When I first fell in love with bags a decade and a half ago, I didn’t give very much thought to the bags I lusted after and, subsequently, the ones I ended up buying. When I was younger, all I thought about was which bags appealed to me and which ones would make me happy to own, wear and carry. I didn’t think much about investment value, a bag’s staying power, trendiness, or even which bag would go best with my wardrobe. All I really cared about was what bag would exhilarate me. Which bag would give me butterflies to think about and which carryall I simply couldn’t imagine living without.
Ah, the simpler times of my youth.
Fashion Should Be Fun!
Somewhere along the way, like many collectors do, I began to make more thought-out, calculated and planned purchases. From a financial perspective, this is, of course, an excellent thing, and it’s the responsible way to go about collecting handbags.
However, when it comes to carefully planning out and painstakingly assessing every single handbag I was going to add to my collection, it was that shift in perspective that took the fun out of collecting a bit. Since the pandemic, however, I have once again shifted my perspective and reminded myself that fashion should be fun.
Sometimes it’s ok to skip the timeless classic that you know will sit in your closet for years to come in favor of a bag that’s going to feed your soul. While you may not be able to fully recoup your investment, an investment in your happiness and your overall mood is the best investment of them all.
Color Me Happy
We know that colors can have a huge influence on us and also reveal certain aspects of our unconscious minds. Whether they know it or not, humans are innately impacted by everything going on in the world around us, and the colors we gravitate towards can affect our subconscious and, thereby, our moods.
I personally have found that wearing more color and experimenting with different hues has made me an overall happier person in my day to day life. Certain shades can speak to various human needs, and when it really comes down to it, colorful bags (and any bag that feels fun and fresh, for that matter) are an investment in our happiness, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what life is all about?
While everyone’s priorities and methods of collecting are different, this year and beyond, I’ve vowed to view every purchase as a way to feed my soul, not my bank account. I want to get back to how I viewed handbags when I first fell in love with them all those years ago.
The prices for these bags are getting outrageous.
and the quality isn’t even that good…. Prada uses a corrected grain leather (aka brushed leather) that will crease horribly as it ages because machine process smooths and hides the flaws of the original hide. Also a few bags have crooked and popped stitching since the leather is stiff and difficult to maneuver when it’s sewn.
Hi marivi, I fixed the spelling error for you.
I don’t like black handbags so most of mine are in a rainbow of colors. Looking at them makes me happy. I don’t try to match them with outfits. I carry the bag that meets the needs of what I need for the day.
I absolutely love the prada cleo bag 💛 I wish they make a decent crosdbody version with a good strap
Me too! Love this bag but can’t buy it until they make a crossbody version. I think the itty bitty ones are crossbody, but they are way too small for me.
I saw the tiny micro ones and they are not good as they don’t have a secure closure and the crossbody strap is flimsy – totally agree with you
My favorite coloed bag, hands down is the Balenciaga Hourglass in Red Smooth Leather. I purchased my medium when it first appeared and the features are beautiful and the leather is sturdy. The price for the medium at that time is now the price for the small. This piece will become a timeless classic and the color makes me happy everytime I wear it!
This is so true, this year I want a bright green bag like maybe the Bottega Veneta’s intrecciato Loop bag or the Cassette in Cobalt blue. Last year I got the Loewe flamenco in yellow and the Celine clasp mini in red (vintage). I don’t think I will ever go back to wearing black bags. Boring.