* One Good Purse-Can It Be Leather?*

[AGBF]

The last time I was here (this forum) it was with some remorse over buying a very expensive purse for my daughter. I have returned because I know that there are purse lovers and purse experts who hang out here and I think I would like to buy myself one good purse/bag.

I never thought I would want to spend the money on a designer bag. I have been very, very happy with quilted Vera Bradley bags for years. I suspect that a fashionable Italian woman can still go out and buy a plain, leather bag and look like a million bucks simply by matching it to her shoes, too!

Nonetheless, I have been wondering if it is possible to buy a real leather designer purse. (I even joined the Purse Forum and have been lurking there.) It looked to me from what I saw on the Louis Vuitton website as if Louis Vuitton sells canvas bags! Can you gals tell me who sells real (and good quality) leather bags? I don''t want to pay for a logo on top of some cheap material!!!

AGBF

 

[neatfreak]

There are PLENTY of places to buy gorgeous leather bags. Depending on your price point...

If you want to spend $1k+ I might start with Burberry, Prada, Chanel, Tods, Chloe, and Bottega Veneta.

If your price point is lower you could try Rebecca Minkoff, Belen Echandia, Hayden Harnett, Treesje, and Botkier.

Great places to start looking are Bloomies, Saks, Neimans, etc. And Luna Boston for the "cheaper" brands. Bloomingdales is having a friends and family 20% off sale right now-but it does exclude some brands.

Bluefly often has bags at great discounts-so check there too.

Happy shopping!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Deb,

Get thee to www.coach.com, woman!!!

 

[meresal]

If you want plain leather, I would say Chanel, hands down. I carried a white one for almost 3 full years. LOVED IT!

If you are looking for some design, I have a few small things that are Bottega Veneta, that have held upreally well.

My MIL and SIL have Jimmy Choo bags, but have heard that if you go with an ornate style, they can be bad about hodling their shape really strong. Which, on the flip side, can be great if it''s a simple design.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I LOVE my B Makowsky! The leather is so soft, the styles are super cute and I love the price tags. If you are a bargain hunter they usually have them at TJ Maxx and Marshall''s.

 

[Hest88]

Ack! About time! I could never understand how a woman with such great taste in jewelry could put up with those fabric bags.

As you look, don''t forget that there are plenty of "mid-range" bags too. I mean bags between $200-$400, and that can often be bought on sale. Take a look at eBags or Zappos for some of those too.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I would give my right arm for a classic quilted leather Chanel bag!

In the meantime, I have a nice leather bag from Coach that is my everyday bag (it doesn''t have the logo splashed all over it, thank goodness). I also love my new Rebecca Minkoff - the leather is truly amazing and soft.

 

[kittybean]

I have quite a few Coach bags that are excellent-quality leather. One of them has been dragged all over the world and has yet to look worn!

As far as new designers, I have recently purchased bags from Treesje and Rebecca Minkoff and have been very pleased with both. RM''s bags are very simple and stylish, and the leathers are so lovely!

If you are looking for a higher-end bag, I second the recommendation of Bottega Veneta and would look at Mulberry as well.

Keep us updated on your search! Happy bag-hunting!

 

[Smo]

I really love my Miu Miu Nappa Charm bag, it is a gorgeous colour and fits everything. I have attached a picutre of it because I love it so much!

I would love a Chanel bag, I very nearly bought the lambskin large flap bag a few weeks ago but decided on a Cartier Tank Francois instead. Lest that make me sound like it was an off the cuff purchase because I am loaded

it wasn't, we sold our flat and both got to buy ourselves something really nice!!!!

Anyway, I think a really nice leather bag really makes an outfit. Especially if it is coloured bag rather than black. I always used to buy black bags but now always chose a bag in a pretty colour. So if you can afford it, go for it!

 

[kama_s]

Marc by Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors make yummy leather bags at the 500$ price range. And ofcourse, Rebecca Minkoff, which has already been mentioned.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

I''m a huge fan of Chloe bags, the leather is so lovely and soft. I have a couple of Paddingtons and I use one of them most days.

If you''re looking for something with that designer quality / feel to it but a little off the beaten track, you might want to check out Betty Jackson, a UK designer. I have a couple of her bags and they are beautiful. http://www.bettyjackson.com/

If this is to be a bag you''ll carry for many years to come, I''d lean towards simple, classic styles. You probably can''t go wrong with Chanel, but my current favourite is the Chloe paraty. Absolutely love it! I''m hoping for one as a graduation present in the Spring.

Jen

 

[butterfly 17]

Date: 11/10/2009 3:39:39 AM
Author: Smo
I really love my Miu Miu Nappa Charm bag, it is a gorgeous colour and fits everything. I have attached a picutre of it because I love it so much!


I would love a Chanel bag, I very nearly bought the lambskin large flap bag a few weeks ago but decided on a Cartier Tank Francois instead. Lest that make me sound like it was an off the cuff purchase because I am loaded

it wasn''t, we sold our flat and both got to buy ourselves something really nice!!!!

Anyway, I think a really nice leather bag really makes an outfit. Especially if it is coloured bag rather than black. I always used to buy black bags but now always chose a bag in a pretty colour. So if you can afford it, go for it!

I have this bag in Astro and I love it too.

 

[butterfly 17]

Also, try Balenciaga and B Makowsky too.

 

[megeve]

Date: 11/10/2009 9:15:04 AM
Author: Mrs Mitchell
I''m a huge fan of Chloe bags, the leather is so lovely and soft. I have a couple of Paddingtons and I use one of them most days.

If you''re looking for something with that designer quality / feel to it but a little off the beaten track, you might want to check out Betty Jackson, a UK designer. I have a couple of her bags and they are beautiful. http://www.bettyjackson.com/

If this is to be a bag you''ll carry for many years to come, I''d lean towards simple, classic styles. You probably can''t go wrong with Chanel, but my current favourite is the Chloe paraty. Absolutely love it! I''m hoping for one as a graduation present in the Spring.

Jen

Yay, hands down for Paraty!! I am getting a grey paraty next week! The black paraty is very nice too!

 

[AGBF]

Thank you all so much for the great suggestions! I have been running down leads like mad!!! So far I think I like the plain (non-woven) calfskin Bottega Veneta bags and the Prada bags the most. I like sleek, simple lines both in jewelry and-I guess-in pocketbooks . I am having fun. I suspect that if I try to buy a top-of-the-line purse like a Prada one that I will look for a good used one on eBay! I still have a problem spending $1800 on a leather bag...when I could be spending it on 24K gold! If the worth of a good designer bag holds up, as I keep hearing that it does, I should be able to purchase a mint one. No?

AGBF

 

[ms.halo]

^^ There are good deals to be had on Ebay, just make sure to have the bag authentiated by the ladies at the Purse Forum.

Mulberry makes really high-quality beautiful bags for under $1,000. My personal favorites for leather bags are Prada, BV and Balenciaga.

 

[neatfreak]

You deserve it!!! I agree though, please make sure to get it authenticated on TPF if you buy used from anywhere! And only buy new from a reliable place-there are tons of places that sell fakes.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Deb you certainly do deserve your dream purse. Keep us updated with what you decide to buy!!!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Deb, what about the LV Epi Leather or Suhali Leather lines? They''re GORGEOUS and they don''t have the LV logo all over the place like the monogram bags do.

 

[AGBF]

I seem to have narrowed it down to Bottega Veneta and Prada. I asked to have one eBay find authenticated by TPF and I found two Prada bags on Bluefly that I liked. The Bottega Veneta was a rust color that would not look conservative with all outfits and black shoes, but I liked it a lot. The two Prada bags were black so they would match my usual shoes and everything. I suppose I could post pictures. It is all very much up in the air at the moment, however! One of the bags I really liked the most turned out to be small (one couldn''t tell from a photo). I mean tiny. Another I liked was full price, unlike the Bluefly and eBay bags.... And so it goes....

AGBF

 

[AGBF]

Date: 11/11/2009 5:00:47 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Deb, what about the LV Epi Leather or Suhali Leather lines? They''re GORGEOUS and they don''t have the LV logo all over the place like the monogram bags do.

I haven''t looked at those, Emm, but I will!


AGBF

 

[AGBF]

The photo I have attached is not nearly as good as the one to which I am posting a link. (The link is to the Bergdorf Goodman website and their photo is, I am sure, an official Prada photo!) the photo I am posting does not show this bag at its best. Nonetheless, I thought it would still give people something to look at quickly. I wanted a black bag, if I could find one that wasn't too dull and boring, so that I could wear it with black flat shoes if I wanted to look decent. I am also looking at other Prada black lambskin bags.

AGBF

 

[geckodani]

Date: 11/13/2009 2:21:25 PM
Author: AGBF


The photo I have attached is not nearly as good as the one to which I am posting a link. (The link is to the Bergdorf Goodman website and their photo is, I am sure, an official Prada photo!) the photo I am posting does not show this bag at its best. Nonetheless, I thought it would still give people something to look at quickly. I wanted a black bag, if I could find one that wasn''t too dull and boring, so that I could wear it with black flat shoes if I wanted to look decent. I am also looking at other Prada black lambskin bags.

AGBF

Ooooh. I like it! Would go well with jeans or dressier looks as well.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 11/13/2009 2:40:02 PM
Author: geckodani

Date: 11/13/2009 2:21:25 PM
Author: AGBF

The photo I have attached is not nearly as good as the one to which I am posting a link. (The link is to the Bergdorf Goodman website and their photo is, I am sure, an official Prada photo!) the photo I am posting does not show this bag at its best. Nonetheless, I thought it would still give people something to look at quickly. I wanted a black bag, if I could find one that wasn''t too dull and boring, so that I could wear it with black flat shoes if I wanted to look decent. I am also looking at other Prada black lambskin bags.

AGBF

Ooooh. I like it! Would go well with jeans or dressier looks as well.

Thanks, geckodani, and I would really like to solicit the opinions of others on this bag, too! I have not yet purchased it, so the Statute of Limitations on Honesty has not yet expired! If you think it is ridiculous looking or off-balance or a weird mixture of colors or any of a million negative things, now is a great time to speak up! Please!

AGBF

 

[FancyDiamond]

Date: 11/11/2009 5:00:47 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl
Deb, what about the LV Epi Leather or Suhali Leather lines? They''re GORGEOUS and they don''t have the LV logo all over the place like the monogram bags do.

In terms of handbags, I prefer Hermes (i.e., birkins). I tried Chloe but found their bags way too heavy. Against my common sense, I purchased it because it was the IT bag at the time. Until I carried this heavy load (4.5 lb empty and over 0.5 lb for the lock alone) 3-4 blocks did I finally give up and rid of it quickly. I tried Chanel, but realized I was not much of a chained-bag person. As for LV, I am like you. I just cannot make myself love their canvas bags. However, I tried their Suhali line, and love it. Attached photo is my L''Epanoui GM. It is relatively light, and the style is very functional. Whenever I go on a trip, this is the first bag I grab.

 

[FancyDiamond]

LV Suhali line, L''Epanoui GM

 

[FancyDiamond]

The straps are adjustable. Bag is good size. I was able to fit my cashmere scarf in it along with my pursetogo, wallets, and junks. Very handy to have when shopping and sightseeing.

 

[AGBF]

Do you like this simple bag or the first Prada bag I posted more? One is simpler, maybe too simple. The other may be too much. Someone on TPF suggested a Gaufre (in nylon or leather). (I would only want leather.) I looked at them. I did not see many for sale. If they had goldtone hardware I think i would like them more. With silver hardware, I don't know if they are remarkable enough, although I like the ruching.

I have looked at the Louis Vuitton leather bags, but they are not for me. I like the deerskin and lambskin used in the Bottega Veneta and Prada bags, I am afraid! I think the Italians have it all over the French when it comes to leather goods and cooking and gold jewelry !


AGBF

 

[AGBF]

What do you think of this Prada Nappa Ruffle Hobo Bag in Nero?

AGBF

 

[neatfreak]

I like that Ruffle bag the best so far. Honestly the others look cheap to me-I think it's the wrinkled leather.

If you like the wrinkled leather I think this one is much more chic and classic than the black/brown one:
http://www.barneys.com/Large%20Antik%20Gathered%20Tote/00505001222104,default,pd.html

I also like this Givenchy:
http://www.barneys.com/Elschia%20Billy%20Sac/00505002423753,default,pd.html

This gray one makes a statement and is classic at the same time:
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446240492&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574492709408&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474399545537&bmUID=1258325555555&ev19=1:6

Ohh or this one has the drawstring look you like but it looks more expensive and classic IMO. I LOOOOOVE this one:http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446226850&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574492709717&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474399545537&bmUID=1258325590127&ev19=1:42


Not much could be more classic and gorgeous than a YSL Muse bag:
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446139536&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574492709270&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474399545537&bmUID=1258325678388&ev19=1:13

Hope you like some of those! It's fun to spend someone else's money!