STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Alegria · Kate Spade

Purse Knowledge

Andrea Julia · Coach

quote:
Originally posted by: shpgqueenet
"I am in desperate need of some purse knowledge. I am generally hard on/not carefull with my purses. They tend to get ruined in a season. Even though I ususally get leather purses I haven't ever spent over $50 on a purse for this reason. Now if I spend more will they last longer? Really I am spending just as much money replacing my bags as if I just got a few good ones, right? My next question is what is the "order" of quality when it comes to handbags? (Ninewest,BCBG, Coach,Gap,Prada,LV,Brighton,Channel,Express,Guess,Dooney & Bourke,Kate Spade, and any others that you can think of. I am drawing a blank on some others.) Thanks to all you purse lovers!!!"

To my twin sister (look at our avatars...LOL)

I think they last longer and it would be worth it to spend a little more. However, lighter colors still end up looking dirty and sometimes it costs more to clean them I would be willing to spend and then I end up keeping them and never using them.

I think the order of quality for the brands you mention are

Gap, Express, Guess, Nine West, Dooney & Bourke, Brighton, Coach, Kate Spade, BCBG, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel

-- Edited by Andrea Julia at 20:44, 2005-01-22

honey · Gucci

what exactly do you do to your purses? i have a bunch of purses (though none are "designer") and i don't necessarily think that a more expensive purse is going to last longer, if you don't treat it well. the benefit of a designer purse is that the leather is usually better quality and it wears better over time. i would rank them like this from least to greatest, though my opinion is also based on aesthetics and/or overall status of the bag (b/c in all honesty part of what you're paying for is going to be the status)

guess

nine west

express (the first 3 are all pretty equal to me)

gap -- they have good bags that will last and good price points, especially when you factor in sales

bcbg (though this depends, they have some really nice leather bags right now, and some are really not that great and are equivalent to guess)

dooney & burke

kate spade

coach (though in all honesty d&b, coach, & kate spade are pretty much equal imo in terms of quality and i've only placed them below prada & lv b/c the status associated these bags is "less" than the status of prada, lv, mj, etc.)

prada and lv are pretty tied in my opinion. though you should know that the brown signature monogram is not leather it's canvas -- if that's the lv you're looking at) also you could include marc jacobs bags in this category too (essentially nice bags, that are a step below chanel)

chanel -- this is probably the best you can get in terms of quality and longevity and of course status

also look into hype bags (i would equate them with coach) longchamp, and kooba (longchamps are supposed to be pretty good bags and kooba makes really cute ones)

halleybird · Hermes

If you're really hard on your bags, I'd go for a mid-range bag before spending the big $$$. I have bags (all leather) from Hype, Banana Republic and BCBG, and I really like the quality of all of them (though, as Honey said, BCBG can vary by the bag). I tend to avoid Coach/D&B because they seem so generic to me (at least here - everyone has one). Chic posted some cute ones from Hobo Intl, too, which are a decent price range for the quality. Kooba and Michael / Michael Kors have some nice midrange bags as well.

I would like, in the next year or so, to get a higher-end bag, but I am not sold on the fact that a $1000 canvas LV or Gucci bag is that much better quality than a sturdy $300 leather one from a good company.

nyc_shopgirl · Dooney & Bourke

I would place fendi and gucci on the same level as prada and LV but maybe slightly below. Also JP Tod would be same level. Pretty much high end but logoy is less than high end and non logoy in my book

tri_sarah_tops · Marc Jacobs

Just FYI, there's a really good article in the January Bazaar about investment pieces and cost per wear. I have 6 or 7 midrange bags ($100-$200 range) and after reading that article, I really wish that I had just saved money and bought one really awesome high end bag...like the Chloe one I'm obsessed with.

bliss · Dooney & Bourke

I have handbags in different price ranges and I think it ultimately depends on how you treat them. I have a collection of Coach legacy purses and I throw them around like no one's business, but I also regularly condition them and am not too hard on them. I also rotate them often and have different bags for different occasions.

I would recommend Longchamp (great bags) if you're looking to splurge and test the waters for a higher end bag. Also I've never had a problem with a Nine West purse (though I am not a huge fan of their shoes). Oh yeah, you might want to look into different bag materials, maybe leather is better than canvas for you. I love leather bags and a close friend of mine is always able to snag great nylon bags and they work better for her. Good luck.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

I haven't really seen much of a difference... I a Nine West that I've had no problems with other than a loose thread here and there and a gucci that the strap split in half on. So far the one that seems to be holding up the best is a little leather coach bag, but since that one is newer I have also been taking better care of it. Try longchamps, they are relatively cheap ($40 for the cheapest, $100 for a decent bag) and they have both nylon and leather. I have a black nylon sack type bag from them that I throw around like its nothing and it holds up great.