Madewell is mostly famous for its brown/tan totes, but here’s a bag we just noticed that has a great autumn look to it — especially for a real fashionista that likes to experiment. On the other hand, sometimes people that wear all neutrals or darker shades enjoy letting their bag shine and stand out.
This is a question that many of us purse-enthusiasts have asked ourselves. Vintage Kate Spade obviously excels at this. From wedding cakes to newspaper clutches, this brand did go deep into ‘interesting’ purse areas.
An uber-famous example could perhaps be said to be the Chanel milk carton or their robot bag.
I classify Judith Leiber bags that are ‘fun’ in this category as well. Loewe’s rabbit/animal bags also fall into this arena. Moschino’s bags seemingly all fall into this category.
PROS:
-They are absolutely a talking point if you want to stand out
-They look fun at the beach, during the summer or on tropical vacations
-They are unique and convey something about you [an interest, your personality, your style]
CONS:
-They make you stand out, whether you want to or not
-They are very ‘youthful’ and do not come across as professional or anything other than fun-loving
-They can look incredibly appealing in photos but actually toting them around can be hard if you don’t usually dress in an outré manner with unique accessories
*For example, the Moschino Champagne bottle bag is one I love, but I know it would feel weird [to me] to be carrying it around
-They have an air of youth around them that is hard to push back against [obviously Judith Leiber bags are often an exception to this, but not always]
-They are often high not quality and sometimes appear dated [ie. Kate Spade seemed to boost the popularity of novelty bags during a certain period of years and that time has passed in a sense]
While fashion will always change and no one can keep from evolving their style, here’s an opinion of the moment on what’s standing the test of time and what isn’t in the vintage world of purses.
Now all styles of bags appeal to all different people. For the purposes of this list, I’m assuming a more ‘smart casual’ or formal style of dressing/events. If you’re going hiking and kayaking, going to AC/DC concerts or to sports games this list obviously doesn’t apply to those times or styles. In the future I will make lists for different styles/events though.
Some bags retain their inherent modernity and do not always seem to belong to only one time period, let’s look at our examples and opinions:
IN: Vintage LV pochettes in damier azure [blue check only];
-Vintage Hermes Kellys and Birkins
-Vintage Chanel Diana bags
-Vintage Judith Leiber bags [both the demure ones and the ‘fun’ ones, depending on where/when you are using it]
-Vintage Chanel small dark color/black [only] double or single flap bags
-Vintage Mulberry Bayswater [no other bags though, they are too busy in design]
-Vintage Bottega Veneta bags that are small [only] in classic subtle colors
-Vintage Loewe Puzzle bags in classic colors
OUT: Vintage LV Noé bucket bags in brown monogram [monogram only]
-Vintage Chanel Médaillon tote and shopping totes
-Vintage Fendi monogram bags [sorry baguette, I almost like your shape except for the sagging in the middle when you’re filled]
-Vintage Burberry plaid/check cloth bags–sadly. Back in the day their plaid was so comforting, but now it seems too loud/busy
-Vintage Dior saddlebags and pink [or dark blue etc] monogram canvas bags
-Vintage Prada black nylon bags of all sizes/shapes [the idea is great but the logo is unappealing in its cheap triangle]
-Vintage Balenciaga Motorcycle bags [unless your style is casual/worn in or punk]
If we had to recommend a bag for SimplyNailogical, the Canadian nail polish youtube superstar, it would have to be as ‘holo’ as possible. The Aimee Kestenberg ‘Rainbow shimmer Woodstock crossbody is almost holo — and it’s appealing in terms of it’s subtle logo:
Furla, Coach, Botkier, Rebecca Minkoff, Kate Spade, Dooney & B., A. Wang, Marc Jacobs, Brahmin, Miu Miu, Michael Kors, Tory Burch — they are all in between the top and the bottom of the handbag world.
I put Longchamp in its own category, to be honest. It’s a workhorse and its bags used to be mainly ‘non-fashion’ in a sense, so I see it more as a reliable tool than a fashion statement. Their non-plain Le Pilage bags [and others] are obviously different, though.
Most brands have serious quality problems at this point, from hardware tarnishing immediately [Chanel and others] to crooked stitching and selling banged up/damaged floor models. Be on your guard!
Beside these intermediate bags brands are the more well known ‘indie’ style brands [as of the moment at least]: Mansur Gavriel, Cuyana, old Mulberry bags, Cult Gaia, Anya Hindmarch, APC, Jil Sander, Strathberry, and others…. I will have to add more here!
Rarer indie brands: RSVPParis, Kara, Polène, Lovard, Haerfest, Linjer, Staud, Senreve, Medea, Cafuné, Sezane, Danse Lente, Massaccesi, Manu A., G. Hearst, Volon, and my old favorite — Serapian!! Which had the PR pleasure of once being worn by Taylor Swift.
REMEMBER: Before purchasing any bag, read up on reviews on many different sites, and be sure to look at used versions online — obviously buy there if you are not obsessed with only buying new and understand the risks — but be sure to notice how the cheap used ones look, the aged and old ones. Sometimes those photos can be a clue as to how your bag will age as well.
Don’t forget that bags made dozens of years ago are often tougher and better made than modern bags. Consider buying a used bag for that reason as well — if it’s lasted that long and still looks nice, that’s a good sign.
Should you get a Chanel double flap? This fashion standard is well known to many. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
-Many people have it and it’s recognizable if you want to enjoy a classic logo flex.
-It’s a bit subdued in style, making it useful for some people who want a ‘toned-down’ yet deliberate attempt to be fancy-type bag
-It comes in many colors and sizes [and rarer unique versions] allowing you to really find one that’s perfect for you [obviously I’m assuming one is considering the secondary market online]
-It has a great look and design for winter, especially in particular colors
-The strap chains can be arranged/changed so you can carry it at different lengths
-The back pocket allows for a trolley/metro card to be easily accessible
-It is a very fun item to have while in Paris or France in general; lots of people love this bag for how it accentuates an outfit and how it looks in photos
-If you get a durable material [like perhaps caviar leather] the bag will be more resistant against wear than other types of bags, however almost no modern bags are made as well as they used to be–buy used online if you want better materials/quality
Cons:
-Many people have it and it’s recognizable [if you want to avoid being quote ‘basic’ or flying under the radar]
-It’s an obvious flex; something to consider if you typically don’t like to show off
-Do you mind the way it opens? You have to hold the flap up to get inside, so you’ll probably need both hands to get into it.
-If you get a delicate material/make [lambskin or tweed] it might show wear very easily
-It looks rather formal, winter-y and ‘old’ style typically, though you can get around that with wild colors/rare versions of this bag
-Many people find Chanel’s association to the Nazi’s enough of a reason to never wear a CC item; others look at who owns them today and finds it okay to buy
Stephanie Césaire’s bags have some great shapes. One excellent example is the Renée bag [cuir de buffle grainé prune]:
There are always bags that surprise you from brands you aren’t even focusing on — and that is the MCM small zipped tote bag here. There’s another version that I often see with a small metal plate logo instead of the little golden embossed one, which I prefer:
If you are the epitome of bold fashion, look up Louise Leconte’s Roman shield circular bags. They are works of art.
I feel like I am the sole lover of Serapian bags in the world. I will never forget seeing some bags in a vibrant blue [that appealed to even me, I typically prefer neutrals] while out shopping in a little Italian store in Canada. This is my favorite shape:
Handbag Hype 