If I may be so bold: being super into handbags is kind of weird, but mostly just in the ways that being super into anything is kind of weird. Who knows why any of us settled on bags instead of knitting or gardening or vintage teapot collecting, but here we are, and like any group, we’ve all developed a little bit of specialized knowledge during our purse travails. As is the custom of the Internet, we’re prepared to explicate some of that knowledge in GIF form.
1. Handbags are clearly the most wonderful part of fashion because they always fit and are rarely painful to use.
Gain some weight? Bag still fits. Lose some weight? Bag still fits. Spend eight hours on your feet at work? Your bag is not going to cut off the circulation in your toes. You bag is here to help.
2. If someone’s too nosy about your bags and how much they cost, you can just tell them they’re from eBay.
I’ve been a bag person for a long time, and nothing shuts up an attempted bag-shaming like, “Oh, I dunno how much it cost. I got in on eBay for a steal.” Look at you, being thrifty and resourceful! Even if that’s not actually what you did. Sometimes, a little white lie is justified in order to get someone to shut up.
3. It is not ridiculous or wasteful to have the same bag in multiple colors, leathers or sizes.
You like what you like, and sometimes you like a big black bag. Other times, you want the same bag to be little and pink.
4. Once you’ve had fancy leather, you can’t go back.
This is true of a lot of the little luxuries in life. Once you know all of your options, it’s hard to go back to enjoying things that are merely average. If you’re here, you’ve probably already jumped down the luxury leather rabbit hole.
5. Good bags require proper care and feeding.
Even if you’re not super careful with your bags, you know that they should be kept in their dustbags in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. If you’re extra careful, you stuff them with tissue to maintain their shapes when not in use. Handbag maintenance requires more attention to detail than regular clothing, for better or for worse.
6. Planning a whole outfit around your new bag is a perfectly rational behavior.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that if you buy a new handbag and don’t immediately plan an outfit for its debut, you should probably return it because you don’t like it enough.
7. You can actually save money on the rest of your wardrobe by buying nice handbags.
Okay, so the math might be a little wonky, but hear me out: carrying a nice bag automatically makes everything you’re wearing look more expensive, so who’s to say that your Zara sweatpants aren’t actually Rag & Bone? We all have a finite amount of money to spend on our wardrobes, and if nothing else, a bag is a great diversion.
8. People really do treat you differently.
Whether they realize it or not, everyone digests little social cues about status, and they do it all day, every day. Even someone who’s not obsessed with fashion can usually tell when someone’s attire feels expensive and sophisticated, and high-status people tend to get better treatment in stores, restaurants–everywhere. Because bags are recognizable usually carried prominently on the body, they’re a great shortcut.
9. No one’s anti-handbag or anti-fashion arguments are going to change your mind.
Oh, handbags are too expensive? Fashion is shallow? Gee, thanks for illuminating those issues for me, I had never heard anyone say those exact same things before. Your input has been life-changing for me.
Image via Giphy
10. The experience of buying a bag is second only to the bag itself.
Giddily unboxing an online order or perusing the handbag floor at a beautiful department store is just a lot of fun, okay?
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