One of the hardest things as a handbag lover is admitting when I’ve fallen out of love with one of the bags in my collection. I always feel defeated over it, like I’m letting myself and my bag down. This happened to me recently with one of my bags, my Louis Vuitton Marignan, which I reviewed last year.
The bag was very special to me because I picked it up while I was visiting Paris, and of course, buying LV in Paris is such an exciting experience. As I looked back at my review, I realized I only gave the Marignan 2.5 stars for “usability + functionality”, which is truly the main reason I decided to sell the bag. Aesthetically I still adore the Marignan, and it was a tough choice to decide to sell it, but I ultimately made the decision because it has been sitting in my closet since last summer. If a bag sits unworn for that long, that is usually a tell tale sign that it is time to consider selling.
So why did the usability and functionality prove to be so low? The Marignan had exposed corners, meaning there was zero protection against bumps and scrapes on the canvas. Louis Vuitton canvas is known for being extremely difficult, if not impossible, to repair after getting punctured, and I was constantly fearing the worst when I would take this bag anywhere. The last time I carried my Marignan was to the grocery store and it bumped roughly against a freezer, which left me inspecting the corners for rubbing and signs of wear in the middle of the store. As strangers stared at me inspecting my bag under the neon grocery store lights, I knew in my heart the Marignan would not stay in my collection forever.
I took the bag out a few more times, and after three or four wears I detected very minor signs of wear. No corner peeling or holes, but I could see the canvas coating beginning to fade down, ever so slightly. Just knowing the next time I wore it I may see a hole or peeling turned me off from the bag entirely, which is why it sat in my closet for months.
This leads me to my true question, as much as handbags are meant to be worn and loved, when does functionality over design become a deal breaker? I don’t baby my bags by any means, but when I know a handbag has a known design flaw, that is where my threshold lies. One quick search of the word “corners” on PurseForum, and you will see there are many who have had similar issues with their corners rubbing.
Everyone is different and has varying degrees of priorities when purchasing a designer handbag. Perhaps corner wear and canvas fading is on the lower end of priorities for you and wouldn’t bother you very much. It’s a shame because the Marignan bag hit all the marks for me otherwise. It could be carried crossbody or by hand, it had an easy magnetic flap, it had large interior pockets and was a very spacious design, but the bare corners were too much for me to handle.
What must your bag have to make it functional and useable enough to work in your day to day life? Would bare corners have you selling a bag too?
Sorry to hear it didn’t work out, but that was a wise decision.
Corners are a consideration but not a dealbreaker. My YSL Uptown pouch feels a bit “corner fragile” so I’m mindful when I set it down, but not in an intrusive way.
For me, flaps decrease functionality straight away. I love the look and it’s really not that hard to flip a flap, but it’s one extra bother that I’ve realized makes me reach for a bag less & can be annoying to find the right spot to secure the flap…even if it’s a tiny one like on the Longchamp Neo crossbody. It’s why the Kelly, Chanel flap and WOC’s aren’t right for me even though I think they’re gorgeous, but the Birkin works because the flap is always tucked in.
My most carefree (and thus most functional) bags tend to be less structured, leather or coated canvas, and in dark-colours. The BV Campana in ebano has been a workhorse lately despite it not being a ziptop.
What ever happens, when i love a bag, i always love it, and i will never ever sell one…i am sorry, but you never sell a beloved lv, no matter how bad the corners turned out by time. Canvas is a overestimated material, and i do not prefer it because it fades even when its first worn.it breaks my heart to sell a beloved bag… i have so many that i love, and yet some of them i do not carry them as often as i would like…so what?i bought them because i liked them and they may be missed sometime in the future… i can see your point regarding functionality, but…. there is always this strange feeling, this intuition that made you fall in love with this expensive little thing, that does not allow me to sell it. Never!i always prefer leather, but if canvas is the material of my beloved one, i will feel proud of its vintage look…
I completely agree with you. When I love the bag I love the bag. I have never sold my bag and I don’t intend to. I picked up each one with a great care. And even though i found out that there is a think or two that i was not expecting I know that it is my beloved bag and I would miss it
You make handbags sound like a bad marriage you can’t get out of. Yikes! This is just stuff not an arm or a leg?
I remember reading your review when it first came out. I love your articles! At the time, the review made me think you didn’t really really love it. You only gave it 3.5 stars, and all that talk about the corners. So don’t sweat it! Live and learn. Someone else will love it, corners and all. Maybe you could share with readers how you sold it. That process would be really helpful to anyone in the same position. Hope the holidays bring you something new!
I am feeling the exact same way about the Givenchy Mystic bag. The first time I saw it, I fell in love and had to have it. It’s a beautiful bag, but it’s so heavy and the flap/closure make it incredibly difficult to get in and out of. It pains me to think about letting it go, but I am starting to admit to myself that it’s the right decision.
Definitely. I am disappointed. It broke my heart to tell, but I was in love with the Sperone Backpack from LV, I bought it and take really good care of it. But it has folded corners, and in a two months period all the corners started to fade the canvas. I stopped using it, and it has been for over two years in my closet. You use the backpack in the back … obviously but when it rub to your clothes or your back, it just happen. I could not believe that a bag will wear and tear from proper use.. I like to sell it. Its basically new. But it would be for less than half oh the price. Still I can’t do it
One of my favorite bags was also a Louis Vuitton BB V Tote , my husband purchased it for me on our honeymoon!! I did wear it often but would clean and condition it after ever use! I still regret selling not just that it was my fav but sentimental value as well! About two months after we were married my great niece was facing foster so we gladly took her in, we had neither any children! So it was a major life changer, We are older like 40’s & 50’s but anyway I had to quit work and stay home with her so the bag had to go for financial reasons!! I will forever love and miss it!!!