About designer handbags...

[Turn the Page]

Well, as I said earlier, I am superhard on my purses; however, I must admit that I've never put anything in it that would cause it to get sticky inside, so not sure what the solution would be for that.

My liners, though, do get dirty looking. Ink stains mainly. Anyway, on the more expensive purses at least the liner does not tear (even my leather purses have liners).

Ink stains happen in mine. Also, I find that I will put some cough drops or something like that in my purse when I have a cold and then they stay there and get sticky and leak on the lining after a few months. Or the kids will be given some candy or something and hand it to me to carry and it gets lost in the confines of my purse and melts and sticks to my purse.

Maybe good bags are just for people who are more conscious of what is going into their purses which may very well be the case.

 

[sunshinehighway]

But turning your nose up at $400 purses because the rabble carry them isn't pretentious?

I have to say, I am not a girly girl. The purse I carry every single day is a woven bag I got from a street vendor on Curacao for about $10 six years ago. I have to say, I am really surprised at how well it has held up. That said, I have been thinking about a nicer bag.....though not nearly as nice as what many of you carry.

I tend to be hard on my bags and while I would like a nice leather bag I'm really not sure how that would work for me. I have a tendency to get sticky stuff on the lining of the purse. Obviously, if you have a leather bag, you can't just toss it in the washer like you can some cloth bags. But really, how do you clean the liner of a leather bag and does it ever really get "clean" or is it just "cleaner than it was"?

I have had my eye on one of the D&B Disney bags but if I spend that much on a bag it better last and I am hesitant due to some of the things I have heard about the quality.

I clean my linings by hand.
I'm probably different than most here. I don't baby my bags just because they are leather. It's much more durable than people tend to think it is. I am a bit of a thrift store junky and love finding nice bags there. Often they might just need a little tlc. Of course its much easier to experiment with cleaning a $6 thrift store bag than when you paid full price.

 

[loves to dive]

I have over 15 dooney bags, not including the 4 disney ones I have. I don't buy the leather disney ones, they are just too big for me, I buy the little coated cotton letter carrier ones. I've become addicted to Anuska lately, love the different painting on them, but they are a bit heavy since they are leather and I'm not crazy about the dark lining. My less expensive choice is Tignanello. They are leather, well made and about $100 less than Dooney. The lining is not great on them since it a cloth lining and will tend to get caught in the zipper if you aren't careful. Between the 3 brands, I own at least 50 purses, but hey who's counting right?

 

[TLSnell1981]

Ink stains happen in mine. Also, I find that I will put some cough drops or something like that in my purse when I have a cold and then they stay there and get sticky and leak on the lining after a few months. Or the kids will be given some candy or something and hand it to me to carry and it gets lost in the confines of my purse and melts and sticks to my purse.

Maybe good bags are just for people who are more conscious of what is going into their purses which may very well be the case.

I rarely drop anything into my bags, other than, a wallet, phone, keys, or sunglasses, unless it's in a make up or accessory bag. This makes it much easier to keep the lining clean.

I also wipe bags off, as needed, and store them (and shoes) in their dust bags.

 

[AppleDumpling]

My less expensive choice is Tignanello. They are leather, well made and about $100 less than Dooney. The lining is not great on them since it a cloth lining and will tend to get caught in the zipper if you aren't careful.

I love Tignanello and have around a dozen of them in various styles and colors. Got most of them at TJMaxx or Marshalls for a reasonable price. I agree they are well-made and have found them to be quite durable; never had a problem with linings or zippers.

I'm not really into a lot of high-end designer stuff. Especially don't care for any of the styles that are prints with the logos all over, such as Coach or LV, just not my taste. I have a couple of other purses I really like that were gifts a friend got me in Italy, don't even know the name but they're a good quality soft leather and I really like them.

 

[Turn the Page]

I love Tignanello and have around a dozen of them in various styles and colors. Got most of them at TJMaxx or Marshalls for a reasonable price. I agree they are well-made and have found them to be quite durable; never had a problem with linings or zippers.

I'm not really into a lot of high-end designer stuff. Especially don't care for any of the styles that are prints with the logos all over, such as Coach or LV, just not my taste. I have a couple of other purses I really like that were gifts a friend got me in Italy, don't even know the name but they're a good quality soft leather and I really like them.

Me either. High quality that will last and of a timeless style, sure. I don't do trendy at all. Every now and then I'm curious how much a particular classic, designer item such as a Burberry trench coat or a Birkin bag is and I look it up.....and promptly pass out. Then I look at my six year old $10 purse and garner a new appreciation for it.

 

[pigletliz]

I love my Kate Spade bags. I also have a few vintage leather Coach bags and an old D&B that I swap out a lot. I veer towards the classic leather, so I am not really crazy about the new prints. I would love a LV, but I'll need to give up a few Disney trips before I can afford one.

 

[Ember]

Everyone has a Coach bag. They are now for the masses. I prefer the quality of my MK and Kate Spade bags. LV bags are pretentious, IMO.

Most entry-level bags (for lack of a better term - the ones the cost hundreds rather than thousands) are carried by far more people than high-end bags. And any designer with an outlet presence will be seen more often because they are more accessible. I would hope that someone was carrying their bag because they liked it - no matter what the brand. I spent far more than most people would consider reasonable on my handbag(s) but I would never look down on someone for the bag they carry. That's no better than people looking down on me for "wasting" my money on a handbag.

Someone asked above about cleaning the lining. I usually sprinkle the inside with baking soda, let it sit over night, and then vacuum it. Then spot I'll clean any problem areas.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

I have coach, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Dooney & Bourke, Burberry, and Rebecca Minkoff.

My favorite is my Burberry. It's a coated canvas which has so far been pretty indestructible, goes with everything, and I don't worry about getting it wet. My Louis Vuitton has vachetta leather straps and I worry about them water staining in the rain so I don't take it out near as often as I probably should. After those I would rank my Kate Spade bags, I have a few leather ones in bright colors that I like to use as fun pieces. I think they look very sharp. I don't really use my Coach bags anymore, the big CC's just remind me of high school (likely because that is when I got most of mine, they are like the gateway drug of purses!) and the quality isn't as good, they get dirty very quickly and show wear easily. I am pretty hard on my bags and don't like needing to clean them frequently. I use my Disney Dooney basically only at Disney (but love it for that). I have a leather rebecca minkoff tote I got for work which I like, but I have no attachment to the brand, it was just a good deal for a neutral leather tote. I don't like the big MK bags at all personally. They just seem like they are trying to be LV bags but... aren't. I'm always a fan of leather over logo

 

[frndshpcptn]

What do you feel is a good quality bag and worth big bucks?

Chloe, Bottega Veneta, LV, Chanel, Botkier, Balenciaga

 

[Disneychick75]

I won't carry a designer bag or wear any designer clothing which has a designer's name or logo. Gave a Gucci to my housekeeper and LV luggage to my daughter. No way will I spend money to advertise for a company nor will I accept gifts bearing designer labels. My husband finally gets it.

 

[Mizzoufan]

So.are Vera Bradley bags not trendy now?

 

[surfgirl]

deleted. oops.

 

[Marchand63]

Louis Vuitton hands down. I have 4 and they last FOREVER and the quality and resale is like no other. My first LV I got as a college grad gift from my mom and I used it STEADILY for over 15 years and it did show wear I admit it! But I mean CONSTANT USE. My other bags I do use heavily and repeatedly and they look fantastic. Well worth the INVESTMENT. A bag for a lifetime really.

I love my LV. Over the years I have collected 5 and the oldest looks as good as the newest. My favorite though is a Coach bag that I bought at the Outlet in FL years ago. It is just plain brown leather no big Cs on it, but darn if that thing hasn't born up great over the past decade.
My 2nd fave is my HM D&B, that the kids got me for Xmas this year. So far it is bearing up great, especially the way I sling it around since it is the backpack style.

I will never again buy a MK bag. I bought one for our last vacation and it fell apart about 6 months later - cheap crap at ridiculous price.

Edited to add, I just got my 1st Ted Baker bag & so far I love it.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My Coach bags never wear out. I only by the leather, non-logo ones though. I am very hard on handbags. I am not a handbag snob at all, but I do need it not to break. I will buy a bag, from anyone, if it's cute. Bought a few "cheap" bags (in the $50 range) and everyone one of them broke or lost shape after a month or so. As I said, I am very hard on purses (I carry a lot in them, they get heavy, and then deteriorate).

The Coach bags I have never do that. There are times I wish they would just fall apart so I could be justified in running out and getting a new one. Never happens.

I do like the MK bags, but won't buy one because of the hardware being too gaudy. They never used to be like that until about 2 years ago. I'm not sure what happened there with the designers!

I have a few Coach bags. The one I'm using now I've had for 5 years. Plain black leather bag. I use it almost everyday and it's still in great shape. Cost me abut $500 and worth every penny.

About the MK bags, I think it's because they became big in rap songs. Nikki Minaj most specifically. After that people started flocking to them (around here anyway). IMO the people who buy these MK bags because it's in a rap song (watches, hats, shoes), need all of the logos so everyone knows they own a MK bag. I would love to get one also but can't get around that. The watches are big around here too.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I have several Coach bags, some from as long as 20 years ago and they still look good. I don't care for Michael Kors personally, but I did buy my oldest one for Christmas when she was 16. I have a Tory Burch bag that I like. Very nice leather and bright colors. I like her shoes better though. But my favorite is the Gucci bag my DH bought me for Christmas. I don't wear it every day, but it's 4 years old and still looks new.

Anything that goes in my bags that could be messy is usually in a separate bag/wristlet. No makeup, pens, candy etc. directly in a "nice" bag.

I have seen some Disney D&B's that I like but I'm not a big fan of Dooney and Bourke. I might break down and get that Haunted Mansion one someday lol.

I also wear some cheaper bags. Especially if I'll be out all day on vacation or at a ball game etc.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I'm a sucker for the traditional Chanel quilted purses but those are very pricey.

I love Kate Spad for her clutches, but in my experience her full size handbags don't hold up very well.

 

[xjillianpaige]

I LOVE my Kate Spade wallet and would love a bag. I also really like Longchamps bags. They're good quality (I've had mine for years) and look professional. No obnoxious branding plastered all over it, but at the same time you look at a longchamp or a kate spade and know that it's a longchamp or kate spade

 

[Adipoo]

I have a good sized collection of DB bags and a couple luggage pieces from about 30 years ago that still look like new. Haven't bought any DB since they started selling on QVC. I have two Rebecca Minkoff satchels that I love. Neither brands are very high end in the high end world but I do like them very much.

My dream bag is a Mulberry satchel. Maybe some day.

 

[crazymama]

Another vote for Kate Spade! I have two purses and a little gold clutch. I use the biggest bag all the time!!! Holds a ton and I love the hot pink lining.