Oftentimes we skip over purchases only to be thankful that we didn’t buy them in the long run, but sometimes there are those bags that we skip out on that haunt us like a bad dream. We’ve all got at least one bag that “got away”. Maybe it was a limited edition release, or a special collaboration, or maybe it was a rare vintage find that you wish you had pulled the trigger on. Either way it’s likely that you sometimes still think or dream about those unicorn bags. Today I’m taking a look back at three of mine. Which bags do you regret passing up?
Valentino Maison Studded Baullato Bag ($1,088)
The year was 2008, and I fell in love with this studded bag when I saw little J carrying a bold purple version of it on season one of Gossip Girl. The show premiered when I was still in high school and I used to watch it weekly with my mom. I remember being in awe of this bag at first sight, falling in love with the color immediately, which matched my childhood room, and then the ruched, studded body after. At the time Gossip Girl style blogs were huge, and it was incredibly easy to find the exact bag online. I knew it would never actually be mine, and though I wouldn’t carry a bag like this today, I would have cherished it then.
Louis Vuitton Monogram Stephen Sprouse Roses Speedy 30 ($1,815)
The year was 2009 and I had just began my freshman year of college. My collection of bags was so small it’s hard to even justify calling it that. Yet even then I knew that bags would be part of my life forever, and when Marc Jacobs released a limited edition collection of bags for Louis Vuitton I needed to have one. The collection was an ode to the late artist and designer Stephen Sprouse, and the bags featured some of Sprouse’s most iconic motifs.
The collection included various versions of popular LV silhouettes like the Neverfull, Speedy, Keepall and Pochette. Despite the fact that just a year prior I had gotten my first Louis Vuitton bag (a Monogram Speedy 25) as my graduation gift from high school, the bag I wanted from the collection was the Monogram Speedy 30 in Rose Print. I had no means to purchase the bag and no business asking for it for my birthday or other event either. I remember going into the Louis Vuitton store after one of my shifts working at the local mall to talk to an SA about the bag. Even though the responsible decision was the one I made—not putting myself into debt and swiping my newly acquired credit card—I still wish I had purchased the bag when it was available at retail price.
Chanel CC Logo C Drawstring Bag ($3,838)
The following year I studied abroad during my summer break and was one of 16 students to be accepted into a global fashion merchandising program. The course allowed me to study in 3 European cities: London, Paris and Florence. It was my fist trip to Europe, and I knew I would want to spend, and spend big. My bag collection was still small at the time, and though I should have been conscious of diversifying my collection a little bit, I knew I wanted to purchase another Louis Vuitton bag at the brand’s iconic flagship store. I started saving every penny I made nannying from February to when I departed in May, and I had saved enough to purchase a bag and then some.
My first day in Paris was a whirlwind, it felt like a dream and I can almost feel the butterflies of excitement flitting about in my stomach if I stop and think hard enough. I came upon a little consignment store that was filled with hidden treasures. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, YSL before it was Saint Laurent and more. I spotted an adorable Chanel 90s era drawstring bag. If memory serves me it was nearly identical to the one below, but more more affordable.
I had never bought anything Chanel before and at the time pre-owned items were not nearly as loved as they are now. The bag was in good condition and priced around 1500 EU. I was young and naive and I didn’t understand the rarity and value in such a find. I knew I wanted to spend my hard earned savings on a new LV bag, so I passed it up. That Chanel bag is probably my greatest bag regret to this day, especially given the fact that I’ve since sold the bag I ended up buying instead—a Louis Vuitton Verona PM.
