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Forgive me if I am duplicating another thread! I am a female and I never really gave it much thought to what the brand of my purse or handbag was UNTIL, my secretary one day made a comment. We had someone come in to our office with a Coach Handbag and she had a bad debt with our office. The secretary really made a big deal out of that fact that the other woman had a Coach! The secretary would love to own one, but couldn't afford one. Lucky for her, I was at a yard sale in a fancy neighborhood and picked her up a lovely one for barely any change. Now she owns a Coach. Then, another day, someone came in to the office and was complaining that his wife just had to buy another Coach handbag! So, I guess I am wondering what is the obsession and is there a difference in brands?!
For handbag lovers, there's a whole lot that goes into the bag a woman carries.
I guess the big differentiator is the purpose of a particular handbag brand. Some people will love a Coach no matter what, simply because it is a Coach. They are pretty good quality and the newer designs are much more creative. (I used to find the older style a bit stuffy. However, I'll admit that I'm not a fan of the brand and choose others over Coach all the time.)
Some people really view handbags as a status symbol and opt to get the monogram ones. I can't knock this because there are some monogram patterns that I actually like: Gucci (esp. if the leather is in contrasting colors) and Fendi (zucca). I love Michael Kors, but I don't really gravitate to the MK monogram pattern.
Some labels are just regarded as a bit edgier, and in this, they seem to appeal to the younger set:
Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Chloe.
Sometimes I liken the handbag fascination to cars. Once you've reached the level of good quality, why do we really care about the appearance? Psychologists/marketers have made a science out of studying this - the car model speaks volumes about the person driving it.
And sometimes there is a style element that draws you in. I know every time I fall in love with a pair of glasses (I have to wear them, badly nearsighted) they are Liz Claiborne. The last three pair I've had that I loved were Liz. Not looking for them -- I don't care who I wear as long as I love it, just happened.
So obviously, there's something about her design esthetic I like.
One thing about the more expensive handbags...yes, it costs a lot, but it will last you ten years if you take care of it. Even the fabric Coach bags are durable and last a long time.
Not all the designer bags you see people carrying are the real thing. The really cheap knockoffs are easy to spot, but it's more difficult to tell with the better copies, from a distance anyhow.
I definitely do not believe that the "expensive" designer bags will last 10 years, 30 years. Yes the style, the classic print etc. but not any one of my designer bags has lasted 10 years except for a LV duffel bag.
Every one of my LVs (when I was young and would wear those, now I am older and dont like to look flashy for safety issues, etc) has fallen apart well under 10 years. My sister's Gucci ( that was over $1000) fell apart in less than a year, pathetic. I guess high end designer bags are long lasting if not used as an everyday bag???
I also believe they just don't make them with the same techniques, materials, craftsmanship as they use to. We all know now that the generations of leather goods makers do not really exist anymore and that the high end brands are importing Chinese workers so they can still stamp the Made in Italy, France on the products. Unless you go after the underground leather manufactures I believe some still exist where generations and generations of families still practice the art of leather maker.
My everyday bag is the Louis Vuitton speedy that I've used for almost two years now. I've traveled with it, it goes everywhere with me. I'm careful not to overload it but its showed no signs of wear and tear. My Michael kors was crap.. Fell apart before you knew it.
Forgive me if I am duplicating another thread! I am a female and I never really gave it much thought to what the brand of my purse or handbag was UNTIL, my secretary one day made a comment. We had someone come in to our office with a Coach Handbag and she had a bad debt with our office. The secretary really made a big deal out of that fact that the other woman had a Coach! The secretary would love to own one, but couldn't afford one. Lucky for her, I was at a yard sale in a fancy neighborhood and picked her up a lovely one for barely any change. Now she owns a Coach. Then, another day, someone came in to the office and was complaining that his wife just had to buy another Coach handbag! So, I guess I am wondering what is the obsession and is there a difference in brands?!
Well I collect designer handbags and they can become a addiction To me once you go designer you don't go back. I adore all designer bags and never buy anything else anymore. It is true, if you take care of your bags they can last for years on top of years. I adore Coach and I also love Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Balenciagia as well as others. To me there is tiers of designer bags, there is lower end and higher end. The top of the tier being Hermes, the lowest being Dooney & Bourke. I love Coach but can not understand why people think it's expensive or unattainable. If you go to a Coach outlet you can get them for nearly nothing. I've bought Coach bags at the outlet for as low as $68.00-$88.00 before. To me that is dirt cheap, anyone should be able to afford around a $100.00 handbag at some point in their life. I see people add own a Coach bag to their bucket list on Pinterest all the time and end up thinking WTF? It's simple, they even have outlet sales online, and even on ebay they have outlet sales, for those who don't live around a outlet. I live within driving distance of one, and go from time to time. When we move in a few months I'll be lucky enough to live within 20 minutes of two.
I decided to pay no more than $100 per bag a year or two ago. I haven't looked for one in a year, so maybe I will have a hard time when I begin looking again. I like leather, and I like a nice print lining. The bag must be convenient for me to use. If I could buy any bag out there, I'd buy whatever Fossil bag I fancied. They are my faves. But they are too expensive for me unless I luck into a great sale.
So for me the brand Fossil means something. The last bag I bought was a Perlina--on sale at Marshalls.
Most women consider handbags a status symbol. It may not be the case for a lot of people (like me), but usually when you glance at a woman, the first thing you notice is what handbag she's sporting because there are so many similar clothes and so many clothing brands, it can be a high-quality coat or dress when it costs only $10.
I've been dying to get a designer bag for a very, very long time. I still remember in 2006 when I was coveting that Juicy Couture Daydreamer tote because it was the "it" bag back then. Never got it and before I knew it, it was crap quality once everyone started buying them. I finally got myself a Marc Jacobs bag this summer and I've got to say...I've received different responses from the way people approached me. All of a sudden, these sales people jump at me like I will buy their stuff. I'm thinking about giving it away or something because it does give me that "power" I don't really want. People don't want to be seen as poor so having something that is conspicuous in luxury kind of balances the way people see you. To be honest, I think designer handbags are just so oversaturated. I think I enjoy buying brands lesser-known and that I feel comfortable in.
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