A few weeks back I expressed that I had a bit of regret over purchasing a white bag a year ago. While I really love having a white bag in my rotation, and it’s a bag that was, at one time, a big dream for me, it’s a bit annoying having a bag that is so high maintenance so to speak. Looking bag on the last year with my Chloé Drew I realized I didn’t actually ‘baby’ the bag as much as I thought I had. Sure, I kept it stuffed with tissue paper and tucked away in its duster bag when I wasn’t using it, but when it was in use I didn’t treat my bag as delicately as I probably should have.
My Drew came along with me to nights out in the city, it brushed up against my jeans and dark fabrics when I threw it over my shoulder while running errands and overall, if my Drew was packed it was going where I was going. I wasn’t going to swap out my bag just because it was delicate and white, which got me thinking, and I soon realized that I don’t baby any of my bags at all. If I want to wear a bag, I wear a bag. It doesn’t matter where I’m going, who I’m going with or what the weather is going to be like while I’m heading there. Pouring rain on the first day I took my Saint Laurent Nano Sac de Jour out didn’t stop me from sporting my little red bag. Back in high school I got my first big girl bag—my beloved Louis Vuitton Speedy. I used that bag every single day for almost two years! It didn’t matter if I was going to workout and my bag would be locked away in a sweaty gym locker, it came with me!
Though I don’t baby my bags, I do try my best to take good care of them. There’s a fine line between not babying your bags, but still taking good care of them overall. I’ve always been good with my belongings, never losing jewelry or sunglasses, and looking after my favorite items. One of the reasons why I don’t mind investing in nice things is that I know they’ll be with me for years to come! I try not to put my bags on the floor when I go places, I store most of them stuffed, in dusters in my closet, and I switch out my bags a bit more now so I’m not overusing them. However I don’t let certain situations deter me from using a particular bag, but what about you all? Do you baby your bags?
I store my good bags carefully i. e. properly stuffed and in dustbags, and do not use the same bag two or more days in a row, but my secret of keeping them looking new is designating one premium designer bag for knock-about daily carrying. I have one LV that I use for shopping and errands. I carry my needlework, small shopping items, or library books in it. It is about 12 years old, and really sturdy that other than some corner wears, it looks pretty good with great patina. It’s like the big sister that ‘takes one for the team’ so the other ones can sit pretty and pristine.
I take care of my bags but I can’t say that I “baby them.” In the end, they are meant to be loved and used, not admired from afar like museum pieces.
My thoughts exactly and that’s how I use them. That drives my purchases too. I only buy ones I can USE so no suede or very light colors.
Agreed! I’m in the same boat. Fine line between taking good care and babying. Bags are meant to be used and enjoyed!
I’m on the same page. I take care of them because they’re expensive, but the flip side to that is that I spent a lot of money so I sure as heck should be enjoying and using them!
That being said, I do think I cross a line that most non-bag-obsessed normal people don’t do, like I brush out my suede bags, carry a reusable bag inside my bag in case I need to protect it, condition them, spray the ones whose leather can take it with water repellant, etc. So some might say I definitely baby my bags, but I personally don’t think so because I am not afraid to use them and when I get wear, it’s just a badge of honor and a memory on each bag 🙂
I pretty much do what you do. When I’m not using my bags I keep them stuffed in their dust bags, and I keep them in a closet, not out in the open. And in the closet, they have space around them… they aren’t squooshed together.
But once I take a bag out to carry it, I pretty much carry it everywhere. The only exception is if it’s really pouring down buckets of rain, and I plan to be doing a lot of walking. Then I might switch to a more carefree bag for the day (if I have time to make the switch). Oh, and I don’t put my bag on the floor in restaurants or in restrooms, but that’s just basic hygiene… it doesn’t have anything to do with the value of the bag.
In all, I’d say I’m fairly relaxed about my bags. When I first became interested in designer bags (when I joined tPF in 2013!) I conditioned my bags regularly, at least twice a year. The past couple of years, though, I’ve let it go. And I honestly don’t see any difference in the look of the leather, so I was probably overdoing it in the first flush of my new hobby. Of course, if a bag were to get scratches, stains, or watermarks I would definitely clean/condition it, but that hasn’t happened in quite some time.
Use and enjoy! I wouldn’t be careless with them but I think they are meant to be used and enjoyed for sure. It also depends on the type of bag and type of material (Chanel Classic Flap versus Gucci Crossbody for example or coated canvas versus lambskin). My wallets have taken a beating because once I have one I stick with it for years. But since I change out my bags more they seem fine. (I pretty much do what you do – they are stored well when not in use but when I’m out and about I use them freely but not carelessly.)
I use my bags. I don’t have the time, desire, nor inclination to baby them. Now, I’m not completely careless. I don’t abuse them. I do take care of them and store them properly. At the end of the day, it’s meant to hold our daily essentials.
Depends on the bag and the material it’s made of. I baby my Chanel Classic flap just because I intend to use it until I’m rocking a walking cane. I also baby a Tod’s D-bag since the smooth leather would make scratches very obvious.I have a new Gucci Disco bag that I take care of just because it’s new. As for my other bags, I used them as any normal bag but they do get returned to their dust bags when not in use. I do avoid getting my bags wet in the rain as I’ve had issues with mold before.
I really think saffiano leather is the best material for bags. It can withstand a bit of abuse, doesn’t scratch easily and retain it’s shape/structure.
Saffiano is my favorite for durability.
I don’t put my bags on the floor or dirty surfaces, store them in their dust bags, and make sure not to overload them.
I take care of my bags but I don’t think “babying them” is the right expression.
I tend to “baby” new bags for the first few uses, just because I kind of want to keep them as pristine for as long as possible, but that impulse goes away within the first few weeks. I get over it pretty quickly. My only deterrents for not using a bag would be the weather (if there’s a high likelihood of rain and I’m going to be outside) and big crowds at things like concerts and fairs where safety, security (i.e. zippered bags vs non-zippered bags), mobility (small bags vs big bags), and scratch-resistant-ness are key considerations. I wouldn’t count that as babying, so much as taking good care of my bags. I try my best not to put bags on the floor, whether not they are luxury brand leather or my neoprene laptop bag. Again, I don’t think that’s babying, that’s just good sense. You wouldn’t put a shoe on a table, so why would you let a bag that you place on your desk touch the floor?
no i dont. i love seeing wear and tear on my all the leather product(bags, shoe…etc)
I do baby my bags sometimes guard them jealous from rain and put them in dust bags just constructed a huge shelf in my bedroom just for my bags so I can display them. They cost me a fortune you know.
I do take care of them. I don’t put them on dirty floors, I make sure i don’t put anything in them that could leak (e.g. i put make up in a make up, not directly into the handbag), I try not to overstuff them. And when i don’t use them i put a pillow or something inside, so they don’t loose their shape. But I don’t baby them, I want to enjoy them. I wear light colored bags with dark clothing, I still carry LV bags with vachetta when it rains. I guess what it comes down to is I wanna use and enjoy them, but i don’t want to be careless and abuse them.
I don’t baby my bags anymore. I take care of them, but other than that, they get to see rain, shine and all things in between. I used to be so different a few years back – I babied all of my bags and never really got to enjoy them freely. Now I just pick what I like and carry it.
And that’s the best way to enjoy your bags, young lady. Do it! Go out and enjoy your life with your bags. Don’t fret over those silly things. Life has more to offer than worrying about how your bags will look years later. Enjoy them!