I’ve been sucked into binge watching the phenomenon that is “Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up” on Netflix. If you haven’t seen it, Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant who travels to different people’s homes to help them organize their belongings. Kondo’s motto is that if the item doesn’t “spark joy”, you donate it. The show really got me thinking about my current closet situation, which happens to be pretty full these days. I own many bags and Kondo would be happy to know that each one sparks joy in its own way, but I have to admit I’m guilty of using the same bags on repeat. I don’t think I am ready to donate or sell anything right now since I really do love everything I have in my collection, but it’s a shame not to use all of the bags in my closet. I should have my collection on a constant rotation, but I’ve been known to get lazy and use the same bag for a week or sometimes two. I try to keep the interior of my handbags organized to make it easier to switch my items over, so I stash my lip glosses, mints, a tide stick, antibacterial wipes, and other small miscellaneous items inside a large pouch. The pouch helps moving over my smaller belongings easier when I do switch bags, but I still think I could do a better job of switching bags more often. I decided to challenge myself to swap my handbag out every single day for one week.
I didn’t think swapping bags daily would be a true challenge, but I was surprised by how hard it was for me. I’m not a morning person and I am usually rushing out the door to get to work on time. Taking the extra time to select a bag, take it out of its dust bag, switch the items over, and then put the old bag back on the shelf took up more time than I realized. I tried switching my bag out at night before bedtime, but ultimately preferred doing it in the morning after I was already dressed in my outfit for the day. This exercise made me more mindful of keeping the inside of my bag clean, because in addition to my trusty pouch, I usually have crumpled up receipts strewn throughout my bag. Luckily I remained diligent in removing clutter in my bag throughout the week—no messy receipts here!
[sc_ic_ad1]Swapping bags sounds like a small task, but just choosing which bag to wear took me some time as I’m quite indecisive. I have a pretty solid mix of premier and contemporary brands in my closet, and I made an effort to use a variety of brands and styles during my one-week challenge. While I don’t think I will switch bags every day for the rest of my life, I do think this exercise will help me to get into the habit of switching bags more often and avoid getting stuck in a rut and using the same bag repeatedly.
Here are the bags I ended up using throughout the week:
Monday
One of my favorite bags I own, I picked the Chloé Faye to brighten up my Monday. Sometimes I need two cups of coffee and an extra boost of confidence on a Monday morning, and I always feel incredibly chic and put together when I wear my Faye, so it was a solid choice for the first day of the week. The Faye doesn’t hold as much as some of my other bags, so it worked that day because I was just heading to and from the office. My bag ended up complimenting my booties perfectly too, which is always a plus in my opinion!
Tuesday
It was a particularly cold and windy day, even by middle of winter standards. I decided to use my Louis Vuitton Damier Azur Neverfull because I love to carry white in winter and I needed a larger bag to store a big scarf, gloves, and a hat. The Damier Azur print really did cheer me up from the winter blues. I consider my Neverfull to be a perfect every day bag. It’s lightweight, matches almost everything I own, and fits perfectly under my shoulder. I own all 3 prints in the Neverfull and love them all for different reasons, but the Damier Azur was perfect that day.
Wednesday
It was a damp day, so I pulled out my trusty, maintenance free Roots Bag. I bought a bag from the Canadian brand on a trip to Banff last year and have been smitten ever since. The leather on this bag can take a true beating, and I tend to use it on days I don’t want to baby my bags. I learned about this brand on the PurseForum prior to my trip, and my Roots bag has quickly become one of my favorites. I don’t see the style I own for sale on their site right now, but they have a ton of cute options available right now.
Thursday
I had watched Midnight in Paris on Wednesday night and was inspired by the Parisian scenery, so I grabbed my Gerard Darel 24 Heures Bag to wear on Thursday morning. I bought my Gerard Darel on a trip to Paris in 2015 from the brand’s boutique in Le Marais. I knew about Gerard Darel from a PurseBlog feature from years prior, but when I touched down in Paris and saw the 24 Heures bag on the arm of every chic French woman in sight, I knew I had to have one. My bag will always remind me of a cherished long weekend with my husband in the City of Love!
Friday
I was wearing an all-black outfit this day, so I really wanted a bag that would stand out against my outfit. I grabbed my trusty Mulberry Bayswater. While the Bayswater is a classic, understated bag, I own it in a fire red color. I typically grab my brightly colored Bayswater when I am trying to make a statement since the color is so eye catching. My Bayswater is a little bit on the heavier side and doesn’t have a crossbody strap, so it was perfect for a work day, where I locked it safely away for the majority of the day and didn’t have to carry it around all over the city.
Saturday
My husband and I had a busy day of chores and boring errands on Saturday, so I wanted to wear a bag that would make me happy. I grabbed one of my all-time favorite bags, my Chanel Medallion Tote. I know some Chanel lovers consider this discontinued bag to be dated, but it’s my only Chanel item and it brings me so much happiness. It made a trip to Whole Foods seem glamorous, and for that reason I’m never getting rid of it!
Sunday
Sunday we met my family for brunch, so I opted for my hands free Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac. I don’t like to bring big bags to restaurants when I can avoid it, mainly because putting my bag on the floor is a horrendous ordeal for me and I hate having to fuss over where my bag will go during the meal. For that reason, a crossbody is always a safe bet when going out to eat. We ended up popping into a few shops after brunch too, so I was glad to be hands free!
How often do you switch up your bags? I don’t think I will be changing bags daily, but I certainly am going to try to mix my rotation up more often moving forward.
I change my bags constantly otherwise they won’t get used. What’s the point investing in them if they sit in the closet.
Close to never… I have a small collection of luxury handbags that I’ve bought over the past 3-4 years, but I’ve only used brought of them outside, out of plain laziness… The bag I’m wearing daily is a designer WOC, but If I need a larger bag (to fit my laptop, for example) I’ll just grab my old, trusted, structured “no name” bag for that day! But I do get much joy from just seeing all my designer goodies on the shelf! I just bought them for myself so as long as I enjoy having them I do not consider it a waste of money… Right? But I will definitely try to force myself to get some wear out of the others too.. eventually…
…but I’ve only used ONE of them outside, out of plain laziness… is what I ment to say! Sorry, mistake! 🙂
I change my bag every week which means my wardrobe is pretty coordinated for a week. For example, if I were to carry a pink bag I would be wearing something with a touch of pink or black so the pink bag will pop.
Much of the time, I too find myself designing an outfit around a bag! I just cannot help myself – I love my accessories so much more than my clothes. Shoes, bags, jewelry, matching leather gloves & scarves, oh my! If all you owned was one little black dress, & one black suit, your accessories could create different looking outfits for every day of the week! Always invest the most you can afford, in high quality accessories!
I change my bags constantly to fit my mood and outfit. It’s sometimes really time consuming which embarrasses me because there certainly are bigger issues in the world! But it makes my day better. Over time, I’ve slowed down a bit with changing so often because it reminds me that I own far too many. But honestly, I truly enjoy the bags that I own. They’re definitely for me & not for showing off.
I switch bags anywhere from 1-15 times a week. Most of the time I change my work bag at least 3 times a week and the bags I carry in my free time change daily. I also switch wallets every few weeks. My other pouches usually stay the same for very long time; I might switch my misc items pouch a few times a year but my “pharmacy” stays the same.
An exception to the rule exists. I used the same Boss Taylor Tote for work for almost 5 months but in my free time I usually go for something small or medium sized so switched daily – my main choices for free time are M Alexa, M Antony, M Ledbury, LC LPC Crossbody or RM Mini Mab Side Zip Tote.
There has been one bag that I used pretty much every day and for everything for a year. It was the Lumi Supermarket XL in Blueberry, which was perfect. If I remember correctly I used my M Antony a few times in that year but otherwise it was all Supermarket all day. After putting it down I didn’t pick it up for the next 3 years and ended up selling it. Now, a year and a half later I miss that bag! I used it too much and it took me 4½ yrs to get the spark back. That’s one of the reasons I switch. I like for a bag or SLG to keep an edge and stay special.
I also decide my outfit, makeup and bag for the next day, before I go to bed. Especially those weeks when we have the kids around, mornings are so full of everything I really can’t be bothered with extra decision making so make things easy for myself.
I switch my bag almost everyday, otherwise they won’t leave my shelf! I’m constantly curating my collection and weeding out the bags that don’t make my rotation. My co-workers must wonder how many are in my closet… hah!
There are a couple of special occasion bags in my collection that only get used twice per year because of the holidays/weddings, otherwise, the rest of my bags are either work bags or weekend bags. I’m not a morning person either – I find switching out the bag and planning my outfit the night before is easiest for me. 🙂
Me too!??? I have done this for as long as I can remember. I take great pleasure laying out my entire outfit, down to the jewelry! I’m a muddled mess, in the morning, so I mainline a pot of coffee?& leave no decisions up to my addled brain!?
Since joining Purseblog, I have been way more conscious of switching out my bags per outfit, instead of per season. It’s been really fun, too!
Would love to see more posts like this, with outfit photos! 🙂
yes why aren’t there outfit photos in this post??
I switch my bags every other day. I think doing it everyday will be a little too much but every other is fine. Plus I get bored easily. I don’t carry a lot of stuff and I have noticed that if I switch my bags out constantly, I will never have a cluttered bag full of receipts and my bags do not show wear as easily.
“I’m not a morning person and I am usually rushing out the door to get to work on time. Taking the extra time to select a bag, take it out of its dust bag, switch the items over, and then put the old bag back on the shelf took up more time than I realized. I tried switching my bag out at night before bedtime, but ultimately preferred doing it in the morning after I was already dressed in my outfit for the day.”
Preach!!! That’s why I don’t switch my bags nearly as often as I would like to…
Also, that’s a great post – I like to know how other bag lovers choose, buy, use, store their bags, what the stories of the bags are, etc. 🙂
Loved this article! Thanks for talking about your daily reasons for choosing each bag, what functionality you needed from them, and how they made you feel. This was super helpful!
Trying to switch up my bag a few times a week so I use them more often and remind each one that I love them. Since I love to admire them on the shelf in my closet I store the dust bag for each inside its bag then leave it on the shelf as a placeholder.
May I also recommend Bagnet to anyone who worries about their bag having to touch the floor? Great small company started by a very smart woman. (I’m not sponsored, I swear!!)
This post is the best, more like it please!!!
Maybe all of you PB ladies could do a feature like that with your own bags and/or outfits…
I switch out my bags 2 times a week. My job requires me to be in my car everyday mostly all day, so I find having a medium to large sized slouchy bag to be perfect for everyday for me, because I like to bring snacks and stuff like that with me since I’m trapped in a car all day, and if I slam on my brakes a slouchy bag won’t tip over in the floorboard ?. My balenciaga work, my vintage Dior Boston and my Prada nylon satchel are my go-to’s.
Interesting discussion point. However I was a bit surprised by the arguments and comments here. I thought that every handbag-lover/collector would like to change them with their outfits and therefore have the opportunity to enjoy the entire collection. This is my approach and my pleasure. I have a long-distance train commuting to work so I use big working bags on week days and I change it most every day. Those handbag are all of similar size and the reason to exchange is basically for the color that would fit with my outfit. Then I can use smaller handbag in the evening or if I have to go shopping later. On weekends, I can enjoy middle-sized or small ones so the style could be the selection factor for those handbags or the type of leather.
Great article! We’d like to get to know the contributors more. How come they never comment on their articles?
If you’re changing out your handbags often, do you also switch out your wallet? If you don’t Do you mix your LV wallet with your Chanel bag? How’s that work for you