Prada Nylon Bags: Worth the price or over-hyped?

Ever since I was in my early teens when Kate Spade debuted her nylon bags, I have always been a fan of the durable fabric! I eventually bought a black Prada Tessuto style one and still carry on occasion in the summer. While some of the styles can be pricey, nylon appears to have begun a comeback in such brands as Gryson and Tod’s to name a few. So in an essence I would say depending on the style totally worth it!

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too overpriced. I love Prada’s nylon bags, but it is getting ridiculous. I’d rather fork out a little more and get myself a nice leather bag.

Let’s be real. When you buy designer bags, you’re ALWAYS paying for the name. Nylon or leather, the material is a tiny fraction of the cost of the bag.

I love Prada. I love how the designs are modern even when they are ornate. If I could afford to buy Prada nylon bags, I would. But I would know that it’s a pretty stupid thing to do, because there are similar nylon bags available for much less, and in the end its an attempt to buy status.

Anyway. I prefer nylon. Buying leather supports an industry that is incredibly cruel to the animals. The petroleum industry is really only cruel to us.

All designer bags are overpriced when you get down to it. LV monogram bags are coated canvas, and yet a lot of pay thousands for them! Prada has always been sort of on the pricey side to me. Even their leather bags can get quite costly. Having said that, I would probably buy the $310 crossbody bag to wear to concerts, festivals, amusement parks, etc. It would be convenient to carry all my stuff around in, and it could be easily cleaned. I wish I had had a bag like that when I did the touristy thing all over New York and Boston.

they just need to go ahead and start selling prada at macy’s the brand is overhyped and overpriced and has lost its luster for me. maybe a good starter for the teen crowd

Prada established a new look with its line of modern, well-designed nylon bags but, for me, that look has become an old standard that many designers and mainstream retailers have copped so its not special to me at all, thus, I would NEVER shell out that much money for just a NYLON bag. So no go. I can buy a nylon bag at Target.

Definitely overpriced.

I agree with Devlo — looks like Target or worse yet –9West. Nothing special. Actually, I find the nylon much less durable than leather. I’ve had spills (ok, butter from popcorn at the movies) on a Dior nylon bag that I paid $$$$$ for and it was ruined. Had a nylon Prada and corners of bag did not wear well — began quickly to look ratty and worn — again after spending designer prices. Will never pay for a designer nylon bag again. For a bit more, I can get leather.

Way overpriced for Nylon. Especially considering the bag is made with about $10-$20 worth of materials. And, anybody could make their own - bags are easy to sew - if they got the pattern and fabric from a fabric shop.

Overpriced. And they look cheap.

I completely agree with the last few comments…I think they look cheap and I would hate to spend so much money on a bag only to have it look like a knock-off I picked up for a few quid. I think designer bags should look expensive and luxurious (note: I don’t mean flashy or showy, which is not the same thing at all) and nylon is NOT a luxurious or expensive material. To me, they look cheap and nasty and I would MUCH rather spend the money on a delicious Miu Miu or Marc Jacobs leather handbag than one of these!

I’ve noticed that a lot the big Italian fashion houses, that produce nylon bags, often have them advertised as being made of “Italian Nylon”; as if that’s somehow supposed make it better. And, therefore, justifies the huge markup they place on them.

Well, the reality is that “Italian Nylon” is no better nor no worse than nylon produced in another country. As nylon is not graded by which country it’s produced in. But, rather by it’s durability, tensile strength and thread size.

Anyway, back to these Prada Nylon bags: I’ve noticed, after doing a Google search, that a lot can be had for $100~ on sale. This seems much more reasonable to me than that crazy $310 they were asking for that blue bag in the original post - I’ve not even going to mention the even more insane prices they were asking for the other bags.

I think with the Nylon Prada bags, you’re basically paying for that little triangle on the outside, and the little tags on the inside. I don’t think nylon is worth the price Prada demands for it. I’d rather dish out 1500 for a Paddington than a nylon bag any day (Which I did, and HATE the fact that it’s 40% off now).

These have always, always been tacky and cheap. Why pay so much to look like someone who shops on Canal STreet?

It makes you look like a townie in NYC becuz most of the NYers who wear them are wearing a fake one that says Prague if you look close

The mark-up is crazy. You know, after I bought a pink Nylon bag from the Canadian Brandname discount store (Designer Depot by The Bay)- original priced at Cdn$460, then marked down to Cdn$230, then I paid at register for Cdn$65.00 - it’s more than 85% off the MSRP. & This is no fake, the purse came with the A.card & nicely place in the display counter. So, I can imagine that how much mark up there was. With this experience, I would never buy any Prada Nylon bag at regular store price. It doesn’t worth to pay extra.

I love Prada and had a number of their bags. Sadly The nylon bags don’t hold up well(and I’m careful with all my handbags!). I had a nylon hobo whose lining in the interior pocket came apart at the seams. Neiman had to repair it. I have a shopping tote whose leather zipper pull on the interior pocket came off. Saks won’t repair it and is pointing me towards their Off 5th location for service since that’s where it was purchased(hey, I thought Saks is Saks, but apparently not when it comes to customer service). Now I am looking to unload the rest of my Pradas, a couple of nylon messenger bags and a suede clutch. Oh dear !

I have a surprisingly differet viewpoint. I actually have about 4 different Prada nylon bags. They are 2-10 years old and I still wear them. They are obviously not only durable, but if you can wear a bag after 10 years and it not only looks new but very classy and in style, then that’s a bag well worth the price. And that sling bag? I’m a huge concert-goer. It’s absolutely perfect for standing room only. My three other bags aren’t even up there because they’d probably be listed as vintage by now…but on of my bags flops over and buckles and doubles as another sling bag (but bigger) or a tote by adjusting the length of the strap. It’s my favorite travel back because with all of its compartment it’s perfect for organization and it’s the perfect size to fit the necessities plus a book. Basically, Prada made me a loyal nylon customer for life.

well.. Hermes canvas bags cost more than a grand.

What people forget is that you are not buying an over-priced nylon bag. You are buying the designer’s artwork. Knock-offs are good if you can’t afford the real deal, but those knock-offs came because a designer sold it on the runway. You can go buy a knock-off Monet painting that looks real and is aesthetic, but it still isn’t a Monet. The fashion houses supply the industry with new designs which Target ultimately copies. So, you are not necessarily buying the bag, but rather, supporting the designer/artist.

Contrary to what many people here think, Prada does not use cheap nylon. The nylon is from a company that manufactures boat sails. If you do a side-by-side comparison of a Prada with another nylon canvas bag you will be able to tell the difference. The differences in the texture and finish of the materials set Prada above the rest. As others have posted before, you are paying for the design/style, materials, craftsmanship, and of course the status behind the label. Is Prada overpriced? Yes, but not because of the material, Prada is overpriced no matter what you are purchasing.