Chanel Vintage Speedy Bag

I wish with every fiber of my being that more online stores stocked vintage luxury bags. There’s something that I find so alluring about vintage – much of it, particularly those items made by luxury houses, has the feel of true exclusivity that even most high-end bags are missing these days.

Most of us know that almost everything we buy is made in factories, not by a talented artisan that cares about his work, and that makes luxury goods a bit less fun. With vintage, at least we can pretend that it was made by a guy named Francois in a picturesque workshop, diligently sewing bags while wearing a beret and smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. Or at least that’s what happens in my head. Perhaps Francois had a hand in the lovely Chanel Vintage Speedy Bag? I bet no one can prove to me that he didn’t – it’s vintage, after all.

This is not your average vintage Chanel bag – classic flaps are fairly easy to find at high-end vintage shops and, if you have nerves of steel, on eBay, but styles that were only made for a short period of time and don’t have the “iconic” status of a flap bag are what really intrigue me. I particularly like the large metal pieces on the ends and that this bag uses a specially woven leather to mimic the brand’s trademark quilts – the details go a long way in a vintage piece. I don’t know if I’d pay the premium for it, but if you want a Chanel bag that you’ll probably never see on anyone else, something like this is right up your alley. Buy through ShopBop for $4180.