CC 242: The Quintessential Bag Lover

"Let's just say I caved with Hermès but interestingly enough, my first two Louis Vuitton bags are still with me."

Nov 7, 2024

In today’s installment of Closet Confessionals, we meet a self-proclaimed “quintessential bag lover” who began collecting bags in her youth. Like many, it all began with Coach. Over the years, she expanded upon that love, trying out Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and eventually Hermès. In fact, she states that her Hermès journey has been one of the most extravagant parts of her life, but one she’s really enjoyed.

Still, CC 242 understands the importance of shopping within your means and is not afraid to sell bags that aren’t suiting her. While her current lusts are mostly Hermès pieces, this handbag lover still falls under the spell of Louis Vuitton, and it is actually a Gucci Bag that holds the most sentimental value in her collection. Read the full CC now, and don’t forget to submit your own!

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Basic Bio

Your Age? 40
Your Gender Identity? Female
Where do you live? Bay Area, CA
What is your occupation? Full time homemaker, but I also help manage our rental property
What industry do you work in? I used to work in customer service
What is your annual salary range? Total household income? $200,000
Are you a PurseForum member? Yes

Onto The Bags

How many bags do you own? 55+

What bags are in your collection?

Etc. including Coach, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Longchamp, and a couple of unbranded bags.

How much is your collection worth? $155k more or less

What is your most expensive bag? Not considering bags bought at a premium on the pre-loved market, the most expensive is the Hermès Birkin 25.

Do you ever experience buyer’s remorse after purchasing a bag? If so, how do you deal with it? YES! I sell the bag at least a month after assessing its significance in my collection.

Do you feel a desire to downsize your collection? If so, what factors are driving that decision? I do. The factors range from the need for extra cash (for various reasons including personal emergencies and to fund another purchase), the need for space in the area where I store them, and the irresistible thought of keeping a well-curated collection.

What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? I started with Coach like a lot of my fellow bag lovers. It was an outlet-bought tote which I bought as a reward for myself after surviving a hard phase at work. I then passed it on to my best friend.

Is there a specific bag you are looking to purchase next? I would really love a Hermès Jige Elan clutch and a Hermès Kelly 25.

Do you have a ‘holy grail’ dream bag you’ve always wanted to own? Hermès Kelly 25 retourne in black togo/chevre leather with gold hardware.

Any particular bag that holds a special sentimental value? My iridescent purple Gucci Bamboo tote which my husband surprised me with after a business trip in Switzerland. I was pregnant with our only child, very hormonal, and was sick with anxiety. I wanted him home and safe and I only requested for Toblerone white chocolate. He came home with the chocolate and a Gucci carrier bag! I surprised even myself when I was not the least bit interested the moment I saw the shopping bag. The interest came in hours later when we’d settled, I had my chocolate fill, and I saw the most gorgeous purple. He said he was given two options at the airport. This purple tote or a yellow one. He said he picked the purple tote because he knew it was my favorite color. Through the years, friends have urged me to get rid of it each time I do my annual “spring cleaning”. Let’s just say the Hermès and Chanel bags would go first before I got rid of this one.

Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? Yes. All the time. Either I’m treated better or worse. I once entered a local Cartier boutique carrying my large Tory Burch Ella tote. It was dark and raining and I needed a practical bag that could carry the food I ordered to go and the LOVE bracelet I needed help with. I got in and the sales associate helped the gentleman that came in four minutes after me. But when I carried my Chanel jumbo double classic flap with iridescent black caviar leather and ruthenium hardware to a Louis Vuitton bag, the sales associates kept complimenting my bag and made sure I was treated well.

As for acquaintances and relatives, unless they love bags, too, or have a similar luxury passion, you can never really tell how they perceive you so I try to keep things discreet when with them.

How do you take care of your bags? They’re stored upright in a room with moisture-absorbing beads that I change, regularly. It’s a well-lit room but one that’s away from sunlight. I’ve been doing this for over a decade and I found this to be the best way to store them.

On Shopping

How often do you buy new bags? Three times a year: during my birthday, for Christmas, and during a vacation.

How has your bag collection changed during the past few years, and why? I think I’m the quintessential bag lover. I started with outlet-bought designer bags and transitioned to the “starter” Louis Vuitton bags. From Louis Vuitton, I had my Chanel phase, and while resisting the urge to move on to Hermès, I explored other brands. Let’s just say I caved with Hermès but interestingly enough, my first two Louis Vuitton bags are still with me. I also don’t shy away from outlet shopping but this time, I’m more careful with the styles and brands I choose.

Do you prefer shopping for bags online or in-store? Why? In-store! There’s just something with getting to assess, in person, a bag, and going home with it. Sometimes, it is a necessity because in some cases, how it looks when I wear it matter especially for crossbody bags. I am a curvy lady who’s also petite so the strap length can be a make or break.

Which stores do you frequent the most? These days, Hermès. I still can’t resist the allure of Louis Vuitton even if I think I’m more or less already satisfied with what I have. It may have something to do with the brand’s history and just how classic each piece feels.

Have you ever returned a bag after purchasing it? Why did you make that decision? Yes. I returned a Hermès Constance 24. There was a defect in front of the bag I could not unsee. It was not stitch issue or anything that could easily be ignored. Friends thought it was a bad idea — it was my first major offer, after all. But for the price, I felt like it shouldn’t be that way.

Do you ever buy second-hand bags? Where do you buy used? I do! I trust Fashionphile, Yoogi’s Closet, and Madison Avenue Couture.

Do you ever donate or gift your old bags? If so, to whom? I’ve gifted some of my bags to my best friend.

Do you feel that social media or influencer culture pressures you to buy more bags or certain brands? Except for that one time that Mansur Gavriel bucket bags were sold out almost everywhere and I was searching high and low for a store that sold one, I’ve never really felt any pressure at all. I do get influenced but I buy whenever I could and according to my own style or preferences.

Do you consider your bag purchases financial or emotional investments? They’re both. I’m a mom and family matters to me so over the last 10 years, I think I’ve matured into someone who sees my bags as financial investments — but not in the sense that I buy and sell to turn a profit. My major purchases are for me to use, so that’s where the emotional investment comes in, and for me to pull out in case, *knock on wood*, my family would need money.

Do you follow the latest fashion trends when deciding on your next purchase, or do you prefer classic styles? I do look at trends, but I don’t necessarily follow them. I’ve always gravitated towards the classic pieces.

Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? Yes! I’ve actually been with my Chanel SA at my home boutique for the last 10 years! She’s been wonderful and has always made time whenever I am in town. For Hermès, I’ve actively worked with my SA since 2021. But interestingly enough, back in 2018, which was way before I dove into my Hermès journey, as it turned out, she was the first SA from whom I bought my first in-store purchase (a perfume) and the same person, months later, who helped me with my Kelly 28 repair.

Do you enjoy shopping beyond just acquiring something new? I do enjoy the experience. I guess this is also why I love shopping in-store. Aside from that, I love the attention to detail whenever a bag is packaged. It’s like getting more than the bag.

Have you ever felt you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity, or gender? I have. I’m Asian and not necessarily the best dresser and that Cartier experience with my Tory Burch Ella tote somehow felt a little discriminatory. The gentleman that came in four minutes after me was a well-dressed Caucasian man.

What factors may dissuade you from buying a bag, even if you like it? Defects I can’t unsee or tolerate (and I have high tolerance for the little imperfections), especially if the store says it’s the only one in stock.

Is there a brand you outright refuse to buy? Why? Maybe the Cartier and Tiffany bags. It’s probably because in my mind, they’re jewelry brands and not anything else (except for perfume for Cartier).

Do you ever rent designer bags? If so, from where? I don’t.

How do you feel about the concept of “quiet luxury” vs. “loud luxury”? I don’t have a strong opinion over it. I don’t discriminate. I buy according to what I think would work and not according to people’s perceptions of what I carry.

On Budgeting & Perceptions

Who pays for your bags? I do these days. But my husband has gifted more than half of what I own.

Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? Yes. I save what I can (between $1K-3K a month).

Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? Embarrassingly enough, I have! I was just a few years in the workforce and while I had not yet considered myself a purse lover, I was curious. I got a fake Coach and a $0.25 “Louis Vuitton Trouville” bag from flea market vendors. Years later, when I finally admitted I had a passion for bags, to satisfy a desire to feel how it was like to have a Chanel Classic Flap, I got a “triple A” quality classic flap for $40 from a reseller who said she got it from Hong Kong.

Do you use financing or payment plans (like Afterpay or Klarna) for bag purchases? I don’t.

Do you think owning luxury bags helps you in professional or social situations? How so? Yes. For professional situations, I think it’s mostly about choosing the right type of bag. I subscribe to the idea that can’t be too flashy that you can be perceived as unprofessional when the attention should be on the work that you do. In social situations, I suppose it depends on the occasion.

Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? Have you ever lied about the cost of a bag to avoid judgment? I have. And I won’t incriminate myself any further. Then again, he’s somehow learned to accept that I would eventually end up confessing when I’m ready. LOL

Do you ever resell bags on platforms like The RealReal, Fashionphile, or Vestiaire Collective? I do.

Have your friends or family ever criticized your bag-buying habits? If so, how did you respond? Not to my face. But I know they have and they still do. I usually keep my social media account dedicated to my bags separate from my personal account.

Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? Have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? No. I know to stop when and where it matters.

Let’s get personal…

What is your greatest extravagance? This Hermès journey. I do recognize the idea of exploring and showing appreciation for the brand’s products other than the most coveted pieces. I also am not unaware it helps with getting considered for those items. So through the years, I’ve tried to be really selective of what I buy, whether it’s perfume or a mug. I have to make sure I love the items I buy otherwise they’re just extravagant paperweight at home.

What is your greatest fear? Related to bags? Property damage (house fire, natural disasters, etc.) and getting mugged/robbed/held up simply because I made the mistake of wearing a loud designer bag in public.

Beyond that, it is getting sick and leaving my son and my husband.

What is the trait you most admire in others? I admire people who don’t judge and are genuinely happy even with the simple things in life, no matter their personal economic circumstance.

Which living person do you most admire? Barack Obama

What or who is the greatest love of your life? My husband and our son

What is your favorite journey you have taken so far? When I lost over 60 lbs and that helped me conceive my only child. Now if I can just lose 10 lbs and jumpstart another weight loss journey…

What is your idea of perfect happiness? My idea of perfect happiness is just being with my husband and our son. They’re my world. Of course it wouldn’t hurt if that world included being offered my Holy Grail (that Kelly 25 I mentioned, earlier) and eating a plate of spaghetti afterwards that don’t add up to the calories I’ve consumed afterwards.

Any parting words you would like to share with our readers? Buy according to your means. Though I had an embarrassing phase when I bought counterfeit bags when I was younger, it wasn’t worth it. There are similarly-styled bags that don’t pretend to be what they’re not.

Closet Confessionals