Ask Megs

It is time for our latest installment of Ask Megs! It has been a little while since I featured a reader question and this one I could not pass up. Gentlemen and significant others, take note! This guy is as thoughtful as they come. Jeff is looking for a clutch for his girlfriend, who prefers muted colors (mainly black), and needs a respectable clutch that can transition from her daytime business job to night. Read his note below and my picks for the perfect clutch for his businesswoman girlfriend!

Hi,

I go on your site daily and love it!!. I love to read your reviews and have bought some of the bags you have recommended. I have a quick question. I am torn between two Louis Vuitton bags. I am interested in the Neverfull MM and the Speedy 35. I am going with the Damier version. I am looking long term and would be interested in your opinion.

I am more traditional than not and I am a stay at home mom. I did purchase a YSL muse bag over Christmas. I got the cranberry color. It really is beautiful. Also, I am 40 years old. I want it to be age appropriate.

Thanks so much,

Jenna E.

It has been a while since my last installment of Ask Megs. In fact, it has been 2 years. We get dozens of emails daily and many of them are questions about bags. Because I spend all day researching, looking at, and shopping for bags, I love to help anyone else out in their quest. This week I am spotlighting Jenna E., who is torn between purchasing the Louis Vuitton Damier Neverfull and the Louis Vuitton Damier Speedy.

I’m 23 yrs old and about a month ago started yearning for an exotic – (preferably crocodile, however python definitely caught my interest) so your recent post on the D’Angel bags had my attention. I’ve spoken to a few tpf-ers who purchased the bags in March, and was wondering if you had a chance to actually try on the bag and if you had any additional thoughts on it’s quality/workmanship. (We all know there’s no such thing as a free lunch!). I was specifically worried about the skin coming off on the handle where I would hold it in the crook of my arm and the tassle rope (from opening/closing).

As much as I’d love to buy an exotic, I know there were some concerns about “poor quality” and was wondering if you thought the bag would hold up to occasional wearing (perhaps day-long shopping trips twice a month) and still be usable 5 years from now. Note: I recently read the great thread on Parisian women’s fashion in the Chanel forum and it really made me emphasize more on quality and not quantity, which is why I’m trying to be so careful!

In addition, I was wondering if you had a color you would suggest. The Fall red didn’t seem as rich as the cranberry (I *loved* the cranberry and natural from spring/summer) and I was considering getting black as it’d be easiest to match and perhaps wouldn’t be as “flashy” as some of the other colors. However, I wonder if black python will end up just looking like python replica. As I mentioned, I’m quite new to exotics and would really appreciate your input on the black.

Thanks Megs!
Tiffany

Hi Megs,

Just read on your post for Mimi on $2k for a work and day bag. I hope you can give me an advice too .

I am about to give birth to our first child (a baby girl) and I am looking for a big, everyday bag that can serve as a diaper bag as well. I do not want an obvious or real diaper bag, instead I would like a chic, trendy bag that can be an everyday bag too. I would like it to be light and easy to carry. I do not have much budget for this one, something less than $1000 will be really great. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you so much.

Widi

Widi –

I think I can help you out! First of all, congratulations on the baby girl! You must be thrilled. You need to be a chic and stylish mom that still carries a bag that is practical. My focus for you will be a large bag, most likely a tote or messenger, that will have structure and pockets for you to store all the necessities that motherhood brings. Another main concern is that you will need as many hands as you can get with an infant, three would be preferable but we need that you have your two hands free. So the goal is to find a light-weight, large, pocket/storage friendly tote or messenger. This can be done! I will give you a list of viable options and we can go from there!

Prada Vitello Daino Tote | $1,095 via Saks
You will see me continue to suggest a messenger style, and this Prada bag is altogether simple but practical. There is a detachable adjustable crossbody strap, a large interior with a zip pocket, and an exterior front zip pocket.

Hi Megs,
So I’ve saved and can now treat myself to an ‘IT’ bag. Not enough for an exotic but enough for something around $2000. Given that this will have to be it until I get my next savings together, what would you recommend? I want it to be something that I can carry in jeans as well as in a suit to work. My wardrobe is mostly dark colors, OK black, it’s mostly black. And ideally, I’d like to be able to get at least a mobile, a magazine, a small water bottle, and a wallet in there. So what would be a good bag for me to invest in? Thanks!

Mimi,

It is great to hear that you have saved up and are ready to splurge. With $2,000 you can buy an amazing bag (or even two amazing bags!). Since you want this handbag to be roomy for work yet wearable with jeans during the day, I would opt for a tote. I find that even if you say you only want to put a few things into a work bag, you always end up wanting to carry more. This is why the best work bag option to me is a tote, a great carry-all bag. The beauty of a larger bag is that it can still be trendy and fashionable enough to wear during the day.

But I have a different suggestion for you, go for two bags! Who is to say you can not get an exotic with $2000? I am telling you right now, you can get a beyond amazing exotic handbag deal and a more “it” brand bag, all for right about $2,000. Let me tell you my picks!

Jennifer M asks:

Looking for bag…. I am just wondering if you know of anywhere I can still purchase the Marc Jacobs Hudson bag from? I know its old, but I LOVE it, and have been unsuccessful locating one. Or, if you know of a similar bag I might check out as an alternative?

Thanks!

One of the recent coveted Marc Jacobs bags was the Hudson. I covered the Marc Jacobs Hudson early on, and I adored it. I can see why you love this bag Jennifer! The bowler/top handle shape is easy to wear, roomy, and looks great on. The combination of the lighter colored leather stripes helped make this bag stand on its own. Problem is, everyone else fell in love and this bag has been sold out for a while. The Marc Jacobs Hudson was available in black and tan and cost $1275. But there are similar bags out there right now and an option if you still are dead set on the Hudson. If the Hudson is the only answer for you, you can check it out at Bag, Borrow or Steal. While I am not a huge fan of the renting a luxury good phenomenon, for some people it works great. And I *think* there is an option to buy some of the bags from Bag, Borrow or Steal (but I do not know exactly how that works). My next suggestions are a wide range of bags that carry similar looks and may bring a similar appeal, but are not the exact bag you are looking for. Hope this helps Jennifer! And if any one else knows how we can help Jennifer find this bag, please do post in the comment section.

Over the span of Purse Blog’s existence, my email has been filled with people asking questions about what handbag to buy. Even when I am out in public now, if anyone knows what I do, I have them asking me if I approve of their purchase or what should be their next. I spend hours everyday studying bags. My email is inundated with messages from designers asking me to review lines. Learning each inch and every piece of information on handbags went from being my hobby to my job. So with this many hours put into it, I know a thing or two about handbags. I am opening up the Ask Megs category where I can answer readers questions weekly on Purse Blog. If you have a question, please contact me via our contact page HERE. I will get to each email as timely as possible! For our start this week, the question comes from Amy. Amy writes:

Hi Megs,
I just have a question for you about your opinion on something, because I’m trying to decide which one to purchase.
Do you think the classic Chloé Paddington or the Marc Jacobs Stam is trendier, more versatile, and more “in” this year?
Thank you! (=

-Amy