In today’s fresh Closet Confessional, we meet a collector in her mid-thirties from New York. A handbag lover at the core, CC 182 is lucky enough to share her passion with her mom and sister. In fact, it was her mom who gifted her the first piece in her collection, a Louis Vuitton Neverfull, which remains one of the most special pieces in her collection. After the Neverfull, CC 181 states that her Louis Vuitton Palermo is also extremely sentimental to her as it was purchased with money from the sale of her late father’s Corvette after he passed when CC 182 was just 21. She even had a luggage tag heat stamped with his initials.
A smart shopper, this handbag lover’s attitude towards saving and shopping is one we can all learn from. After realizing that her shopping had gotten a bit out of control, these days, she’s great at saving and appreciates the whole process of researching and waiting until she’s able to afford the bag before pulling the trigger. Read the full CC now, and don’t forget to submit your own!
[sc_cc_callout]The Basics
Age: 35
Gender Identity: Female
Location: New York
Occupation: Administration
Industry: Automotive
Salary: $55,000
Household Income: $55,000
The Bags
Are you a PurseForum member? Yes
How many bags do you own? 13
What bags are in your collection?
- LV Neverfull MM
- LV Palermo PM
- LV Alma
- LV Pochette Metis
- LV Alma BB
- Celine Luggage
- Givenchy Antigona x’s 2!
- YSL LouLou
- YSL Shopper
- Gucci Disco
- Balenciaga Hip
- Fendi Peekaboo
How much is your collection worth? I couldn’t even being to guess (or want to)!
What is your most expensive bag? I have three bags that all cost around the same and those are my LV Alma, Givenchy Antigona and Celine Luggage (so around $2,600 each).
What are the most important brands or pieces in your collection? My LV Neverfull. It was my very first luxury designer bag. My mom surprised me with it when I graduated college and got my bachelor’s. I thought she was crazy since she graciously paid for my tuition too! But I’ve had it for twelve years now, and it’s my most go-to bag in my collection.
What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? If we’re talking contemporary designers, it was a bright orange Coach bag I desperately wanted and saved for at the age of maybe 12-13? I did a lot of chores! For luxury designer, it was my LV Neverfull when I graduated college at 23.
Is there a specific bag you are looking to purchase next? Oh boy, I ALWAYS have a list! What’s purse peace like?? I’m currently eyeing the LV Speedy in Empriente in the cognac color (I’m on a mission to hunt one down) as well as the medium-sized YSL LouLou. I have the small, but it’s just too small for me, but I absolutely love the style of the bag, so I’m hoping to add the bigger size soon.
Any particular bag that holds a special sentimental value? Not to be a broken record, but definitely my LV Neverfull. Twelve years later and I’m still blown away that my mom purchased it for me for graduating college. This was back when the bag was well below the price it is now, but it was still a lot of money especially after all the money she dished out for me for tuition.
And I also have a special attachment to my LV Palermo. It’s the first luxury designer bag I ever purchased with my (most) of my own money. Sadly, my dad passed away when I was 21 and my mom gave my sister and I some money from the sale of his Corvette and told us to be completely self-indulgent. Of course, I went for a bag. A few months after purchasing it, I went back and had a luggage tag heat stamped with his initials as a reminder as to why I had it.
Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? Not really. Luckily the women who I work with in my office aren’t fashion savvy so they have no idea what I carry. I know my best friend thinks I’m crazy, but it’s never a judgmental type of thing. We had a conversation just recently as to why I love buying bags and spending this kind of money. And another fortunate thing is my mom and sister love bags as well so we are always sharing with each other what we have our sights on.
Have your bag-carrying habits changed since Covid? No, not at all. If anything, I had even MORE time looking at bags during lockdown! Lol!
The Shopping
How often do you buy new bags? I buy about one bag a year as it takes me a good year to save for it. I save in small increments over a long period of time.
Has the Coronavirus pandemic changed your shopping habits or overall attitude towards luxury? No, not at all.
Which stores do you frequent the most? I’m really not a loyal customer to any store. I just browse, see what’s out there and what I like, and go from there for bags. For clothes, I buy most of my stuff from Target and Amazon! You don’t have to spend a lot of money on clothing to look nice. It’s all about how you style and present yourself.
Do you ever buy second-hand bags? Where do you buy used? I do! So far I have purchased from Fashionphile. It’s amazing how much money you can save on the pre-loved market.
Do you sell old bags to pay for new purchases? I haven’t yet, but I want to. There are a few bags I am definitely willing to part with.
Do you ever feel societal pressure to purchase more bags? No, not at all. I buy what I like when I like it.
Do you consider your bag purchases investments? Not in the slightest. The only designers that I really consider investments are Hermès and Chanel, and while I would LOVE to own a bag from either designer, it’s just not realistic, and that’s okay! I am very content with what I have and what I can afford. 🙂
Who influences your buying decisions? The PurseForum! You all are such naughty enablers!! And I won’t lie and say I haven’t been “influenced” by something I may have seen on Instagram or some other social media outlet, but only in the sense that I see something I could potentially like for myself not because it’s trendy.
Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? Nope. Any bag purchases I have made have all been from them myself, not because of any relationship with an associate.
Why do you enjoy shopping, beyond just acquiring something new? I love the research. I’m not in a place where I can drop a few thousand dollars on a whim. It could take me months to finalize my bag-buying decision. I watch YouTube videos, I read reviews, I peruse the PurseForum to find threads on that particular bag, I consult with my sister. The list goes on. Every part of that is fun for me.
Have you ever felt like you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity or gender? Definitely! It’s strictly because of how young I look. I am 35, but my appearance is really quite young. I’ve been completely ignored in some stores because of it. There’s one particular LV store I avoid since I’ve always found the employees there to be quite rude. Not to sound cliche, but never judge a book by its cover. Someone could walk in with greasy hair, mismatched socks, and dirty jeans and, for all you know, could have a million dollars in their pocket to spend.
The Money
Who pays for your bags? Me, myself and I! Other than the Neverfull that was gifted by my mom, all purchases have been made by me.
Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? I do! It’s the only way I can afford them. I have a few savings tactics that I follow. It’s a slow-going process, but it makes it that much more satisfying when it’s purchasing time!
The Taboo Topics
Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? Happy to say I have not!
Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? My boyfriend and I don’t live together, so no.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to afford a bag? Put it on credit! Oh boy. Took me a long time to pay that bill off!
Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? Have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? I definitely felt like I was shopping way too much. Not in bags, but in anything and everything else. I was receiving packages almost daily, the credit card was getting out of control, I was getting stressed over it. I finally had an epiphany, and the shopping came way down (as did my credit card bill!).
The Rest Of It
Any other expensive hobbies or passions? I can’t say I do! I’m pretty boring, lol! For the longest time I was spending a lot of money on books (and not reading them!), but I finally put a stop on that. It was getting out of control.
Anything else you would like to include? Never buy what you can’t afford. There’s no sense in putting yourself in debt over something like a bag. And just think of how much more satisfying it’ll be when you have that item in your hands that you worked hard and saved for! It’s a very euphoric feeling (how lame am I??)
Love her practical approach to bag shopping!
“Every part of that is fun for me.”
A down-to-earth, practical, and grateful CC. Enjoyed this. Thanks!
I always love seeing “older” bag styles which are currently not so trendy, such as the Antigona or the Luggage. I love mine and am really not interested in the current styles which are so hyped up.
As a person currently paying for two college/graduate degrees, I knew I was going to like this confessional when I read this: “My mom surprised me with it when I graduated college and got my bachelor’s. I thought she was crazy since she graciously paid for my tuition too!”