Purse suggestions (I know it''s a bit off-topic)

[BigVig]

I''ve been with my girlfriend for a few years now and want to get her a new purse for her b-day (which will also have an engagement ring inside!).

I''ve got the ring think figured out, but now I need to figure out what kind of purse to get. I know she wants something that''s nice/stylish/classy - she''s always talking about her friends'' Coach bags, but I think a Luis Vuitton bag would be too trendy/flashy for her. So any suggestions on what brand/model purse I should get... Coach, if so what model... any other brands (not LV) ? Thanks in advance!

 

[BigVig]

Sorry, forgot to metion she''s 28 years old and (I think) wants something that''s medium size and classy/stylish enough to take to a hip/nice restaurant

 

[MissAva]

What color are you thinking of? I would avoid the pinks, purples, and so one and stick with either brown or black as it will not date the purse to this year. In the same line of thinking I would avoid the letter purses from Coach I have them and like them alot, but you know what year/season they came out. I would say leather is your best option. What size purse were you thinking of, what budget? However if she wants a nice Coach purse and you want to get her one stick with that brand because she may not be a fan of D&B, Le Spot Sac, JP Todd, Gucci, or Fendi. It seems safer to stick to what she has said.

 

[BigVig]

Thanks... was thinking of the sub $500 range.... I think she''d want leather.. looked at Coach website and discovered that the only thing more confusing to us guys than "which diamond" is "which purse" ...maybe I should just let her do it, but thought she''d appreciate the effort/thought if I tried to figure it out. Any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[Mara]

I personally am not a huge Coach bag fan...they are too common for me as in EVERYONE seems to have them nowadays, even 14 year old girls! But, if she does rave about her friends purses then maybe she would like a Coach.

IMO, It's hard to just choose a purse unless you have some idea of what she really likes asin brand names or styles. Sometimes *I* can't even make a decision on a purse for myself...god only knows what my beloved husband would choose for me.

For me a nice LV or Gucci are classic rather than trendy...I personally feel like LV goes with all fall/neutrals which is SO my thing. If I had $500 to spend on any bag ever I'd probably choose an LV because they never go out of style. My friend has LV's from her Mom that look brand new and young people are still wearing. But again it's such a personal thing. I am not a huge fan of Gucci, but I adore LV and Fendi. Go figure.

What about a Kate Spade..it's fun and youngish and almost everyone likes them since they aren't TOO pricey so you don't have to break the bank for a bag you aren't 100000% sure she'd love. You could get something for fall, maybe one of the black ones?

Whatever you get, make sure the store has a return policy so she can at least return it for another style or something.

 

[BigVig]

Awesome..thanks for the responses... yeah, I think she''d want something that isn''t too common, so maybe the Kate Spade idea is the way to go.. Thanks

 

[MissAva]

I would avoid Kate Spade...they just are not that well made. ( have had two and neither lasted a full year

) And while LV used to be a bit less common every girl on campus has one, so age may be a factor in how common any brand of purse is. Perhaps you could get a little cute one from Target and get her a mall gift certficate and let her pick the purse. Or you could ask her best female friend to help you are even her mother, just as long as you dont think they will spill it.

 

[msb700]

i agree with mara that an LV or gucci bag are classics and can be worn all year round and pretty much never go out of style...

though, if ur gf wants something less common, then other than the kate spade, did u consider Kenneth cole? they have some really nice purses from wat i''ve seen and they are not break ur back expensive either....? (but yes, do make sure th store has a return policy as its a shame to put so much effort into something and then having it put on the shelf if it isn''t to someone''s liking...)

good luck!

 

[Scintillating]

" I know she wants something that's nice/stylish/classy - she's always talking about her friends' Coach bags, but I think a Luis Vuitton bag would be too trendy/flashy for her. So any suggestions on what brand/model purse I should get... Coach, if so what model... " - Big Vig

What kind of a lady is your love?
She subtle and classic?

She's not trendy and bold? right?
Then I don't think LV is the way to go then.

What's a typical outfit she might wear? (Colors.)
Does she have any favorite handbags now?
A favorite color?
Does she like structured bags or less structured and slouchy/hobo-ish?

These questions might help us pick a bag suited to your lady's tastes.
Please tell us a little more about her.

Have you considered Cole Haan? There bags are high quality and classic.
Though I really think if she talks about coach, and envies her friend's coach bags, then coach she should have.
Does she have any now?
What part of the country do you live in?

Scintillating...

 

[diamondlil]

Have you ever looked at Brahmin handbags? They are carried at nicer department stores such as Nordstrom.

I have a collection of handbags myself (LV, coach, etc.), but I gravitate to my Brahmin bags most often. They are vey high quality and will last forever. Plus, they are very stylish and classy but not as common. They run about $300 +/- depending on the design.

 

[flutterby]

What a great way to propose. i wish my bf would get me the sold out LV cerise (with the cherries designed by mj) and put my pretty ruby ring in it!

But back to you! I think coach bags are really nice, especially if you avoid the logo''d ones (with all the c''s). Right now there are 3 fall handbags I''d really like to have the helen welsh athene(from nordstroms) and the dooney bourke east west, both right about $300 and I always want another marc jacobs, right now i''m loving his purse called daria at neimans.

Go look around, ask the sales girl at Nordstroms (but stick to your budgest!) and check out kate spade and cole haan while your looking. I think it is a brilliant idea and am sure she will love it!

 

[Angel7]

I'd stay away from LV if she's not trendy plus EVERYONE has one. If she just wants a nice quality purse and you want to spend around $500, Coach is fine. yes, everyone has one but it's something she said she wanted so I think it's a safe bet.
Can you ask one of her friends to go shopping with you?
I would stick with neutral colors like Black or Brown. Is the logo on the outside important to her? If not, you can get a nice leather one. Either way they are quality bags and not flashy.

Here are some cute ones, (I think!)
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7688&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=6914&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7299&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7266&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7376&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7345&category_id=68

You could always buy a cute little LV or Gucci make up bag or coin purse and put the ring in there? Just a thought. (Some LV options below)
Good Luck! Let us know what you decide!!

LV Options

Cute Little Marc Jacobs

 

[BigVig]

What kind of a lady is your love?
Well, she''s classy, not trendy (not meant to be a deragatory term) and doesn''t wear the high fashion clothes (mainly because she''s a grad student, so can''t afford it)
She subtle and classic?
Yes!
She''s not trendy and bold? right?
No
Then I don''t think LV is the way to go then.
Agree
What''s a typical outfit she might wear? (Colors.)
She''s been wearing alot of pink/white/black/jeans
Does she have any favorite handbags now?
Not really, as I said, she''s a grad student so she has a little black one (but has commented that she needs something a little bigger and wants something more stylish/nice)
A favorite color?
I think she''d want a black one for it''s versatility, but pink is her favorite color.
Does she like structured bags or less structured and slouchy/hobo-ish?
I think she''d like the structured bags (I say that as if I know what that means...haha, I''m hopeless in this department!)
Does she have any now?
Small shiny black leather one, about 11x5 inches, but she nees something bigger to hold all her stuff including sunglasses, etc that won''t fit in her current bag.
What part of the country do you live in?
Los Angeles

Sounds like Coach might be a safe bet, but which one? Or what other non-Coach bags?

You all are helping me a lot, so thanks!

 

[BigVig]

Date: 9/27/2005 11:30:47 AM
Author: Angel7
I''d stay away from LV if she''s not trendy plus EVERYONE has one. If she just wants a nice quality purse and you want to spend around $500, Coach is fine. yes, everyone has one but it''s something she said she wanted so I think it''s a safe bet.
Can you ask one of her friends to go shopping with you?
I would stick with neutral colors like Black or Brown. Is the logo on the outside important to her? If not, you can get a nice leather one. Either way they are quality bags and not flashy.

Here are some cute ones, (I think!)
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7688&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=6914&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7299&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7266&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7376&category_id=68
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7345&category_id=68

You could always buy a cute little LV or Gucci make up bag or coin purse and put the ring in there? Just a thought. (Some LV options below)
Good Luck! Let us know what you decide!!

LV Options

Cute Little Marc Jacobs

Thanks for those suggestions Angel!!!!!

 

[flopkins]

I would go for something like this

or this

In fact, I really like that last one. The big buckles are really in right now. There are other super cute bags on the coach website but a lot of them are tiny, I tried to find ones that were a tad bigger.


Sounds like she''s similar to me, grad student w/mostly jeans, and either of these in a darker color would be great for winter! Black is always a safe choice. I love pink too, but it''s harder to get a bag that color unless you have a lot of purses and can switch out to match, I would go for something that is easier to bring around all the time.

Maybe you could go to the mall and sorta drift by the coach section, and see if she comments on any of the bags! hehe. or go shopping w/one of her friends, and tell the friend to browse the coach purses so you can see how she reacts to the different styles.

 

[flopkins]

Oh - and I''d also like to say - don''t be surprised if she''s totally taken by the purse and doesn''t notice the ring at all - one of my FI''s friends proposed to his girl with the ring in a pair of shoes he gave her - she was so excited by the shoes she took the ring box out of the shoe w/o giving it another thought, and was sitting there w/her new shoes on, admiring them, when her FI was finally like... uh... don''t you want to look in that box?!!!!

i love that story!

 

[decodelighted]

I'd consider a HOGAN bag for her ... its a different division of Tod's, which is very, very "prep classic" & known for leather. My butterscotch leather HOGAN is the bag I default to constantly & looks great with the stitching in most jeans (anal or what!!)

IMO: nix on Kate Spade (just read an article about how their parent co. is selling them because they aren't selling anymore: quality? popularity? who knows)

FURLA is another option ... though my sister about the same age as your Future Fiance LOVES her jazzy colored froggy green Marc Jacobs tote from Nordstroms, Neimans??

ETA: I also LOVE the top hobo Coach bag Flopkins posted. Very now but classic. Wearable.

EETA: Some Hogan choices

http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod4620018&parentId=cat202901&masterId=cat203101&index=4&cmCat=
http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod4620019&parentId=cat202901&masterId=cat203101&index=3&cmCat=

 

[AsscherGirl]

Flopkins,

I also love the first coach bag you posted. I would get it in black, because I LOVE black purses! I am not a fan of designer handbags that aren''t leather and cost as much as the leather ones. I guess it''s a weird hangup of mine! That shoe story is hilarious - her poor boyfriend (fiancee?!)

BigVig,
If she has hinted that she likes Coach bags - you should probably get her a Coach bag. I know that I tell my boyfriend all the time about this Chanel bag that I love & I know that he would never buy it for me. But I also know that he wouldn''t think he could substitute it with a LV, Gucci or Fendi purse. Maybe I am more particular than other girls, but I think we are all pretty particular.

Also, Coach has a pretty good return policy - so if you end up picking something that isn''t exactly her taste or if she had a particular bag in mind that she really wanted, you could always exchange it.

P.S. I love the idea of putting the ring in a purse. Two presents in one!!!!

 

[E B]

BigVig,

I have a coach purse (the black signature, grey background) and I love it to pieces. It's about 5 years old and showing a little wear, so I'll be getting another one soon, but it's the best purse I've ever had. It can be dressed up or down, and I use it as my only purse. Did I mention I love it?

Here are some I love (and hey, your girlfriend might love them too!):

http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7345&category_id=68 (in black or brown)

http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7347&category_id=68

http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=7565&category_id=68 (in red)

...and here's the one I have, in black and white:
http://www.coach.com/shop/product_nobefree.asp?product_no=3337&category_id=68

It holds plenty. My wallet (which is slim and perfect), my cell phone, keys, lip gloss, and there's still room for more. It's big enough to hold the essentials while small enough to tuck under your arm for safety. If your girlfriend likes bigger bags, skip this one. If she likes smaller bags and doesn't carry much, I highly recommend this one.

Good luck on your great ideal for a proposal!

 

[Mara]

Hehe this thread is cracking me up because it''s only serving to show how PERSONAL a bag is!!! I don''t like any of the suggestions or pictures posted (well that little marc jacobs is a cutie and I like the small LV cosmetic bag)...or any of the links given at all. And I''m not really considered super bold or trendy either.

I''m definitely more of a classic gal and believe in one or two items I can wear all the time than something that goes out of style.

BV...personally I think your best bet is to buy something small like a cosmetic bag...maybe not even a brand name but something that just suits her PERSONALITY more or shows something other than a brand name...because I think it''s just SOOOO personal to get a purse or bag and brand names come with attached conceptions (or misconceptions). I can''t tell you how many times my MOM tries to get me some expensive bag and it just sits in my closet because I only wear what I like. Period. I don''t care how much it costs or what the name is if I don''t like it.

So after reading all these responses (and my own before), I would say nix spending $500 on something she may not even like after all of this, and do something else fun and different, maybe bag or purse related...but on a very small scale. I kind of like the cosmetic bag idea...I have a cute Nicole Miller bag that was pretty inexpensive that has little martinis all over it...maybe try to find something kind of like that that has diamonds on it? Or what about a small purse makeup bag that has her fave makeup in it...do you know what brand she uses? Get a lip gloss and an eye shadow and put the ring in it too or something fun? Just thinking up some random ideas.

 

[E B]

...but, but, but Mara, did you see my links?

eta: nevermind! I missed that you don't like Coach

 

[E B]

Date: 9/26/2005 10:15:26 PM
Author: Mara
I personally am not a huge Coach bag fan...they are too common for me as in EVERYONE seems to have them nowadays, even 14 year old girls! But, if she does rave about her friends purses then maybe she would like a Coach.

IMO, It''s hard to just choose a purse unless you have some idea of what she really likes asin brand names or styles. Sometimes *I* can''t even make a decision on a purse for myself...god only knows what my beloved husband would choose for me.

For me a nice LV or Gucci are classic rather than trendy...I personally feel like LV goes with all fall/neutrals which is SO my thing. If I had $500 to spend on any bag ever I''d probably choose an LV because they never go out of style. My friend has LV''s from her Mom that look brand new and young people are still wearing. But again it''s such a personal thing. I am not a huge fan of Gucci, but I adore LV and Fendi. Go figure.

What about a Kate Spade..it''s fun and youngish and almost everyone likes them since they aren''t TOO pricey so you don''t have to break the bank for a bag you aren''t 100000% sure she''d love. You could get something for fall, maybe one of the black ones?

Whatever you get, make sure the store has a return policy so she can at least return it for another style or something.

I never see women with Coach bags, yet I am assaulted with LV bags daily. I live in Los Angeles though, where some women are positively covered in money. I can''t count the number of LV bags on 10 hands I see daily. While I have a "C" covered bag now, I can''t wait to buy a classic leather Coach bag. In my opinion, it goes with much more than a bag covered with a bunch of LVs (or "Cs", for that matter!).

 

[decodelighted]

Hehe this thread is cracking me up because it''s only serving to show how PERSONAL a bag is!!! .... I would say nix spending $500 on something she may not even like after all of this, and do something else fun and different, maybe bag or purse related...but on a very small scale.>

LOL .. think you''re probably right, Mara! I got carried away on the purse hunt but thinking back, I don''t think I''d want my FF to pick out a bag for ME either. Especially if it''s going to be my one "good", everyday bag.

What about a wallet? & slip the ring in the change compartment? People always open up wallets to check them out - might be easier to find in something smaller anyway?

 

[E B]

BigVig,

Why don't you take your lady to the mall with a Nordstroms and a Coach in it? Walk around with her in them, and see what she says. If she's a woman who likes bags, she'll be vocal. Keep an eye on what she looks at, *sighs* at, or picks up. Or, if you want to be really crafty, have her mom, sister or a friend send her an email with a couple of bags that one of them is thinking of getting. Have them cover all the designers, and see what she replies with. My mom and I do that all the time with lots of different things. It'll be so undercover, she won't even know what's coming!

eta: I need to read more closely. I just suggested the same plan as Matatora!

 

[Mara]

eBree it''s interesting that you say you don''t see Coach bags and Mata says she sees LV''s all over campus...maybe it is a geographic thing but around here all the teenage girls have Coach!! Even my 14 year old sister has a cute one. I don''t see as many NICE LV bags, read..not the $180 pochette that everyone under the sun has but the more expensive aka mature looking bags. But I could see it definitely depending on where you are and what is ''popular''.

 

[qtiekiki]

Is it only me but I don''t think some of the newer Coach purses are nice? Anyways if you are willing to spend $500 on a purse, I would not get a Coach.

No one asks you this question yet, but how is your gf with her purse? does she take good care of it? or does she just put it the floors or anywhere? The reason I asked is that I don''t take care of my purse at all, I swing them around and throw them on the floors. And for that reason, I don''t splunge on purses because I know they will get beat up. My mom and fiance keep insisting that I need a new, nicer purse and offer to buy me brand name purse, but I had been very resistance. Maybe one day I will change my mind.

Maybe you can have her friend find out what she really wants before you go and spend $500 on a purse that she might not like.

 

[ky6]

I do not know of how much help I can be since truthfully, I do not get into handbags much. But I wanted to make a suggestion based on a designer who has several bags that I have seen online and liked. I am only offering these suggestions because, like your girlfriend, I am late 20''s and much of how you described her tastes seems similar to how many people would describe me. Anyhow, I have never owned one, but lately I have been drawn to the Perlina bags. They seem to be very classic colors and styles that could easily go from work to out w/ friends. Plus, it does not appear that these would break the bank.

Anyhow, one last suggestion. You might check out www.smartbargains.com

They have many of the higher end designers at great discounts. Ex. $600 purse for $375.

 

[Angel7]

How about a "bride" purse? She could then use it down the road when you guys get married! Something new, or old? When she opens it, she''ll be like....huh? Just a different road...sorry I''m bored at work!

You could get your last name on this one!! Totally throw her for a loop!!

 

[MissAva]

Okay it sounds to me given that you want something bigger that perhaps a nice leather tote she could use for school might work. Ebags Tote I think that she might enjoy something like this, that way she could use it daily and take it with her everywhere.

 

[MissAva]

Date: 9/27/2005 2:36:32 PM
Author: Mara
eBree it''s interesting that you say you don''t see Coach bags and Mata says she sees LV''s all over campus...maybe it is a geographic thing but around here all the teenage girls have Coach!! Even my 14 year old sister has a cute one. I don''t see as many NICE LV bags, read..not the $180 pochette that everyone under the sun has but the more expensive aka mature looking bags. But I could see it definitely depending on where you are and what is ''popular''.

Ha that is soo funny! Here is is junior high and up girls with LV...by the time they hit UA they have several.