By now, some of you have likely read Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger’s instantly infamous GQ piece on his Gucci leather shopping addiction. (If you haven’t and you’re interested, you should read it, but be warned, the whole thing takes a bit of a strange turn circa page four.) I’ve known a few people with compulsive shopping issues in my time in fashion, but Bissinger’s story caught my attention because, for him, it all started online and eventually mushroomed into a half-million dollar habit. But how much damage can you really do with online shopping? As it turns out, quite a bit – we searched out the Internet’s most expensive handbags, and with these kinds of pieces, it wouldn’t be hard to blow through a couple hundred grand in an afternoon, let alone in a year or two.
The luxury assortment available online at any given time is inherently different from that which is available in stores. Chanel, for instance, would surely be on this list if the brand sold its wares online, but it doesn’t. Hermes and Louis Vuitton sell much of their respective assortments online, but the most exquisite pieces are reserved for in-store clientele only. Other ultra-premium leather brands, like The Row and Bissinger-favorite Gucci, put it all on the table for Internet customers the world over (and we love them for it). Below, you’ll find a set of bags not intended for mere mortals, but sometimes purchased by them while in search of a particular adrenaline rush that’s always just a few clicks away. If you know of a bag that’s sold online and beats out any of these, share with us in the comments.