Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Trifecta: Handbags, Part Two

How awesome was Adrien's post about handbags this week? Ugh, so awesome. It made me want to run out and get me some ladylike, structured handbags but then I realized something. My life is, ah, not so ladylike. I work full time, but in a casual creative environment. I am 35 and I've literally never had a job where I couldn't wear jeans. And in my off time (notice I don't say free time)? I'm a mom to a small kid, with another on the way. So I thought I would share my more casual version of Adrien's go-to handbag wardrobe, in case there are more of you who do not have ladylike lives.

One thing Adrien and I have in common is this:

Buy the best quality you can afford.

I don't do cheap bags and fake leather. It disappoints me and doesn't hold up as long and even cheap Target bags can run you upwards of $40. If you buy 4 cheap bags a year guess what? You could have picked up a beautiful leather bag (seriously y'all, look at that fun, gorgeous bag) that will age nicely and become a statement piece in your wardrobe. It's the hard truth. I only buy one bag a year, and usually I buy it secondhand so I get the most for my money.

Another one of Adrien's points is: Don't be boring. And I agree, but...I've taken kind of a turn for the neutral with my bag purchases in the past couple of years. I used to have a blue bag, a pink bag, an emerald green stunner (dang, now I want that one), but my current most favorite bags are navy, a muted gold, and a worn natural leather. They are all crafted from gorgeous, touchable leather and have interesting shapes and details, but they aren't very colorful. That said, let's talk about what my bag wardrobe would be:


Running around as much as I do, I require that all of my bags have a long strap that can be worn across the body. I have to be able to grab a growing toddler, so free hands are key. My two favorite, and most used bags, are the Marc Jacobs "Mag Bag":


And my Su-Shi Old Skool Mini in Honey:

I also just got (and will blog about later this week!) a Clare Vivier messenger bag in navy. It's gloriously soft and slouchy and holds a lot without looking huge. It's pretty dreamy, but more on that later.

How about you? Do you gravitate towards more ladylike bags or are you more casual? Also, pssssst: it's Adrien's birthday today! Wish her a happy one by telling us your dream handbag in the comments.

10 comments:

  1. bani says: but I told her about my dream bag yesterday! ;-) Happy birthday Adrien!

    I really like that navy bag Marianne,look forward to seeing it. But they all seem to lack pockets...

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  2. ♪♫Happy Birthday, Dear Adrien!♪♫

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  3. happy birthday Adrien!
    I coveted a LV bag for a year or so then talked myself out of it bc I couldn't justify spending 1000 on a bag...
    So I bought myself a Coach one to replace a J Crew one (Brompton).

    http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/-handbags-us-us-62-en?viewType=viewall&t1Id=62&t2Id=62#121605

    I'm all about quality over quantity.

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  4. Happy birthday, Adrien!

    I love bags, and used to be quite the designer handbag aficionada (I have some beautiful old school Marc Jacobs bags that I love), but lately I haven't bought any new bags, and I've been carrying a big leather Jerome Dreyfuss Billy bag a lot lately.

    But my dream bag? I actually own it - Marc Jacobs Stella, with the original buckles, in a gorgeous prune-y grape color with a dusty blue suede lining. Bought second hand on eBay, the year after it was released. I remember walking by the Marc Jacobs store in San Francisco with it on my shoulder, and being accosted by a salesman who ran outside to pet it. Yes, it is that fabulous.

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  5. Personally, I love good quality handmade bags that I know not many other people will have. You have to hunt them out, but I like having something special. Working in downtown San Francisco, all the women seem to carry the exact same handbags and to me there's nothing special about them. While I admit they are good quality bags, I feel like it's more a "look at me" kind of thing since everyone carries the same ones.

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  6. I covet that Old Skool. I have a very hard time parting with the money for good bags, and rarely take the time to change my bag, since mornings are a whirlwind, so I rarely buy new ones unless they really, really speak to me, and even then, I usually can't make the leap. Odd, since I did just drop a stupid amount of money replacing bras, but somehow, they feel more necessary. *sigh*

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  7. Happy Birthday, Adrien! Right now my dream bag is Adrien's pretty red LV. So gorgeous!

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  8. A belated Happy Birthday, Adrien! I would LOVE to own this bag:
    http://www.etsy.com/listing/96803310/soft-leather-handbag-purse-opelle-baby
    HOW FREAKIN BEAUTIFUL IS THAT?

    Failing that, I also love these:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/229542912229108926/
    http://pinterest.com/pin/229542912228629314/
    http://pinterest.com/pin/229542912228515244/
    http://pinterest.com/pin/229542912228515237/

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  9. The most expensive bag I've ever owned ($125 on deep discount) quickly got scraped beyond repair on a brick wall and I was so disgusted, I will never buy a pricey bag again.
    I've been carrying around a Target grey fake ostrich tote for 6 months solid now and it's surprisingly holding up really well. I'm shocked. Of course, the $40 bag is still in great shape. Of course.

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