Handbags: am I missing something here? - YouLookFab Forum

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Handbags: am I missing something here?

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

I had this debate with a co-worker today...she owns lots of expensive purses (Coach, Brighton, Burberry, etc), but she does not really care about dressing in nice clothes. I asked her, "Do people actually notice what kind of purse people carry?" She says that they do. Personally, I would not even recognize a brand-name bag if you whacked me in the face with it. I try to get reasonably priced, reasonably fashionable bags that hold all my stuff, but since my purse lives in a desk drawer all day while I'm at work, I really don't care if it's super nice. I only tend to even own one or two purses at any given time, and I've never paid more than $40 for one.

So, is my co-worker right? Do people actually notice? Do you? Would you rather have nice purses, or fashionable clothes?

Dressing

29 replies

Latest reply was from RoseandJoan

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Hmm, I must say that my priority has been more on clothes, but I am gradually gravitating towards nicer/pricier bags.

I don't care for obvious designer logo bags and the like, and I couldn't care less what the
latest "it" bag is, i just like the quality of a chic, well-made bag that lasts.

I do know people who can spot cheap bags and cheap shoes at a dozen paces. I'm not one of them.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I used to be a one bag at a time only girl, but I've come around. They add a nice level of polish and can really bring up the level of an outfit.... so says the girl who just got two patterned bags in the last week!

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I do love bags and am working on collecting a few to choose from - I'm not into designer labels and have no desire to sport some gigantic logo on a bag so that people know "who" I'm carrying - but I do like a decent level of quality and some sort of design element to it (interesting clasp, different shape, great handle). An interesting bag totally finishes off an outfit in my opinion.

Jewell

Veteran

I do notice handbags, and I used to think it was only because I'm a "bag" lady. I also spot other women checking out my handbags quite often. Many of them will comment on my bags- especially at work. I've had shoppers, complete strangers, ask my opinion about handbags they were considering in the store. I can only assume it's because they noticed my bag and figured I might know a thing or two about handbags. I don't pay that much attention to brand name unless I really like the bag and am genuinely interested in who made it. It's not so I can turn up my nose at someone's bag. I did a handbag inventory this week and am now up to eleven handbags in a wide range of prices (from less than twenty dollars to hundreds of dollars). I simply don't care about name or price. I care about style, quality, and practicality. And I agree with modgirl, a handbag can take an oufit to a whole other level....so says the girl who had a new bag delivered on Tuesday and ordered another this morning!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I think they can be a status symbol of sorts, like men driving fancy cars. So those in the game notice I'm sure. If you don't play the my bag is a such and such game you probably don't notice And I'll bet just like some men have fancy sports cars and wear sloppy clothes, same goes for bag oriented gals in velour track suits!
I'll take nice clothes over a nice bag any day. Lately I've been carrying my wallet that's on a chain and leaving the bag behind completely!

Marley

Veteran

I think that you can wear fairly inexpensive or low quality clothes and still look fab if you carry a killer handbag and wear killer shoes. A handbag and shoes make or break an outfit in my opinion. I would definitely choose a handbag over pretty much everything in my wardrobe except my premium denim. I do notice people's handbags - not to check if they are designer or not, but just to see if they have taken the time to think about it as part of their style.

ETA - Clarification: I'm not talking about designer bags or blinged out bags - I'm just talking about good quality bags with great hardware!

Isis

Veteran

I never notice bags. I'm like Mo; I'm not in the bag game, and they just don't register....

But I always notice shoes!

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

Interesting to see that responses (so far anyway) seem to run the gamut. I guess I don't really consider a bag part of my style. Nobody ever sees it because it sits in my desk drawer all day anyway. Don't get me wrong, I don't carry an extremely ugly purse or anything, but I like to pick basic bags in kind of neutral colors, preferably with some shiny silver hardware on them (my last few bags have been Guess bags, mostly purchased on clearance, and a pretty nice, very new leather bag from Goodwill). I try to pick bags that are reasonably cute and match my style, but I do not switch out bags to match my outfits (well, I would if I were going to be wearing an evening gown or something, but that never happens). .

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

There are people in my city who dress like crap and carry $500+ bags. I think this look is really odd and they are usually people who ... uh ... have unsavoury lifestyles.

I'd rather dress nicely with a moderate priced bag.

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

Isis, I notice nice shoes as well! Although, as a hard to find size with fussy feet, my own shoes are all pretty boring. Since I only ever have a few pairs, they're all pretty much neutral, heeled boots. They're boring but I really don't have much luck with shoes!! Maybe I will try to get some better ones again this weekend (I went last weekend and found zilch!, despite looking for two days).

sarah

Veteran

Well, I never noticed bags until I joined YLF LOL. But I still only own 3 bags, and I don't swap them out with outfits - partly because they're mostly stuffed inside my messenger bag so I can ride my bike.

rachylou

Veteran

Mm. I notice a nice bag, but for me it's mostly about the bag not the brand. I confess, tho, there are brands that I don't identify with. I have a nice Gucci queen mum purse, for example, and would never do the Hermes Birkin queen mum purse.

Anonymous

There is a plethora of women near me who carry blinged out designer bags or knock-offs and wear their hair in pony tails and go about in T-shirts, yoga pants and rubber flip flops. I think they misunderstood them memo about how a good bag and bring the rest of your outfit up a few notches.

Aziraphale

Veteran

I think people who like bags notice bags. These are the same people who have a tendency to collect bags. Others, like, uh, me, have a weakness for beautiful shoes -- and I do notice awesome shoes on others. Still others notice hands, and always have their own nicely manicured.

I'm definitely not a bag person either. I've got only two -- an everyday leather crossbody one with silver hardware, and a small sparkly beaded one for fancy stuff. But I will say one thing. Despite the fact that I'm unlikely to pay much attention to the bag a woman is carrying, I WILL notice if it totally doesn't go with the rest of her outfit. Like, if she's dressed up all businessy for work at a law firm but is carrying a tattered nylon backpack? Yep, I'll notice *that*. (Incongruity always stands out. Sometimes that's a good thing, in that it makes for interesting outfits, and other times it just looks weird).

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I didn't think people noticed bags; but since I've been carrying my Fossils, I've had people rush up to me and ask if that was a Fossil bag. :p

Jyoti

(website)

Veteran

I kind of have this irrational hatred of pricey, designer handbags. I think it's that I've had my share of unfortunate personalities attached to those bags. xD

I'm not a handbag person. I have one major handbag that I use when I don't have my backpack full of bricks hanging off my shoulder.

PS. I think I need to grow up and graduate from the backpack soon.

MsMary

Veteran

What Claire said, exactly!

jenanded

Veteran

I just think you need to have something stylish that suits you in looks and capability. BUT I was deconstructing Angie's outfits in NY Fashion show and she has little capsules of bags, belts and shoes and she whips them round together. i guess I really noticed the leopard set - and she wears them in all sorts of combos.... Thats pretty important for a bag I think...
Can I add on the fussy funny size feet, I admit I stalk the stores that carry shoes that tend to work with me and I go for the days when the new season styles arrive. In fact i go before the stock arrives and I am now at the stage when they show me their look books of what is coming and they can tell me what comes in what sizes. THEN you still need to pounce when they arrive in the store!

Louise

Veteran

I notice clothes first, Claire you made me laugh with your comment about missing the memo. I'd be scared of ruining a really expensive bag x

DragonflyJane

I'm more likely to notice shoes - I really do like shoes ... a lot!

I used to have loads of bags but I'm pairing down all my stuff & am tending to use 1 per season, then moving on to something new. I am going for quality now rather than quantity!

I used to work in the office in a (childrens) nursery & the nursery nurses were crazy for Radley bags. I found that really odd as for such low-paid jobs the Radley make is quite pricey. There was also a fair amount of sneering going on if someone didn't have the "right" bag or whatever, which I found most unpleasant.

I like to think a bag forms part of the whole outfit rather than being the outfit though - I also see a lot of what Claire is talking about!

rute

Veteran

It has nothing to do with the label, but with the quality! A good leather handbag is so important for the look! A cheap handbag can drag down a good look! Good handbag and good shoes can make a simple look (let's say a LBD) so much better!
The first thin I notice in a look is the handbag!

Chippy Mia

I think a handbag is very important to the overal image you wan to confer. I am more willing to invest money into owning a classic and well crafted handbag than shoes or clothing. My reasoning behind this is that handbags will always "fit" me. My weight fluctuate through the years (give or take 10-20lbs) and my dressy shoes can be uncomfortable after a few hours so my only other option( or vice) is handbags.

I used to go through a lot of bags that are trendy in my youth but as I am older and more sure of my style, i don't mind spending money on a few cherished bags. These are the bags that always be a classic and stylish no matter the age. It is like having a fabulous strand of pearls or diamond necklace and earrings.

When I look at a handbag, I don't see the pricetag but more of the shape and how it completes the oufit. I've seen ladies who carry very expensive bags but they don't fit the outfit or the occassion. Like carrying a LV monogram tote bag with a summer dress at church.

Isis

Veteran

I still don't get bags. I always wear shoes, (and clothes) so everyone sees those.

But my bags are either stuffed in my bike pannier (like Sara), locked in a drawer at work (like shoppingisfun), or put down when I'm at home.....

So, when are bags actually seen?

Debbie

Veteran

I definitely completes the look. I love bags as evident in my recent post. I love nice quality leather bags but I do not want the large name brand hardware. If it can't come off I will not buy it.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

It's a weird phenomenon where I live, too. There is a certain faction of women who collect designer handbags (and not the cute, leather versions- the ones emblazoned with a name or logo all over them). They are absolutely a status symbol, and are carried with the most casual of outfits (like sweatsuits and flip flips). These women don't seem to care what they really look like, just about showing off the money they have.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I see a lot of the "look at my labels!!!" type of thing here, too. It's a look, and a message, that really turns me off. Maybe it's my upbringing or my working class background, but I just do not understand an obsession with displaying status or conspicuous consumption.

Anyway, I notice when someone is carrying something that looks strange or exceptionally frumpy or cheap, but that's about as far as it goes. I'm developing a taste for cute bags, but I don't mind about the materials or brands. Witness my new big green bag -- it's definitely cheap and cheerful, as they say here, but it is reasonably well made for what it is.

krishnidoux

Veteran

I am with Marley. It's sad, but we are judged by our bags and footwear. Scruffy old purses, even Chanel's, convey a message, and not a good one. Cheap bags too, so do cheap shoes (that look cheap, or old, or banged up). It sounds like a snobby statement? It is. It is not mine, though, the reality is that people judge us in a fraction of seconds and don't have time to pause and ponder if their judgement is snobby or what.

That said, shoes and bags don't need to be extra-expensive, but well cared-for and varied.

I would have a hard time going out in a bling bag because of what it would say about me: falls for fads, flake, superficial...

Anonymous

My DH's cousin is all hung up on name brands, which I think is ridiculous. I have great-quality handbags and clothing that do not have a designer logo on the outside for all to see. What matters is the quality. Who cares if anyone else knows what brand it is? Besides, I think that if a designer wants me to wear his/her logo on my clothes, s/he ought to pay me to do it. I'm not going to pay a premium for a logo. I try to ignore what brand it is and instead inspect the quality. I recently bought myself 2 handbags while in Nicaragua--one is snake and the other is crocodile--and they don't have a brand on them. So what? They're quality, stylish bags that I know I will use for years. I'm not a brand snob.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I am in agreement with Marley and Rute, a quality handbag (and shoes) has the power to lift an otherwise simple outfit but it will not 'make a silk purse out of a sows ear'.