But as someone said, a woman can never have enough purses and shoes! I'm always trying to downsize my handbag collection just to make room for more
I think I'm the oddball here! I went back to cheap bags! 
I started out with backpacks in school when I was a teen. In the early 90's 4You was trendy, later Eastpack became popular and these were pricey back then!
Then I moved on to fabric Satchels. I did not own real handbags until I was in my early 20's. I started out with no name bags from the PX (military). I started liking taking a bag to work that is big enough to fit my note pad etc. I added a few H&M bags and other no name bags. I was never really happy with my collection and I did not know why.
When I moved to New York I had a revelation. I was spending lunch break at Bryant Park and on the way back I saw this girl, who was dressed very simple and clean, in just a white tee and a nice pair of jeans, and she carried a beautful, tan leather bag that instantly upgraded her whole look! I was in awe.
I was working near Fossil by 5th Avenue and started lookin for a similar bag and ended up with the 54satchel, which cost me $250. A lot for me at the time! I got it with my first salary and was very proud.
During the time I also changed the way I dressed, and became more fashion forward and my looks became more grown up. I got two more Fossil bags off of ebay. I was officially hooked on Fossil.
During a finacial crisis I did not get any new bags, until 2011 when we moved to Germany and things got better. I kept buying Fossil, but I also found another great brand that is affordable, and their bags compare to Fossil quality! 5th Avenue, by Halle Berry! Not all designs are my taste, but once in a while she comes up with something quite beautiful! I have three 5th Avenue bags.
Just recently I got interested in other brands. I picked up fashion blogging again, and learned about designer bag brands.
That is also how I came across Rebecca Minkoff. So my recent purchase was a RM bag and I am planning to purchase more of her bags or look into other designer brands too.
But, I also came back to the very affordable handbags of H&M, Zara, Mango etc. It seems like the past ten years the quality and designs have improved. So I got a few of these bags and they give me variety that I was lacking before.
Especially when it comes to the fashion blogging. I bought a small yellow bag, to go with a few dresses i love that have yellow tones.
And I purchased a jean blue bag from Zara that is perfect with light blue jean fabric.
These bags are also perfect for bad weather and anything that involves outdoor activities.
I will stay with the lower priced designer bags and no name brands for now.
I started out with backpacks in school when I was a teen. In the early 90's 4You was trendy, later Eastpack became popular and these were pricey back then!
Then I moved on to fabric Satchels. I did not own real handbags until I was in my early 20's. I started out with no name bags from the PX (military). I started liking taking a bag to work that is big enough to fit my note pad etc. I added a few H&M bags and other no name bags. I was never really happy with my collection and I did not know why.
When I moved to New York I had a revelation. I was spending lunch break at Bryant Park and on the way back I saw this girl, who was dressed very simple and clean, in just a white tee and a nice pair of jeans, and she carried a beautful, tan leather bag that instantly upgraded her whole look! I was in awe.
I was working near Fossil by 5th Avenue and started lookin for a similar bag and ended up with the 54satchel, which cost me $250. A lot for me at the time! I got it with my first salary and was very proud.
During the time I also changed the way I dressed, and became more fashion forward and my looks became more grown up. I got two more Fossil bags off of ebay. I was officially hooked on Fossil.
During a finacial crisis I did not get any new bags, until 2011 when we moved to Germany and things got better. I kept buying Fossil, but I also found another great brand that is affordable, and their bags compare to Fossil quality! 5th Avenue, by Halle Berry! Not all designs are my taste, but once in a while she comes up with something quite beautiful! I have three 5th Avenue bags.
Just recently I got interested in other brands. I picked up fashion blogging again, and learned about designer bag brands.
That is also how I came across Rebecca Minkoff. So my recent purchase was a RM bag and I am planning to purchase more of her bags or look into other designer brands too.
But, I also came back to the very affordable handbags of H&M, Zara, Mango etc. It seems like the past ten years the quality and designs have improved. So I got a few of these bags and they give me variety that I was lacking before.
Especially when it comes to the fashion blogging. I bought a small yellow bag, to go with a few dresses i love that have yellow tones.
And I purchased a jean blue bag from Zara that is perfect with light blue jean fabric.
These bags are also perfect for bad weather and anything that involves outdoor activities.
I will stay with the lower priced designer bags and no name brands for now.
Mine started a few years ago, but then it died down. I was never able to afford designer bags until this year when I got a full time job and could afford it. My collection is small because I don't like to purchase a lot of bags one after the other. I believe in having many different bags so that i dont have all the same bags, and i dont really plan on selling them. Currently I have four, with one more on the way, and planning to buy more before the year's end.
So much has changed in the last year and a half. My bag collection has grown to 15. I went from Alexander Wang, to Marc by Marc Jacobs, to 3.1 Phillip Lim. Now it's the luxury designers like Givenchy, Valentino, and Proenza Schouler. The older I get, the more money I have and then the more money I have to spend on more expensive bags.
It's funny thinking back to high school, when I thought I hated having to carry a handbag - I spent a good part of that time carrying everything in my pockets. Then I got some wristlets and small crossbodies, which I loved; they felt like a good compromise to a "real" handbag, or at least was enough to appease my mother for the time being, lol.
Cut to college, and I get a Coach bag from my mom. I wasn't sure about it, as I didn't have an interest in nicer bags, but figured since it was still a crossbody I could give it a try. I ended up loving and using that bag all the time, but still didn't have much interest in shopping for bags myself.
A year or two later when I was visiting my family, I mentioned to my mom that I'd like a larger leather bag (I had finally figured out that sometimes I want to carry more than my wallet and phone, and noticed I actually liked some of the leather bags I saw on people). So we went back to the Coach store and I picked something out. Apparently something clicked that day, since I thought I'd be happy for at least another couple years with that bag, but instead I started spending more and more time looking for what I wanted to get next. So that's the incident that I blame for my addiction.
Now, maybe two years later, I've amassed a fair amount of Coach. I found RM around the same time, so there's a small collection of those too. Lately I've been looking at Alexander Wang, Philip Lim, and Balenciaga; definitely going to get some bags from the former two, and waiting to find some Bals at a good price. I'm most comfortable with Coach and RM, still buying Coach, but there isn't too much else I want from RM. I'm cautious about raising my price ceiling for the other bags I'm looking at, but I've decided it's inevitable and I'll just be buying less bags (
) for the foreseeable future.
TL;DR: "Handbags are stupid" > no name > Coach, RM > AW, Bal, ???
Cut to college, and I get a Coach bag from my mom. I wasn't sure about it, as I didn't have an interest in nicer bags, but figured since it was still a crossbody I could give it a try. I ended up loving and using that bag all the time, but still didn't have much interest in shopping for bags myself.
A year or two later when I was visiting my family, I mentioned to my mom that I'd like a larger leather bag (I had finally figured out that sometimes I want to carry more than my wallet and phone, and noticed I actually liked some of the leather bags I saw on people). So we went back to the Coach store and I picked something out. Apparently something clicked that day, since I thought I'd be happy for at least another couple years with that bag, but instead I started spending more and more time looking for what I wanted to get next. So that's the incident that I blame for my addiction.
Now, maybe two years later, I've amassed a fair amount of Coach. I found RM around the same time, so there's a small collection of those too. Lately I've been looking at Alexander Wang, Philip Lim, and Balenciaga; definitely going to get some bags from the former two, and waiting to find some Bals at a good price. I'm most comfortable with Coach and RM, still buying Coach, but there isn't too much else I want from RM. I'm cautious about raising my price ceiling for the other bags I'm looking at, but I've decided it's inevitable and I'll just be buying less bags (
) for the foreseeable future.TL;DR: "Handbags are stupid"
> no name > Coach, RM > AW, Bal, ???
I love love love reading everyone's stories!! My bag addiction started only three years ago. Well, my designer bag addiction. As a teen I always had guess xoxo, target bags! Then, I fell in love with a coach hamptons bag and it was the first name brand bag I ever got, gifted to me by my boyfriend. Then another coach. Then a co worker of mine got a LV speedy for Christmas and I fell in love, and obsession. LV delightful, then two months later neverfull, then speedy two more speedy Bs and my noe. In between I've purchased a ton of coach leather bags which are Devine. Then I started an obsession with dooney and bourke leather. I think they're so underrated their quality is outstanding. And now hopefully soon I will be getting a gucci soho tote. Then I am on ban island for a long long time!
I have stuck to my "one bag per year" rule (for expensive bags.. Have bought a few cheap ones here and there) since the beginning of my bag days! Here's my brand history
2002-2007: couch, my gateway into the world of bags!
2008: Marc by Marc Jacobs
2009: Burberry
2010: longchamp
2011: Louis Vuitton
2012: bottega veneta
2013: balenciaga
2014: hermes
I am happy to say I still use each and every bag and have used them to death! I think it's the only thing that makes me feel justified to such expensive purchases
2002-2007: couch, my gateway into the world of bags!
2008: Marc by Marc Jacobs
2009: Burberry
2010: longchamp
2011: Louis Vuitton
2012: bottega veneta
2013: balenciaga
2014: hermes
I am happy to say I still use each and every bag and have used them to death! I think it's the only thing that makes me feel justified to such expensive purchases
I have always loved handbags. Started with a $500 Coach in early 2000s.. Rebecca Minkoff.. Tory Burch.. Marc Jacob ... Gucci .. Longchamp ... and finally a Chanel WOC.
I've always wanted to own a Celine trio, Givenchy Antigona and a Balenciaga city. One day....
Once you start buying the more expensive hang bag, you never go back!
I've always wanted to own a Celine trio, Givenchy Antigona and a Balenciaga city. One day....
Once you start buying the more expensive hang bag, you never go back!
When it comes to price point there isn't much reason to my handbag purchases... I'm sort of 50/50 lately with designer and contemporary. I like to have a few cheaper bags that I don't have to be too careful with, worry about when traveling, etc. I normally only keep my contemporary bags for 1-2 seasons before selling, designer bags I'm more sentimental about.
2004-2006 - 3 Louis Vuitton bags, 1 Coach
2007-2011 - break from buying bags to pay for school, etc.
2012 - Milly mini crossbody bag, Proenza PS1 Chain Wallet
2013 - Chanel seasonal flap, Rebecca Minkoff wallet on chain, Kate Spade novelty clutch
2014 - J Crew mini Tartine, Tod's D tote... plus probably one more purchase this year. Now in my late 20's I'm craving more understated designs like Mulberry, Givenchy, 3.1.
2004-2006 - 3 Louis Vuitton bags, 1 Coach
2007-2011 - break from buying bags to pay for school, etc.
2012 - Milly mini crossbody bag, Proenza PS1 Chain Wallet
2013 - Chanel seasonal flap, Rebecca Minkoff wallet on chain, Kate Spade novelty clutch
2014 - J Crew mini Tartine, Tod's D tote... plus probably one more purchase this year. Now in my late 20's I'm craving more understated designs like Mulberry, Givenchy, 3.1.
Early undergrad years, I started my bag collection with Fendi. It was really the only designer I was aware of! Took a long break from buying any bags during grad years and then restarted with LAMB and got a few Coach bags. These past 5 years have been Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Burberry but mostly Gucci.
I've enjoyed reading all of the different responses...good topic!!!
It started for me with Coach. I probably had about 20 Coach bags by the time I really developed an appreciation for the premier designer handbags.
I slowly started to sell off all of my Coach bags to fund other purchases. I ended up hoarding a ton of Balenciaga bags before I realized that I wanted a balanced, much smaller collection.
I am currently editing my collection. I still have more Balenciaga bags than anything else, but I've also got a decent amount of variety with other brands, such as Chanel, LV, and Givenchy.
It started for me with Coach. I probably had about 20 Coach bags by the time I really developed an appreciation for the premier designer handbags.
I slowly started to sell off all of my Coach bags to fund other purchases. I ended up hoarding a ton of Balenciaga bags before I realized that I wanted a balanced, much smaller collection.
I am currently editing my collection. I still have more Balenciaga bags than anything else, but I've also got a decent amount of variety with other brands, such as Chanel, LV, and Givenchy.