With so many beautiful bags out there and more being designed and released every season, it gets harder and harder to appreciate what it is that you already have. Despite a growing collection of bags—I’ve acquired two designer bags and three contemporary bags in the last year alone—I’m finding it harder and harder not to get sick of the bags that I currently own. Two or three years ago, I would throw my stuff in a bag—don’t get me wrong, it would be a nice one—and use it for weeks on end without switching it. In the winter, I would alternate between my burgundy Chloé Marcie bag, a black Chloé tote, or any of my monogram Louis Vuitton bags, but I would use them for weeks, even as long as a month before changing them.
Now, I get sick of my bags so easily that I find myself constantly changing them, to the point where it sometimes takes me forever to get out of the house because I’m digging through my bag bin, trying to find the one I’m looking for. Last weekend I switched to my off-white Chloé Drew because it matched my outfit, and I was actually impressed that I used it for a whole six days before I was over it. I’ve got my Gucci Marmont in tow today, but I’d had my stuff in another bag for the last couple of days prior. While I love all the bags that I’ve got, and I’ve worked hard to get most of them, I don’t understand why I’m getting so sick of them. Sometimes I wonder if it’s purely because of what I do—I see and test so many different bags that my mind is like a ping pong ball going back and fourth from one designer to the next. But I don’t think so, because I imagine there are many bag lovers out there like me who have the same problem!
I just turned 28 in May, and I’m only a few years into my career, so buying every bag that I want (or even a quarter of the bags I say I want!) is not a possibility. Though I would love to be frivolous versus frugal, I’m actually relatively responsible when it comes to my finances and I try desperately not to over-spend. Though I do my best to style my bags differently and rotate them, more so now than ever, I find myself constantly craving something new. Whether it be a bag I’ve received as a sample to test, one I found while browsing online, or even a bag that caught my eye on a super-stylish stranger, I just can’t get the urge to acquire out of my head! I’m seriously considering purchasing a certain belt bag that I’ve had my eye on, but I worry that if—and when—I get it I’ll be tired of it soon after and begin craving something else! Do you guys think bag fatigue is inevitable, or do you have ways to avoid it?
I’m there with you. It came to a point of not taking ANY bags to the vacation this year. Which is absolutely insane for me! My husband keeps looking at me as if I’m not ok each evening before dinner when I ask him to put my phone in his bag. But I found myself thinking about which bag/s to take with me for weeks prior packing and in the end I was overwhelmed, Lol. It does sound silly. But I’m actually enjoying it very much, I think it will help at least a little and and least for a little while when I get back.
Personally I try to avoid the “trendy” bags as those are the ones I tire of most quickly. So I go for a style I find interesting, sometimes unique and that will fit my everyday wardrobe.
I haven’t experienced bag fatigue yet… but in order to avoid it, I don’t look at social media often since that seems to affect my feeling for my own bags. Also, I try my best to wear my bag with as many outfits as possible, that way, it seems more fresh to me and less tiring.
I get that there’s so much eye-candy out there and we want what we want. But enjoying the bags and SLGs I already own seems to reduce bag fatigue or I don’t have it.
This is why it’s good NOT to sell anything, you may change your mind again when a special event or outfit calls for one of the bags in your possession, and you won’t have to go out and spend a fortune.
I’ve had bag fatigue for a while now. I’m unsure what to do either, I’ve tried “shopping my stash” to fight it, but that doesn’t seem to help. I sell items in my collection when the fatigue gets too much with a particular item. But I’m right there with you, can’t wait to see the advice other bag lovers have.
I’m there with you. It came to a point of not taking ANY bags to the vacation this year. Which is absolutely insane for me! My husband keeps looking at me as if I’m not ok each evening before dinner when I ask him to put my phone in his bag. But I found myself thinking about which bag/s to take with me for weeks prior packing and in the end I was overwhelmed, Lol. It does sound silly. But I’m actually enjoying it very much, I think it will help at least a little and and least for a little while when I get back.
I’m doing the same these days.
I sort of did the same thing on my recent trip! Did not take any of my nice bags that I was originally considering taking, but only took my trusty nylon backpack for the flight and a small nylon nondescript crossbody/wallet for everyday. No designer or nice bags. I was so happy and carefree.
I have a strange piece of advice; search online, instagram or on youtube of someone else using or talking about your bag. It helps me because it is a reminder of the reasons I purchased it in the first place. Another suggestion is to maybe buy a bag charm or a removable strap ! I have the Saint Laurent backpack with the studded fringe on the side and I bought a coach dinosaur bag charm and it’s made me fall in love with the bag all over again.
Feeling fatigue in the sense that there’s a few bags I want but I dont feel like buying them. Somewhere in between not sure which to get first and not wanting any of it badly enough. I guess it’s not a bad thing lol, gonna enjoy the bags I have!
Didn’t you write an article a few months ago saying that you couldn’t commit to buying a bag?
Yup- finally committed and splurged on the Marmont though, but now I already want something else! I need to learn to use and love what I have!
Easy: stop buying.
You’ll appreciate what you have.
I buy timeless pieces that are “me” and never go for the latest bag everyone has:))
I also avoid trendy bags. They just don’t fit my lifestyle. I don’t have bag fatigue with the bags I carry regularly, I’m more likely to have buyer’s remorse, well not remorse exactly, but the realization that the bag I bought wasn’t what I hoped it would be. Like my BV Olimpia. I wanted a BV bag for years and when I saw the larger Olimpia with the longer chain, I thought that’s the one for me. But…the love affair didn’t last. The chain is heavy and NOISY, there are few things I don’t like that much (although I still LOVE BV’s woven leather and craftsmanship). As a result, I’ve carried the bag only a few times. I’m 90% sure I’ll sell it. Ditto for two other designer bags. OTOH, I still enjoy my Louis Vuitton Trevi PM as much as the day I bought it; my Gucci Boston Supreme Tian bag gives me pleasure every time carry it. And I’ve had the opposite of bag fatigue with my Carolina Herrera bags — I find that the more I carry them, the more I enjoy them. PB really needs to do a feature on this brand!
This doesn’t sound like bag fatigue. It sounds like shopping addiction.
It seems to me too. I understand “bag fatigue” as when you cant’t find any bag lovely or interesting or fitting anymore.
I had bag fatigue in the past, when I bought too many and too indiscriminately. What I did then was the opposite of acquiring more. I sold the bags that I wore too seldom or didn’t love as much as I had used to. I stripped my collection down to a few timeless bags that I can imagine myself wearing in 10 years. I rotate them and am happy with them and decided for myself that it’s easier to have less choice. I decided to get one bag per year, so I give it a lot of thought in advance regarding which bag I’m going to get ( usually a classic ). I stopped buying trendy/ it bags, because I got bored with them really fast. Do not underestimate the joy of delayed gratification 🙂
I did the exact same thing early last year! Great advice.
Thanks for posting this topic! I can agree with you in so many ways! I think maybe when you buy too many in a shorter period of time you can get bag burnout for sure. Plus I agree with what some have stated and that maybe stick with a timeless style rather than a trendy style. For instance, the LV Speedy in brown monogram….never will go out of style, period. A belt bag on the other hand? Once all designers go on that bandwagon, you know it’s ‘over’. All these current logo obsessed bags, the ones that have the whole name plastered all over it-avoid like the plague. The Gucci you posted above to me is timeless for sure, no different than a Chanel flap with a different logo. I just recently purchased a classic Balenciaga part time in chevre leather from 06….I got it at a great price and in amazing condition and I’m over the moon for it….I’ve been using it everyday since I got it! Classic Balenciaga will never go out of style!
I have bag fatigue in the other direction. Nothing out there is particularly catching my eye in that “Oh I have to have it!” sort of way, but at the same time, I’m not over the moon about any of my current bags either. For the first time in a while, I’m considering my big birthday purchase to be something other than a handbag!
If you already have a lot of bags, commit to buying a new bag only if you’ve lusted over it for months. Don’t buy impulsively!
I own around 20+ bags and I tend to use a bag for 1 week straight before changing. I coordinate my clothes to the bag that I’m carrying rather than the other way around so I don’t change bags often in a week.
Get some bag accessories- twillys, charms, straps etc so you can mix and match to make the bags fresh. My favorite accessory right now is the Fendi Zucca wrappy to give me a little logo mania. Etsy has great bag accessory options also.
I have pictures of all my bags on my phone . Each friday night I look at the pictures and decide which purse I will carry for one week and I do carry it for the week.I love all 42 of my bags ,some are high end but most are modest .Lately I check on my favorite bag brands but have challenges finding anything that I love.Beside that I only shop when I travel as I live in an isolated area with no access to high end shopping. Next week will be a Michael Kors woven leather Hamilton I bought in Miami. In fact I love my bags so much I can tell you exactly where I bought each one .
My “designer” bags only range up to Coach, but in that line I have picked and chosen only what I really loved and really can use. I’ve grown tired of cheaper bags, for sure, but not my Coaches. My little forest green Page is sat upon my home office desk as I type this, rather than hiding in its dust bag, because it makes me smile to see it and occasionally take it out for an adventure. 🙂
I got over and out of the rut by starting to put more effort into buying. I research, ask my peers, google the heck out of whatever it is I’m wanting, do sale stalking, look at preloved, watch Youtube videos, everything possible. If I finally decide to take the plunge I know I’m getting something I need rather than just what I want. Many times I grow out of a bag or SLG before even purchasing because I’ve given it time. Now I have a collection that lacks nothing. I’m not buying anything in the near future if not a small wallet. That’s one of the things I need but I have to clear out some other SLGs first and do more research before I can splurge.