One of Marie Kondo’s (from the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying) lessons is that if you feel any guilt about letting go of a particular item, you should hold it in your hands and say ‘thank you’. If it was a waste of money, then simply accept it as a lesson learnt and move on without guilt or remorse.
Bag buying is an expensive business, especially if you are prone to changing your mind a lot or are easily swayed by new trends. Over the years, I have bought and sold many bags and whilst it appears that it did take a little while for some lessons to be fully learnt, I truly feel like I have a better idea of what my style is and what my handbag-needs are.
I’ve been wanting to cover this topic in a video for the longest time but rather than make the video an hour long, I thought I would discuss here what I consider to be some of my key lessons learnt. I touch upon these briefly in the video but below I flesh the points out a little more:
1. Buy for your actual life, not your dream life
This is such an obvious point that it’s a wonder it took me so long to realise. I have bought so many bags that I dreamed about wearing, in very specific outfits to very specific occasions. The flaw in all of this dreaming was that I didn’t have that particular lifestyle and so these bags, once acquired, just sat on the shelf waiting for this alternative Amie-life to happen. I have now come to terms with the fact that teeny-tiny bags and glamorous top-handle bags are absolutely, 100% not useful for me and do not fit in with my current lifestyle. At all.
2. Buy things that will get use, not just what will look pretty
Again, this should be an obvious one and yet…. Let’s face it – mini bags with quirky designs are considerably cuter than big ol’ shopper totes which probably accounts for the number of cute little mini bags in my collection (despite the fact that at least 5 days out of 7 require humongous tote bags to schlep all my stuff around).
I’ve sometimes gone to the extreme with this, buying bags that are not only very small, but also very impractical. Now, if I do consider mini/ delicate/ otherwise impractical bags, I try to really make myself justify it and picture how I’m going to wear it. If I can’t think of at least 5 different outfits, it doesn’t get the go ahead.
3. Only buy items which you can afford to replace
I’m in two minds about this rule. On the one hand, I completely believe in saving up and buying one investment bag as opposed to wasting money on a bunch of high-streets bags that you don’t love. And even if that takes you 3 years, I do think it’s worth it. That said, I also know myself and I know that if a particular item is so expensive that I can’t replace it, I’m not going to want to wear it for fear of damage.
This is a big reason why I don’t own any high-end luggage – there is no way I could/ would replace a LV carry-all for over £1K and so as a result, I can’t buy it. Knowing that I’m able and fully willing to replace an item should it get damaged gives me a certain sense of freedom and allows me to stress a lot less. If that means that certain items are out of my reach, then so be it – I’d much rather enjoy what I can comfortably afford without fear!
4.Think carefully about colour and what you actually wear on a daily basis
In my head, red is the perfect colour for me. I’m always drawn to the shade and I love the way it livens anything up. In reality, I find red really difficult to pair even as a pop of colour and as a result, my beloved red bags don’t get a whole lot of use. That isn’t to say that I don’t love them but if I were to do it again, I *might* reconsider going for my red Chanel jumbo for example. I am much more mindful of what colours I buy now as I find this really can make or break a bag for me.
5. Think about cost per wear
I find it incredibly odd that often my cheapest items are the ones that get worn the most. This rule stands for clothing but also extends to bags and accessories: my work totes such as my LV Neverfull, Tory Burch Perry and Longchamp Le Pliage are amongst the cheapest bags in my collection but because of my lifestyle, are my most frequently used bags.
Conversely, I have Chanel flaps which cost more than all three put together which have only been used a handful of times. Sure, it’s nice to have special occasion bags but honestly? I probably have enough of these to see me a lifetime. Sometimes, it’s impossible to know how much you’ll use something until you own it but I do try and apply what I’ve learnt from past bag purchases to new ones. If anything, it makes me more mindful – which is always a good thing!
If you would like to watch the video, you can do so here:
As always, thank you so much for reading! If you have any bag-buying life lessons, please share below! I would love to read them 🙂
I've got a few LV bags (Monogram) that seriously needed to be taken out and used. I hardly use them because apparently it always is either raining or snowing here in Toronto. I felt traumatized having a couple of my Monograms soaked in rain water and the water stains stayed forever on the vachetta.
Ah I feel your pain! I adore my Chanel lambskin mini but I bought it in winter so it's gotten hardly any use!
I needed to read your post and watch your video to really open up my eyes about needing to let go. I have a stupid attachment to my bags (this one was bought here, and this one I bought when…) that some of them sit in their dustbag not getting any use. I have that same prada blue tote (mine is black) that you mentioned and for the same reason you mentioned, I have not used it for over year. I need to heed your advice any just sell them and buy my Chanel boy 🙂
PS: How does not find out if you're selling a bag? didn't see you post you WOC for sale.
I actually sold the WOC through a viewer that contacted me by chance but usually I list on my Instagram and on here 🙂
Really enjoyed this video. Over the years, I have also sold a lot of bags because they did not fit my lifestyle or I found them difficult to match to my outfits. Finally, I am now on the right track, although I am still often tempted to buy bags that look pretty on others…I really should stay away from mini bags and open top totes.
Hi, Amie. I really enjoyed your video. We are opposites in that top handle bags are what I really use, while the shoulder bags don't get much use because I find weight on one shoulder uncomfortable. Straps also tend to fall off my shoulder.
I so love your cute, British expressions like "I'll get stuck right in," "waffle," and in particular when you say, "dinky." I have an awful uncle whose wife's real name is Edwina but goes by Dinky. I always have a good giggle about that. Adorable. Please continue, lol!
Hi Amie, thanks for the helpful post. I have a couple high end items (purses, wallets) that I need to part with. What suggestions would you give for resale options ? I live in France, near Paris. I've sold items on eBay – which I find exhausting due to all the questions you get and online through specialized websites but their commission is ridiculous!
Thanks for your help!
Hello! I did a post on where to buy preloved here: https://chaseamie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/how-and-where-to-buy-pre-loved-chanel.html It works for selling too 🙂 As for the rose DE neverfull, I heard the 1 August. HTH!
Thanks much 🙂
PS : do you have any idea when the neverfull Damier ebene will be available with the ballerina pink lining?
Very useful and honest post, Amie. It's a pleasure to read and watch you – keep up the good work!
Amie, thank you for your honest and pragmatic feedback on designer bags. I've decided to not get the Chanel GST as those straps falling off my shoulder easily would have annoyed me to no end 😀
Hi Amie,
I came into your post and also your youtube video because I am not sure if I should return my Noe BB Azur. IT falls in to “2. Buy things that will get use, not just what will look pretty” but I was planning to wear it in spring-summer(crossbody, size fit my style, No azur bag in my closet, super pretty, good price point), but This issue is, I am scared of using it. IF it is not coverred by a big piece of vachetta, I definitely keep it. Now I have second thoughts. I don’t think I will use it due to the vachetta. But if I return it, I may regret it. I feel so stressed whether return or keep. .
Please help me decide.TIA.
Lemon