I have to start off by saying there are a handful of factors that can come into play with what I am about to discuss. As you all know, I love bags, always have always will. A bag to me is so much more than just a bag: it carries my true necessities, my secrets, and brings me comfort and peace in a way that is hard to explain, though I am sure many of you feel the same way about your bags.
When I first fell in love with bags, I was in middle school and had no money to my name, so from that point through the beginning of college, any bag that I got came from my parents as a gift. My begging was incessant, and if I did get a bag from my parents (seriously, they are saints I was so annoying and frustrating and infuriating I am sure), I cherished that bag immensely. Then Vlad and I started PurseBlog and started to make some money of our own, and I was able to save and afford bags for myself. My living expenses were minimal (I only paid $350 for rent and had two roommates in a really nice apartment), so buying a bag made sense at that point in my life, and I felt a rush each time I was able to do so.
My shopping grew from there, lusting after hard-to-get bags, dreaming and then buying Birkins (which I thought I’d never be able to do), getting on lists for hot new releases. And then I changed a bit, or rather, we decided to start a family. The minute I was pregnant, and even a bit before, I stopped shopping as much. I did delve into the world of kids clothes, but I still think I am fairly even-keeled about it—I sometimes purchase more expensive items, but also round things out with a lot of clothes from Target (I love Cat & Jack brand) and Zara for Millie as well.
While I still love my bags, I changed. I think about doctor’s bills and school and our children’s future, and it makes me a much more responsible shopper. So I was even surprised when a few months ago I REALLY wanted the Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis. I wanted it so bad I even wrote a poem about it—is that even normal? The bag is constantly sold out on LV’s website, and it’s relatively rare that a boutique gets one in stock. I put my name on lists and stalked the site every day for weeks. And then the call came in: the bag was at the store. I rushed over to purchase the bag and was so excited. I drove home with the bag next to me, and then bam, the excitement wore off.
Part of it could be that I didn’t need the bag and I knew it. Part could be that the bag is just a bit smaller than I would like (I am terrible at estimating the size of a bag unless I see it in person, and I always have been). And part could be that the thrill of the chase was better than the catch. Don’t get me wrong, I like the bag (full review to come soon), but I didn’t fall head over heels for it, either. Have I become too practical? Maybe. Or maybe that bag just didn’t fill my heart as much as others do. It could have also had a little something to do with the fact that at the time I got the bag, I was figuring out that I was pregnant and preoccupied. Nevertheless, I find that sometimes the thrill of the chase is a much bigger high than the actual purchase.
Yes, this is sooooo true about the thrill of the chase being more exciting than having the bag itself! It’s so funny coming from you Megs!! 🙂 PS: Looking forward to your review of the bag….I also like that one-it seems very popular.
I have experienced this same feeling for so long and for a while I thought maybe I was “cured” because I no longer had to have the next it bag. But the feeling actually has no rhyme or reason with me. Yes, I love bags as well but I have made many purchases that I regretted while driving home. Sometimes I purchased just because I could. I returned several but not nearly enough and now that I’m older, I wonder when will it end? I recently purchased a medium Gucci Marmont in this beautiful Rubin velvet. I was surprised that I even wanted that style. I had only made a purchase a month ago with a Fendi peekaboo bag. But a day earlier I saw a someone wearing the black leather one in person and voila! I had to have it. It suddenly looked gorgeous in person. Who knew? I’m working on myself or at least trying to.
this kinda resonates for most of us who,
in my opinion we are in this odd stage where designers are confused about who their clientele is – young instagram bloggers? young working professionals? kardashians young socialites? old socialites? middle aged women? actresses?
who is the purse buying customer now a days?
these good for nothing fashion bloggers (who lie for ads and money more often then not) get all their crap for free (bulgari serpenti bag or dior saddle bag)
the actresses and models and kardashians are gifted bags
i certainly do not want to carry a bag thats carried by the kardashians or recommended by youtube/instagram/fashion bloggers but id rather carry a bag that makes me smile or i see on someone in my neighborhood or is carried by someone like Carolina Herrera or Annette De La Renta. Yes some of us (dinosaurs) still follow NYSD and take our fashion queues from European travel and not Beyonce/ Lady Gaga/Nicky Minaj/Kardashians – i cringe when i see them at fashion week and it cheapens the brands in my opinion – are the luxury brands target consumer the people who idolize them and shell out $ 2-5k based on what these ladies are carrying? i would love to see the Return on Investment because we all know these women cost about a couple hundred thousand to show up to these shows with their “entourage”
Id much rather see Nicky Hilton or Marjorie Harvey or anyone who is paying for the haute couture these brands are selling (the times of Jackie Kennedy, Betsy Bloomingdale, Babe Paley, Wallace Simpson, C Z Guest are long gone and i miss them)
I ramble but no bags have been speaking to me lately – im opposed to this mass market Walmart culture taken over by LVMH and Kerring – the sales associate as obnoxious as can be!
Lets hope we get a turn around <3
I totally couldn’t agree with you more! I’m so bored of IG being full of people who get all these bags for free and market so heavily. And then the brand will go and increase their prices. I think it’s sending the wrong message. Further to that I’m with you on this mass market BS! Prices are going up and quality is going down. I’m so tired of it all honesty, and don’t even get me started on sales associates. I really hope something changes.
YES YES!!! We should start writing to the brands directly. Let them know what PAYING CUSTOMERS think – not the freebies recipients.
Exactly! I could “love” any Chanel or Gucci if it was free and I was paid to take a pic with it! AND then the kicker is some of them turn around and sell the bag on the resale market! PB did an article on this fact! I’m just over all of it. So these influencers benefit all around. I feel like Gucci and Chanel are the largest culprits who are doing this, though I have no doubts all designers are doing this in some capacity. One interesting thing I’ll point out is that several years ago the Kardashian’s were carrying and wearing Givenchy all the time. Then suddenly when their friend Riccardo Tisci leaves for Burberry and they’re all back to carrying Birkins because it doesn’t benefit them at all since Hermes doesn’t hand them out for free!
totally agree with you, its a design houses fault as well.
there is no personal style because these like hungry celebrities base it on free goods / borrowed goods/ looks created by stylists and lack any sense of individual style / taste!
who would’ve thought Louis Vuitton will hire a street wear designer Virgil Abloh???
Ricardo Tisci has not done anything good with Burberry either instead of funky ad campaign?
I know right!!! I was just talking with my SA at YSL about this. I’m just so tired of it being so obvious these companies are trying so damn hard. Most of us regular ladies have almost nothing to buy these days! Like I’m totally not going to walk in and buy some ugly bag at Gucci that has some sort of boat rope attached, it’s actuslly laughable lol! It’s part of the reason I’m so drawn to Hermes lately. It’s like it’s not asking too much to want the most immaculate ordinary looking bag like a Kelly or a Birkin?!
i agree with your Audrey, i like the kelly bag the most but i prefer bags in classic colors such as a black, tan, gray or beige (versus the horrible colors Hermes has been selling to target the millennials). since hermes doesnt makes you jump through hoops and pay exorbitant prices for their bags i do not plan on buying one. im enjoying everything i have while i watch the changing times!
those gucci bags are horrid in my opinion but there is a younger demographic who appreciates them! some of the new collection at chanel is also off-putting and there doesnt appear to be any rationale.
a bag i like out of the new bags is the fendi peeka-boo, i regret passing up on one during its first year of release on sale!
The process with Hermes is crazy, and it makes me a little sick that I want to play. I think I’m just finally getting to a point where I want some truly beautiful and spectacular classics and no one else does it better. I’m not sure about the direction of Chanel right now. They’re trying to stay the course but are also putting out some stuff that as you pointed out is aimed at a different client demographic. I’m not sure when the main houses will return to their senses but I hope they do.
For a few bags, that I thought I “had” to have, I rented them first from Bag, Borrow, or Steal. Sure, it’s a bit more of a cost, but I liked knowing if I would really love the bag. It really helped me pick a few bags, and pass on a few others. I borrowed the Pochette Metis (reverse monogram) and all though I loved the strap, and the canvas… it turned out to be just a bit to small for everyday. I can’t wait for your review! It is a gorgeous bag!
This is so accurate! I had the same experience recently with the Pochette Metis, I couldn’t find the monogram so I wanted the pink Empreinte, I asked around to so many stores and none of them had them in, and then when I finally found it in Milan, it was so underwhelming. I ended up getting the black because it was way more practical than a baby pink. I still love the bag, it’s just not as amazing as I had hyped it up to be.
Unfortunately, I’m the same way about men. That’s why I’m single. After a few months, the thrill is gone.
Omg! ALL So true!!
My happy down time is browsing bags online. Once again I find “the one” Then I decide I can’t live without it . I dream about it(literally),I save up and buy it and it’s pure Bliss… I put my items in it and stare at it, carry it from room to room in my house, DRIVE with it on my lap, position it just so.
Suddenly, I am left without a purpose! Lol!
I must set my sights on the next ONE and have a new goal. So ridiculous, I know, but I love it!!
WOW… this post is just so representative about how I feel about the bag market right now. I’m currently lusting hard for my first Birkin and the thought occurred to me the other day that I seriously wonder how I’m going to feel once I actually acquire it?!! Will I be fulfilled in any sort of way? I know it’s the pinnacle of bag ownership for most, and I know I’ll be proud but I’m sort of feeling like maybe this pre ownership stage is better than getting it for real. I’m still not quite at the part where I’ve gone into the store and asked and mostly for fear that I’ll be told no, and I don’t want to carry on this charade of buying things I don’t actually want in order to be offered. Anyway, several things are happening all at once, the bag landscape is changing, my taste is changing, and my priorities are changing. I don’t think I’m over bags, but this article certainly made me think that maybe I’m not alone.
This is me with the Chanel jumbo. It was the size I purchased for my first classic, and all these years later, I finally thought, “Yeah, I hate this size. It’s not big enough for a day bag for me, but it’s too big for evening. It’s all wrong.” I sold two myself and a few days ago sent one to eBay Authenticate. Sticking with my m/l classics and my Boy, and that’s it. I kept buying jumbos thinking the next leather (patent, then lamb, then caviar)/next hardware color (classic gold, then youthful silver, then trendy “So Black”)/next style of quilting (diamond, then chevron) would finally make my heart sing, and each time I brought one home it felt like such a huge letdown. I finally let go of the idea of having a jumbo as a weekend day bag. I bought a Birkin 30 a couple of months ago, and it really filled that niche for me and made the jumbo totally redundant. It was the final nail in the coffin for me and my jumbos. “Letting go” of it has actually been really freeing, and my husband is thrilled that I will finally stop spending gratuitous amounts of money on a style of bag that I always end up finding disappointing.
I am a person in recovery from bag obsession. As a mental health professional, it’s not beyond me that I was fulfilling a void with my bag shopping. The hours that I could spend perusing bags is an embarrassment. I have a list in the Notes section of my iPhone that includes every bag I’ve purchased over the past 20 years. The thousands of dollars I’ve spent makes me cringe when I also know that I do not own one single one of these bags today. I HAD TO HAVE each and every one of them – obsessing until the purchase was made. Months later the bag was on eBay and I was on to the next.
Today I own three bags. A Rick Owens python Adri bag. A Rag & Bone Small Field Messenger Bag in rose suede and a Stella McCarthy perforated logo tote. They are all pretty simple but they each have a purpose. Bag obsession and the latest ‘It’ bag just doesn’t interest me anymore. I think I simply grew out of it.
This resonates so much for me. I’m dealing with a number of mental health issues and one of the symptoms was that my shopping got out of control. I have been keeping it in check recently which is a huge step for me (mainly because I have to!), but at the same time I’ll always treasure my slouchy hunter green Antigona ?
wow, i may need to follow your lead
i totally feel you. i thought it was because i’ve acquired too many bags, more bags than i can use. and also becoming a mom of two little ones was a big factor too. i don’t go any place where i can use my nicer bags (lv petite malle, chanel boy bag in MATTE python…wtf was i thinking?, etc etc), and even if i made myself rotate my bags more, most of them are too impractical for my daily life. also, i got a goyard st louis tote pm over a year ago, and ever since then i can’t seem to STOP using the damn thing!!! that bag has totally ruined bags for me…all my other bags seem heavy, cumbersome, high maintenance, and limiting in space. damn. damn damn damn.
I can totally relate to this. I think that several factors play into the unexcitement of a new bag purchase. I don’t need them I have plenty. I’m in a huge declutter phase. My needs have changed over time I used to carry mid sized bags now super small ones. I’m also so much more critical of my purchases than compared to the past, if it doesn’t hit all the checks then it’s a no go. It’s been more than a year since my last high end bag purchase. I did buy a few contemporary bags this year, one got good use, one occasionally used half thinking about selling, and one is something I’m still thinking about returning.
This is what I have been needing to read! I have gone in circles looking for a everyday bag looking at all types of designers and silhouettes. I finally found the one I love and haven’t bought it yet because now the excitement and search is over so then I overanalyze the bag to try and talk myself out of it and keep searching. It also happened with the Dior Saddle Bag I was on the waiting list and once I got the call and went and looked at the bag the hype and excitement disappeared. I turned it down and the next day it sold which was a blessing in disguise because I would’ve bought it just because of the hype and not because I loved it.
The way you describe it, saying the chase is a better high and more exciting than the actual purchase, is EXACTLY how drug addiction is. Sometimes people are more addicted to the the process of procuring a drug rather than the high itself.
This so resonates with me too. For the longest time, I was obsessed with the thrill of hunting for a particular bag. The purseforum Chanel store stock thread on the day a new collection would hit boutiques was like my Christmas morning, but I’d ended up selling most of my purchases within 6 months after realizing they were impractical for my lifestyle, too unique to match a lot of my wardrobe, etc. When I finally forced myself to do the math on how much money I threw away from the hit I’d take on the bags I got bored with quickly and sold, it literally made me sick to my stomach.
I am happy to say my collection has remained consistently small for a bit now, at least compared to what it was, all classic styles I don’t ever see myself getting tired of (Chanel jumbo, Birkin 35, LV neverfull, Celine micro and nano luggage totes, and 2 Chanel wocs). What’s funny is most of the bags I kept were my first high end handbag purchases, with the exception of my Birkin, which I bought within the past year. That was always my ultimate holy grail bag and when I was able to get my dream color/hardware/size combo, I couldn’t pass it up. I was so excited when I brought her home that for a week or two I was annoyingly giddy and literally couldn’t stop carrying her around the house…my husband thought I was crazy. Now I can truly say I’m done for quite sometime, which my bank account is very happy about 🙂
I feel that you described me. I’d obsess over a LV, Chanel, Hermes, etc. bag and my heart would race and I couldn’t breathe until I purchased it. Then, like you it didn’t fit my lifestyle and I’d sell it, at a loss, to subsidize my next bag. I don’t know why I did this or what void it filled in my life. However, after doing this for a few years, I finally got off of the handbag merry-go-round, since it was too financially and emotionally destructive.
I feel my biggest mistake was telling my SA’s what I was looking for and then felt obligated to purchase when the bag was available. In some way I didn’t want to disappoint them, which now sounds really crazy. Now, It’s uncomfortable in a way to walk into my Chanel, LV and Hermes boutiques since everyone knows me and greets me by name. I would love to walk in and browse, under the radar, but that’s no longer possible.
Now I force myself to be more reflective and consider if the expensive bag that I desire is a need or a want. Mostly, it’s a “want” so I let go of the desire. But, if I really need the style of bag I’m interested I explore new designers. I discovered 2 in Europe who produce high quality Italian products in the $300 market, which I never thought possible. Now I fear they will become so popular that their prices will skyrocket! My handbag dilemma continues. ?
Have a heart, don’t leave us hanging!!
Please do share! What are the names of those designers?)
I have my eye on a cute bag and it’s on. I obsess for a while, rationalize why I shouldn’t pull the plug, forget about it for a while, and then I one day either see it at a good price or just get into one of those moods and BAM! I did it. I did that recently with an Hermes Kelly. I bought it pre-loved because the price was great and the bag was in amazing condition. I’m glad I have it, but I don’t look at it with excitement they way I thought I would. And actually, I get more satisfaction when I make my monthly food donation to the local foodbank.
You bring up a great point – it is important to find balance. If I overspend on material goods, I always feel like something is missing. Glad to hear you give back, it really feeds the soul differently 🙂
Exactly what happened to me some time ago. I was chasing after various LV bags and SLGs. They were never available online, I used to wake up in the middle of the night to see if they’re back in stock, the chase was thrilling and fun. Then I would manage to purchase something and had to wait for it to be delivered (oh, the excitement!), then I would wear the bag everyday for a week…The excitement started wearing off and to keep the feeling alive I would move on to another ‘must have’ bag…Thinking about it it’s just so silly but oh what fun! Totally unsustainable in the long run so had to put myself on a ‘ban island’ lol
On a side note LV marketing/sales people play their customers like a fiddle 😉
Ha, ban island is quite helpful for all of us in all parts of our spending at times!
Meg, very impressed that you shared this, particularly since you own a site that celebrates owning luxury bags. Thanks for your honest feelings of which many of us can relate.
Of course! I think there is such a misconception at times (that is being fueled by social media nowadays especially) that we all just love everything always. I REALLY did get obsessive over bags when we started this site, but my life has changed. So my love for them is still there, but it is entirely different!
I know what you mean. I obsessed over the Tod’s D bag for a year because I thought that the gray one that Kate Middleton has looked divine. However, when I was ready to commit to it, it was discontinued that season. Fast forward a couple of weeks later and I walked into the Tod’s boutique in Prague while on vacation and I asked the SA if they still have the D bag. They only have one left in black and it was on sale. Ring it up! Once I was back home though I realized that it’s a high maintenance bag since the smooth lambskin showed scratches easily, it isn’t as slouchy as I was expecting it to be and I preferred it in a smaller size.
I have been drooling over the Vuitton Tuileries Hobo. It looked like the end all be all of hobo bags. Then today I saw some pics on Pinterest of Tuileries Hobos that were not in just-unboxed pristine conditions. The top part was all crumpled and wobbly. It looked hideous and prematurely-aged. I felt so turned off, the disappointment was heartbreaking. Now I do not want anything to do with that particular model. It has been an emotional roller-coaster. The Tuileries Hobo has let me down how could she?
Today this resonates with me more than usual because today I finally got a bag in the mail that I have been lusting after for 2 years. And you know what it isn’t an LV or Chanel it’s a coated canvas Isaac Mizrahi bag, the Rosaline tote and it such a beautiful and unique moody floral print bag, I truly love it, it’s really special and unique the best part – it only cost me $30. I love the thrill of the hunt for a bag but it’s rare that the bag is everything you want it to be. I got lucky that this time it was most of the time I just like the chase.
It has happened to me so many times. To be honest, almost every single time that I have bought a bag, or anything else for that matter. I LOVE sunglasses, as much or even more than bags, actually, and I always feel like I MUST and I NEED to have them but once I get them, the excitement wears off.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but it could be mixed feelings (and hormones messing up your mind) that are very normal while pregnant. Again, don’t take it the wrong way but it happens – at least it happened to me and a lot of my friends. I remember having inexplicable emotions/thoughts when I was pregnant.
I’m so glad someone else (and maybe many others?) feel this way! I can def say that this has happened to me, as well.
I feel the same way. I lusted after a Chanel boy bag for YEARS. I wanted one so badly. After I finally got it, I was excited for maybe a day, and that was it. I’ve noticed I’m more excited about waiting for a purse or luxury item, but once I have it and open the box the excitement wears off, and I put it away in my closet. I have a large and substantial designer handbag and shoe collection, and yet almost everyday I reach for my longchamp backpack and converse sneakers. I think it’s just the thrill of the chase.Some guys are like that too, they keep pursuing a girl until finally she caves in and then they lose interest. LOL. I also think being constantly bombarded by these “it” girls on instagram makes you start to hate the item you have. I remember I bought my Gucci Dionysus after seeing it in the store and loving it. I had never seen it on instagram. Then it was EVERYWHERE! I found myself reaching for it less and less. the constant bombardment of images of designer products turns me off from designer items.