Related to the wardrobe discussion... bags.

hellosweetie1015

I need a new purse something FIERCE. I don't even carry a purse right now, because the only one I own looks like absolute shit. It was cute enough when it was new, but it was a cheap purse and is torn to pieces. 

I'm thinking about asking for one for Christmas/getting one with Christmas money. So I go to look at Dooney & Bourke and Coach, because I know those are two quality brands - my mom had two Coach purses and a D&B purse, all older than I am, that were in perfect condition. She still has the wallet that matches her D&B purse, in fact, because she was using it the day the house burned.

And, of course, having never spent more than $20 on a purse, I promptly shit my pants (figuratively) when I see how much theirs are. 

Tell me that asking for a good-quality Coach or D&B purse is a good decision, or either give me good-quality options for less so I don't feel like a spoiled brat. I don't even want one of the ones that are, like, emblazoned "LOOK AT ME I'M A COACH BAG," I just want something simple, big enough to tote my shit, and tidy-looking that will last me more than three months. I don't swap purses around because it just pisses me off, so I won't be buying more than one bag. I just... I don't know that I can justify spending that kind of money on a bag, period.

So essentially what I want is for YOU to justify it FOR ME.

JCbride2015

I hate the ubiquitous Coach monogram (maybe an UO).  Bummer that their leather non-monogrammed bags are so much more!  I have a leather Coach bag that I bought right after my college graduation 5 years ago, and it still looks perfect.  But I also sort of feel like I paid too much money for it.

You can often find good leather bags at discount stores.  My absolute favorite bag that I get the most compliments on is a woven Cole Haan bag.  Cole Haan is expensive just like Coach and DB, but I found my love on sale for $90 at Loehmann's (RIP Loehmann's).  

I've also gotten nice bags for good prices at the Michael Kors and Kate Spade outlets.  You can always express your desire for a nice quality leather purse and sort of drop a comment like, "I hear Marshall's or the outlet stores generally have good deals..."

climbingsingle

I've owned many Coach bags. I personally love them because they hold up well and can really take a beating. To me, it's worth the investment. Don't get me wrong - I'll also spend $30 on a cute purse I spot at Kohl's. I love purses and I buy all kinds. 

Check out the Coach Outlet for better deals and sales. 

sarawifenow

You know what brand I love? London Fog! http://www.londonfog.com/bags/handbags.html

I like that they are affordable and they last for a long time. TJ Maxx often sells them if you want to even go for less.

My current bag is the brown one in the middle.

RebeccaFlower

I love Fossil!

sarahufl

DSW has good bags, too. And the Coach outlet stores are usually decent if you live near one.

I have a Fossil bag that I got on ebags.com. It was expensive, but I really like it. The leather is so soft!

climbingsingle

SaraBrideSoon said:

You know what brand I love? London Fog! http://www.londonfog.com/bags/handbags.html

I like that they are affordable and they last for a long time. TJ Maxx often sells them if you want to even go for less.

My current bag is the brown one in the middle.

Yes!! I have a larger London Fog bag I bought at DSW that I use for my carry-on when I fly. It's seriously awesome. 

blabla89

I know they're not en vogue anymore, but I swear by the basic Longchamps tote bag. They hold everything and hold up for a long time.

I love Kate Spade but usually won't shell out that much for a bag, but I've seen that Nordstrom Rack usually has them for a good price.

cupcait927

I'm a sucker for Coach bags. I love the style and mine hold up pretty well also. I'm fortunate enough to live near a Coach outlet and I have a TJ Maxx in town. My next splurge is going to be a Michael Kors bag though. Maybe I can convince FI to get me one for my birthday/Christmas.

@SaraBrideSoon I never thought about London Fog for bags. Those are gorgeous!

luckya23

I've been using the same Vera Bradley bag for over 2 years.  Leather is too heavy for me personally, I've regretted spending so much money on leather bags before I found VB!

[Deleted User]

I've had good luck with Aldo's bags!

http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/handbags

Also a fan of Fossil, but a bit more pricey than I like to spend (but can sometimes find sales at Macy's and other department stores!)

hteverywhere15

As some mentioned, if you want a Coach bag, I really recommend checking out an outlet if you have one nearby. If you get lucky, you might stop in on a day when they are offering 50% off everything in the entire store. Then you head straight to the clearance section and you might luck out again and find a $500 leather bag marked down to $200. 50% off that and you just got a leather Coach bag for $100, which I find reasonable for a quality bag. This happened to me recently when I was shopping for a grad gift for my cousin. I've also lucked out at the Michael Kors outlet before.

sarawifenow

AlisonM23 said:

I've had good luck with Aldo's bags!

http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/handbags

Also a fan of Fossil, but a bit more pricey than I like to spend (but can sometimes find sales at Macy's and other department stores!)

I want all of those. Hurry up wedding so I can start to buy awesome things again!

beethery

I am all about a leather non-logo'd out Michael Kors bag. I take the big ass logo keychain thing off because I don't need that shit.

l9i

I'm a sucker for a good leather purse.  I've had several coach bags and they hold up amazingly well!  I recently got one for a really good deal at a coach outlet this spring - still looks brand new!  I love purses but hate switching them out so I don't feel too bad splurging if it's a good deal.  My recent purchase was an all leather brown crossbody/satchel at a coach outlet for $125.  It was half off from the outlet price.

daria24

I love Kate Spade-twice a year (or maybe 3 times?) there is a secret 75% off sale-sign up for their emails and you get an invite. There are some awesome deals. Bloomingdales also occasionally has secret online sales-sign up for alerts. 

As far as Coach, if you get the leather bags, I think it's worth it. The canvas/mongrams not so much, they show wear & tear more. Plus they scream "OMG I bought COACH" to me. But I'm the type of person that I carry a bag for 8-12 months and then I'm tired of it and never use it again. Granted I use it every day, but I'm not going to carry an every day bag for longer than about a year. Now my "dress bags" I will use forever because I'm only breaking those out once or twice a year. And they are classic.

Loehmanns was my go-to for bags @JCBride2015 too. I miss them so much. Century 21 has good stuff but hell if I want to battle that place for a handbag. 

NYCMercedes

Ralph Lauren favorite here. I got it at Macy's, marked down from $250 to $67. I've carried it every day for over a year. Make sure you go when everything is on sale, on sale, on sale.

JCbride2015

daria24 said:

I love Kate Spade-twice a year (or maybe 3 times?) there is a secret 75% off sale-sign up for their emails and you get an invite. There are some awesome deals. Bloomingdales also occasionally has secret online sales-sign up for alerts. 

As far as Coach, if you get the leather bags, I think it's worth it. The canvas/mongrams not so much, they show wear & tear more. Plus they scream "OMG I bought COACH" to me. But I'm the type of person that I carry a bag for 8-12 months and then I'm tired of it and never use it again. Granted I use it every day, but I'm not going to carry an every day bag for longer than about a year. Now my "dress bags" I will use forever because I'm only breaking those out once or twice a year. And they are classic.

Loehmanns was my go-to for bags @JCBride2015 too. I miss them so much. Century 21 has good stuff but hell if I want to battle that place for a handbag. 

Sometime in October or November, once fall sales start hitting C21, I want to go there and see what I can find for work dresses.  Last time I was there I found a gorgeous Alexander Wang sheath for like $125 (no, didn't buy it).

My sister said she wants to come with me.  I told her to wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water and a protein bar.  She thought I was kidding.

lurkergirl

blabla89 said:

I know they're not en vogue anymore, but I swear by the basic Longchamps tote bag. They hold everything and hold up for a long time.

I love Kate Spade but usually won't shell out that much for a bag, but I've seen that Nordstrom Rack usually has them for a good price.

Oh I think Longchamps is a classic.  It'll never go out of style!

I like my Michael Kors bag, and I reeeally want a Tory Burch tote.  I love her stuff, and my wallet hates me for it.

beethery

JCbride2015 said:

daria24 said:

I love Kate Spade-twice a year (or maybe 3 times?) there is a secret 75% off sale-sign up for their emails and you get an invite. There are some awesome deals. Bloomingdales also occasionally has secret online sales-sign up for alerts. 

As far as Coach, if you get the leather bags, I think it's worth it. The canvas/mongrams not so much, they show wear & tear more. Plus they scream "OMG I bought COACH" to me. But I'm the type of person that I carry a bag for 8-12 months and then I'm tired of it and never use it again. Granted I use it every day, but I'm not going to carry an every day bag for longer than about a year. Now my "dress bags" I will use forever because I'm only breaking those out once or twice a year. And they are classic.

Loehmanns was my go-to for bags @JCBride2015 too. I miss them so much. Century 21 has good stuff but hell if I want to battle that place for a handbag. 

Sometime in October or November, once fall sales start hitting C21, I want to go there and see what I can find for work dresses.  Last time I was there I found a gorgeous Alexander Wang sheath for like $125 (no, didn't buy it).

My sister said she wants to come with me.  I told her to wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water and a protein bar.  She thought I was kidding.

You done FUCKED UP!

JCbride2015

winchestered said:

I actually found one I really liked at H&M. I've had it for a few months and LOVE it. This looks suspiciously like the one I have, but mine doesn't have a place for a shoulder strap, and the 'wings' must be tucked in on mine, because they look stupid untucked. And I wouldn't carry a stupid bag. 

This cracks me up because the "wings" are based on multi-thousand dollar bags I see all over the place in NYC.  I think the shape can look sort of sharp, but I feel like wouldn't stuff just fall out the sides?  

The Celine ones look sort of like surprised faces to me:

JCbride2015

beethery said:

JCbride2015 said:

daria24 said:

I love Kate Spade-twice a year (or maybe 3 times?) there is a secret 75% off sale-sign up for their emails and you get an invite. There are some awesome deals. Bloomingdales also occasionally has secret online sales-sign up for alerts. 

As far as Coach, if you get the leather bags, I think it's worth it. The canvas/mongrams not so much, they show wear & tear more. Plus they scream "OMG I bought COACH" to me. But I'm the type of person that I carry a bag for 8-12 months and then I'm tired of it and never use it again. Granted I use it every day, but I'm not going to carry an every day bag for longer than about a year. Now my "dress bags" I will use forever because I'm only breaking those out once or twice a year. And they are classic.

Loehmanns was my go-to for bags @JCBride2015 too. I miss them so much. Century 21 has good stuff but hell if I want to battle that place for a handbag. 

Sometime in October or November, once fall sales start hitting C21, I want to go there and see what I can find for work dresses.  Last time I was there I found a gorgeous Alexander Wang sheath for like $125 (no, didn't buy it).

My sister said she wants to come with me.  I told her to wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water and a protein bar.  She thought I was kidding.

You done FUCKED UP!

@beethery I know, I know.  But at that point I would have had to wait over a YEAR to actually have a job where I could wear it.  Now I sort of wish I had, but oh well.  I'll have to go spelunking in C21 again and see if I can find some new goodies.

RebeccaB88

I can't grasp paying more than $30-40 for a bag, so mine are always from TJMaxx, Marshalls, or even Target. I've bought a beautiful leather bag at Tuesday Morning before. I get bored with them easily and switch them out all the time too. I'm not into labels either. My current bag (just switched out of my summer bag) is a bright red patent leather tote from TJMaxx.  I have to carry a big bag to hold medical supplies, makeup, my overstuffed wallet, water bottle, snacks, and all the various things I find I need every day.

beethery

Oh god, a poked out gusset on a bag. I HATE that shit. I can not do a Celine bag. Also that black and cream one looks like a sting ray.

hellosweetie1015

I don't know where I might find a Coach outlet, but I'll definitely have to look into it! I did get a nice leather bag from TJMaxx one time, but it didn't last me six months. I'm wary of TJMaxx and its ilk after that. It wasn't a super well known brand (I didn't recognize it, anyway) but the Google said it was quality, so I definitely expected longer than six months out of it. 

I am so jealous about all y'all that have access to a Century 21. I've NEVER seen one within ... how far is it to NYC from Alabama??? 

wandajune6

I'm a snot about bags. I've had many Coach bags over the years. The quality is good- though double-check the product at an outlet store - but I don't think it is worthy of the price tag. I also object to their logo merchandise and think that it's cheapened the brand.

I've had Dooney & Bourke bags that last beautifully and showed wear right away. I had a Marc by Marc Jacobs that I loved for years but all of the hardware fell off (clasps do matter...) and another that I'm carrying 8 years later. My current favorites are Cole Haan and Michael Kors.

Focus on designs and features that fit with your lifestyle. For example, I'm hard on bags and love feet that protect them when they land on the ground. I also know that fabric gets pulled and suede looks crappy right away when I carry a bag. Shiny leather scratches. Good quality fabrics and sturdy leathers are best.

Also, plan for the future and taste. How many people are still carrying their Murikami (or knock off Murikama) Vuitton bags?

JCbride2015

winchestered said:

Celine always looked like budget Chanel to me. I've liked what they've done in the last few years thought, but probably only because Karl Lagerfeld is just trolling now.

On his deathbed he's going to reveal that everything since... hrm.... at least 2010 has been an enormous practical joke.

Cookie Pusher

The TJ Maxx by me has all the big designer bags - Coach, Kate Spade, Gucci, Michael Kors, D&B, Betsy Johnson, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Cole Haan, Prada. It's kind of crazy. They don't have a ton from each designer at a time, but the selection changes daily.

JCbride2015

winchestered said:

JCbride2015 said:

winchestered said:

Celine always looked like budget Chanel to me. I've liked what they've done in the last few years thought, but probably only because Karl Lagerfeld is just trolling now.

On his deathbed he's going to reveal that everything since... hrm.... at least 2010 has been an enormous practical joke.

His fucking supermarket show was hilarious.

Yeah, I saw that too.  WTF Karl?

I want those tweed sneaker, though.  Dammit.

beethery

winchestered said:

JCbride2015 said:

winchestered said:

Celine always looked like budget Chanel to me. I've liked what they've done in the last few years thought, but probably only because Karl Lagerfeld is just trolling now.

On his deathbed he's going to reveal that everything since... hrm.... at least 2010 has been an enormous practical joke.

His fucking supermarket show was hilarious.

Naw girl he was trying to re-create some Damien Hirst nonsense. Fashionnnnn.

(coughcoughhorseshitidon'tlikekarlswork)

arrippa

I get most of my bags from ETSY. I have done enough research to know who the good shops are. I have a leather bag that I used for commuting for two years and it still looks good. Other than that, I love my Longchamp bag.