Today, we’re chatting with a Canadian collector who shares a love for bags and shopping with his Mother. While she’s a big-time Chanel collector, CC 249 prefers smaller brands like Jacquemus and A.P.C., though his collection also includes a bit of Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Over his nearly a decade of collecting, CC 249 has enjoyed the whole process, including the bonding experience of shopping with his mom.
In the last few years, this mini-bag lover has downsized his collection a bit and now buys a couple of bags a year instead of every couple of months. He states that as it has become more socially acceptable for men to be collectors, it’s been a more joyful time than ever for him to be a collector too!
Below, read more of CC 249’s collecting journey with a peek at his collection. Plus! Be sure to share your story to be featured next!
Basic Bio
Your Age? 31
Your Gender Identity? Male
Where do you live? Canada
What is your occupation? Creative Director
What industry do you work in? Advertising
What is your annual salary range? Total household income? $100,000
Are you a PurseForum member? No
Onto The Bags
How many bags do you own? 11
What bags are in your collection?
- AMI Paris Lunch Box Bag in blue
- A.P.C. Ninon Tote in black
- A.P.C. Josh on Strap Mini in black
- Gucci duffle
- Jacquemus Le Baneto in black
- Jacquemus Le Baneto in khaki
- Jacquemus Le Porte Azur wallet in orange
- JW Anderson Mini Crossbody Cap Bag in tan
- Louis Vuitton Pochette Florentine
- Roots Banff duffle in black
- Sandro small smooth leather bag in brown
How much is your collection worth? I’m not sure. Maybe $5-6K based on purchase price?
What is your most expensive bag? Probably my Jacqumus Le Baneto bags, I think I got one on sale though.
Do you ever experience buyer’s remorse after purchasing a bag? If so, how do you deal with it? Not necessarily, but in recent years I have sold so many bags and shoes for sooo much less than what they were initially bought for. And the thought of that makes me regret buying them in the first place.
Do you feel a desire to downsize your collection? If so, what factors are driving that decision? Yes, as I mentioned above, in the past few years I’ve either sold or donated so much of my wardrobe. Something just came over me and I had to purge. The thought of accumulating stuff now gives me anxiety lol.
What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? In my early 20’s, and it was a vintage LV Montsouris backpack in the largest size. I loooooved it, but it eventually became too loud for me. I love LV Monogram, but on a smaller scale. I eventually sold it, for almost the same amount I bought it for actually.
Is there a specific bag you are looking to purchase next? Not necessarily, I would love to add something from Bottega to my line up, but it’s a little out of my price range at the moment.
Do you have a ‘holy grail’ dream bag you’ve always wanted to own? The BV intrecciato duffle probably. Whyyy does it have to be so expensive? Or the Row Margaux in a black, I think it’s the perfect gender-neutral bag.
Any particular bag that holds a special sentimental value? Not really.
Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? I live in a smaller Canadian city that isn’t really known for being stylish. I would say Canadians as a whole aren’t that fashionable, it’s just not part of the culture here like it is in Europe or NY. But any time they have been noticed it’s always been nice comments.
How do you take care of your bags? I take pretty good care of them, but I don’t baby them. I try to store them properly and not trash them, but I really enjoy using them.
On Shopping
How often do you buy new bags? Rarely, when I first started purchasing bags it was every couple of months. Now I would say once every 1-2 years.
How has your bag collection changed during the past few years, and why? I would say I just started getting into bags a few years ago, I really like how it’s become more socially acceptable for men to wear them. So I’ve slowly been adding to my own collection.
Do you prefer shopping for bags online or in-store? Why? I enjoy both, but since I live in a smaller city I mostly shop online.
Which stores do you frequent the most? SSENSE is kind of my go-to.
Have you ever returned a bag after purchasing it? Why did you make that decision? All the time. If I know I’m not going to use or I should not have bought it, it’s going back.
Do you ever buy second-hand bags? Where do you buy used? Yes! My LV and my Gucci duffle were both bought second-hand.
Do you ever donate or gift your old bags? If so, to whom? Yes, sometimes to friends or family.
Do you feel that social media or influencer culture pressures you to buy more bags or certain brands? Not really. I think the pressure is greater for women (ladies correct me if I’m wrong). The fashion male influencer space is very interesting, you either have some people dressing hardcore formal like Pitti Uomo level of suiting, or rather avant-garde Rick Owens crazy fashion stuff that normal people wouldn’t necessarily wear. I look at so many things and I can appreciate it, and no matter how much I like it, I know I would absolutely in a million years never wear it lol.
Do you consider your bag purchases financial or emotional investments? Neither really, definitely not financial considering what I can afford and the brands I buy. Not emotional either really, the older I get the less I care about things, if they all went up in flames I think I’d be ok (though I’d prefer they don’t lol!).
Do you follow the latest fashion trends when deciding on your next purchase, or do you prefer classic styles? I would love to say “I don’t follow any trends I’m so unique I have my own style” but I definitely notice some influence even if I’m unaware of it. As you can see from some of my bags I was clearly influenced by the mini bag trend.
Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? Not for me. But my mother is a collector of Chanel and I know those relationships are helpful for her.
Do you enjoy shopping beyond just acquiring something new? When not online, I mostly shop with my mom, it’s kind of our thing when we travel. Just us two, we go for lunch and we do some shopping, and I really enjoy that, even if I don’t purchase anything!
Have you ever felt you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity, or gender? Not that I can recall.
What factors may dissuade you from buying a bag, even if you like it? Price or perceived value, and determining if I’ll actually use it (I hate having things in my closet I don’t use or wear).
Is there a brand you outright refuse to buy? Why? Balenciaga. Demna needs to go. Used to be such an exciting interesting brand in the 2000s, now it’s just brutal. Why does anyone buy their stuff? It just makes me scratch my head. I could forgive the awful ad campaign (which I’m sympathetic to mistakes in advertising since I work in that industry and have had to put out some awful fires myself) but the designs aren’t good! It would be one thing if he was Galliano level or something. But he’s not.
Do you ever rent designer bags? If so, from where? No, haven’t tried it.
How do you feel about the concept of “quiet luxury” vs. “loud luxury”? I would say quiet luxury most aligns with my own personal style, although I do like to throw in a touch of logo. But my favourite brands have always been Loro Piana, Brioni, Bottega, etc.
On Budgeting & Perceptions
Who pays for your bags? Myself.
Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? Not really. I don’t make huge bag purchases so it’s not a big dent to my income.
Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? No.
Do you use financing or payment plans (like Afterpay or Klarna) for bag purchases? Haven’t tried it yet. Maybe some day.
Do you think owning luxury bags helps you in professional or social situations? How so? Not in my particular industry I would say. We are a client-driven industry, and if you show up to a client meeting with a Birkin, I think the first thing on the client’s mind is going to be “wow they’re clearly doing alright, maybe I won’t be so forgiving when they tell me we’ve gone over budget” lol perception is very important in our business.
Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? Have you ever lied about the cost of a bag to avoid judgment? I’m single so no.
Do you ever resell bags on platforms like The RealReal, Fashionphile, or Vestiaire Collective? I mostly resell on Poshmark actually!
Have your friends or family ever criticized your bag-buying habits? If so, how did you respond? Nooo, like I said before, I definitely get it from my mom. She loves fashion and particularly Chanel, so she gets it. Maybe if I started buying Chanel she’d ask me how I could afford that lol.
Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? Have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? In my early 20s it was definitely a coping mechanism for me. But since then I’ve gained so much self-control over my shopping habits. It’s been so liberating!
Let’s get personal…
What is your greatest extravagance? Probably clothes, bags, shoes or even food.
What is your greatest fear? This is going to sound so vain but lately it’s been getting old! For some reason it’s giving me so much anxiety. I know getting old is a privilege and very liberating, but I don’t want to get old! LOL
What is the trait you most admire in others? People who can always remain rational. Please teach me.
Which living person do you most admire? My mom!
What or who is the greatest love of your life? My family or my dog.
What is your favorite journey you have taken so far? I don’t know if this means physical journey or something else. But I’m going to say my career journey. I never thought I’d end up in this industry doing this job. But tbh I can’t imagine doing anything else, it’s so amazing.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Sun. Beach. Aperol spritz. Out of office. Thanks!
Any parting words you would like to share with our readers? I wish more men would do these. I feel like there’s so many awesome male collections out there, and I want to be inspired!
I agree. Men let’s see those collections!