The one that got away—every bag lover has one! Whether it be a bag of early aughts past that wasn’t in our budget at the time, a seasonal print, or a seriously on-sale, once-in-a-lifetime steal that you were too slow to snag.
Maybe it was a rare vintage piece you spotted in the window of a Parisian boutique—just me?
Either way, if you’re a longtime collector of bags, you likely have at least one, if not many, ones that got away. I’m sure they’re coming to mind right about now, looming in the distance. We think about them all the time, we talk about them all the time, they haunt us.
Still, what about the ones we didn’t buy that felt like they got away, but quickly proved otherwise? Hindsight is truly 20/20, and those bags we didn’t buy—and don’t regret offer insight into bags we maybe shouldn’t buy in the future.
To Stud or Not to Stud?
For me, there is one major one that got away that I don’t regret. The year was 2017, and I was the fresh meat on team PB, looking to add a bag to my small collection. Times were different, trends were different, and I was different.
The bag I wanted changed as often as I changed my outfit. First, it was a Gucci Marmont, then a Gucci Dionysus, and then all of a sudden, I was sure—and I mean SURE—that the bag I wanted to buy was the Valentino Rockstud Chain. I even penned an entire list discussing how I knew it was the one.
Spoiler alert. It wasn’t.
I ended up getting a Gucci Marmont in black, which was the bag I wanted from the start, and while I was happy with my decision, I did long for that Rockstud bag for some time. Still, the Marmont was the best choice for me at the time.
My budget only allowed me to get one bag a year at the very maximum, so it had to be something versatile. The Marmont truly took me through the second half of my twenties. I dressed it up, I dressed it down, and I carried it everywhere.
It actually makes me nostalgic, thinking about all the places it went to and the people I met while wearing that bag!
While stunning and a true statement maker, the Rockstud wouldn’t have functioned the same way for me. Plus, my style quickly became more casual, and it no longer suited the way that I dressed, and eventually, I forgot all about it!
What I Learned
That bag-buying process, while long and drawn out, taught me a lot. Because it was only in my budget to buy one bag for the foreseeable future, I spent a lot of time thinking about it, eventually going back to the bag I had wanted from the start. It taught me not to make rash decisions, and that there is something to be said about pining after something for a long time. I still shop this way, even though my budget is far less tight.
While I still have regrets (like the rest of us), I’ve often saved myself from them because of this, with my beloved Prada Cleo being the perfect example. It was a bag I wanted for a very long time, and like my old beloved, it’s taken me through much of my early 30s. It’s a bag I’ll look back on fondly in the future, no matter if I fall out of love with it.
What’s one bag you lusted after for a long time, only to realize you were glad you didn’t buy it?
The Chanel Boy and Gabrielle.
But when I finally tried them? I did not like them. I just liked the idea of wanting them.
Funny, I’m actually considering a preloved Gabrielle now…even though it’s panned by so many people. I didn’t like it before. Now I find it cute.
The Chanel classic flap in black. The more I looked at it, the more it reminded me e if a bag that my grandmother would have carried. In my mind’s eye, it looks old and dated. I also realized after a bag purge that I don’t like black handbags. Except for a couple of going out clutches, I got rid of all black handbags.
I was offered a mini Kelly twice and declined it both times. I know the store thought they were going to make me happy but nope. The proportions are weird and this bag is everywhere in my social circle. I’d rather wait for something more interesting like a Kelly 28 in ostrich.
I loved this style but there were too many studs – I have other bags were just a touch of studs that I enjoy
I was obsessed with the Gucci Marmont but was still in grad school when it came out and couldn’t justify spending that kind of money at the time. By the time I could afford it, I got sick of seeing it absolutely everywhere. I still think it’s a pretty bag, but it was so ubiquitous at the time that it now feels very of that time and hence, dated.
The Givenchy Antigona. Wanted this for a long time but never pulled the trigger. Now it’s somewhat dated and nobody seems to want one
I still love this bag very much and don’t think it’s out of style at all. It’s more classic than anything in my opinion.
Agree. Classic.
A Birkin. Ugh.