There are some pretty amazing things about living in New York City that only those who’ve ever experienced it can attest to. Maybe it’s the energy of the city on that first warm spring day after a harsh cold winter, the moment when your barista remembers your name AND your order, or a walk through Central Park in the heart of fall.
New York Living
While city living can feel like a dream, parts of it downright suck. There are also things about living in New York that only the rich and famous are privy to experience. One of those things is space. When it comes to finding your dream apartment, there’s really no such thing in the city. There’s always something you have to compromise on.
If you want to live in downtown Manhattan, don’t expect an elevator building. Your bedroom might actually be just that. A room for your bed, with little room for much else. And a closet? What closet?
If you’ve never explored New York real estate, you’d be shocked at how many bedrooms in New York don’t have a closet. In hindsight, this is ironic given how common working in the fashion industry is here, but I digress…
To Store or Not to Store
This weekend I’m moving into a one-bedroom apartment that doesn’t have a closet in the bedroom, but what it does have is a massive built-in, open closet system with racks, shelving, and drawers that takes up the entire length of one wall. It’s truly the most storage for clothes, shoes, and of course, bags that I’ve had since living in New York.
Immediately upon seeing the space, I had visions of my perfectly curated closet dancing in my head (and admittedly, I thought, more room to buy things!). The closet has shelving on the very top which will need to be accessed with a step ladder, but I instantly thought it would be the perfect place for my bags. I love my collection, and I thought it would be great to have them all on display. Additionally, I hope it will help me reach for some of my lesser-used bags more.
But then I thought about it further and began to wonder if it was a good idea after all. Won’t they get dusty? What if the sunlight hits them, and they get discolored? Do influencers really leave their bags on shelves without their dustbags? Do you?
I prefer to properly store my bags away from dust and light exposure. I don’t need a boutique-style display in my house. Lol I’m not delusional about objects.
My bags are things… i use im careful with them.but i wear them, so storing them to the point of museum preservation is just…too much for me. and i find that if i see them i wear them more. its easier to reach for them. and truth be told i also like to walk in to my dressing room and see and appreciate them.i don’t keep them like they are in a resellers boutique, simply organized and accessible.
Me too..I have them all in my display and I can see them and enjoy the wide array of bags and colors. if I store them away, I will forget what I have and never wear them. Or i’ll just be lazy and end up wearing the same bag over and over again. If I see them right in front of me I actually have inspiration to create outfits to wear all my bags. Fun times 😍
Definitely store! Besides protecting your bags from dust, you are also protecting them from getting stolen. Unless you’ll be living in a well protected neighborhood.
Ikea billy bookcase with glass doors! In a place in my room that doesn’t get direct sunlight. If i store them or keep them in dust bags I forget about them and don’t end up rotating them in and out. Also, looking at them makes me happy.
Me too glass doors and seeing them also makes me happy.
I turned a spare room into a walk in closet. We boarded the window and placed a built in closet in front of it so no light gets in at all and put a rubber strip under the bottom of the door so no dust gets in, I keep all of my bags displayed and have done so for 10 + years with absolutely no change to the bags they all still look brand new even with usage and I honestly dust in there maybe once every couple of months because its virtually dust free in there. I clean each bag after use so they are always clean and ready to go. I love having a boutique display and I have a chandelier hanging in the room and it always makes me happy to go in.
I did the same thing in a room thats facing my neighbors brick wall. I have a question do you use Silica gel or any other products?
I didn’t say this. Someone else is using my name apparently in an attempt to make me look bad.
I meant you’re using my name.
I store my bags in their dust bags. I learned the hard way that a cockroach can be aggressive enough to eat the rubber-glue that binds handles.
OK. I may never recover from this comment!!! The C word is my absolute worst nightmare and a very unfortunate reality of city living. I think you just made up my mind for me!
Definitely store them. Not worth the damage that can be done by the lighting, heat, dust, etc. Mine are in dust bags. Maybe you can admire them for a weekend and then put them bag in the dust bags for safe keepi g
I display mine in a glass curio cabinet with sliding door. Ive downgraded in amount of bags over the years. I have my Manolos in there too. I love walking into the bedroom and seeing the fruits of my labor and my forever collection. Makes it easier to pick which one to wear for the day. Easier when im doing dress rehearsals. I have blackout curtains so bright light is never an issue.
I store my bags in a guest room closet where I installed shelves. I keep the door slightly ajar for circulation, but no direct sunlight gets in. I’ve done this for the past 5 years without any issues.
My dream home has a room just for my clothes, bags, and shoes!
I realized that dream once my last child moved out! I turned his bedroom into a big “closet” and had my Hubby line one entire wall with shelves for my bags. I recently counted and have 75 bags so that wall is FULL! It makes me happy to walk in and see the bags I’ve collected over the years, some mark a time or special occasion and some are just beautiful to look at. I am definitely on the “display” team!
Or, a separate room for each! 😊
They stay in their dust bags in a cool closet until ready to wear. I don’t feel the need to show off my collection to my housekeeper and guests.
Maybe it’s not to show off though. Anyway I never have guests in my bedroom.
These are perfect and what I use
https://luxurybagdisplay.com/
Don’t leather bags need to “breathe”? Do these allow for it?
They have slots in the side
Same. I wait for sale though cause they can get expensive.
Store but easy access so you can change at least weekly if not more
I think after reading some of the comments, I’m definitely leaning towards keeping everything in dust bags, but aiming for out of bins/boxes so I can visualize what’s what and rotate my bags more.
I have designed my own little walk-in closet with a set of shelves for my bags, so every time I enter I enjoy them. I filled the dustbags with cotton wool and use them inside the bags to keep them from losing their shape
After I use a bag, I wipe it down, stuff it, tuck in/remove the straps (if necessary), and put them in a dust bag in my closet.
Display! Well, I don’t use my bags if I don’t see them. I hang them on the acrylic handbag hangers from container store ($20), and from time to time I give them a swipe with a duster I hang on my belt rack (also from container store, about $12 I think).
I am currently getting used to searching for what I can afford to live in Manhattan with my partner, and while I currently store my bags in dust bag or boxes, I may have to get rid of at least 1/2 or more of my collection if I were to move to NY tomorrow. Congrats on finding your new home! Best of luck and keep us posted with your org. closet!
Thank you. I’ll keep you posted! Good luck on your search – the NYC apartment market right now is crazy!
I have a good size closet in my main bedroom. I keep my bags in their dust cover and packed with original tissue paper when not use, just because, I’m a neat freak!
Beware tissue paper from boutiques. It’s not acid free and it’s only meant as a temporary fill for your bag. Look for acid free alternatives for storage solutions.
Me too! But I keep track of every single bag that I have in my Pinterest account so that whenever I need, I just have a quick look at the pictures and know which one I will reach for. It’s a good way for me not to forget any of them and to make sure I rotate them regularly
The most pathetic part is when people have a display that includes designer boxes and designer shopping bags. What’s next? You gonna frame your receipts too?
Dust bags in the closet but I do leave the one I’m currently using out on a shelf so you have a little eye candy 🙂
Definitely both, highlights on display, allrounder neatly stored. Humility control and darkness guaranteed. I constantly feel guilty about not laying the best ones down to keep them away from sagging…
Oh, I see, although my bags leave me with humility I meant humidity which is a big problem in modern European houses that are wrapped up in plastic to save energy.
I personally would not leave my bags exposed and upright. I have a long storage chest at the foot of my bed. Perfect for storage about a dozen bags on their backs. The added bonus is that you can see them all at once and keep them in constant rotation.
I have a walk in with cabinets and shelves for bags. I never use dustbags, never have, never had any problems. I have them there for convenience, not to be “on display”. I want to find what I want quickly. Opening dustbags looking for a certain bag would suck because I’m pretty unorganized.
I have my bags stored in their dust bags in my wardrobe, but I would love to have them displayed. However, I am afraid that they can get ruined.
I keep mine in their dust bags in larger felt bins on top of my closet. I have a photo album in my phone if bag pics so I can remember what I have. If you really want to display them but are concerned about doing so long time maybe switch them up seasonally. That way your most used bags of the moment are accessible but nothing is exposed for too long.