AD Is there a particular handbag that has caught your eye? Or maybe you are wondering if it is ever worth spending so much money on a luxury bag? Of course you are paying for the designer's name, but is that the only reason for the price? Here are my thoughts on the reasons you should (or maybe shouldn’t) buy a designer bag. 

What To Think About before Buying A Designer Bag

Reasons Not To Buy A Designer Bag

Don’t Buy It As An Investment

Articles talking about if a designer handbag is worth buying often focus on the idea that they can be an investment. If you feel better justifying a purchase because it’s an “investment” then fine you do you, but please don’t make that the main reason you buy it.  There are lots of good reasons to buy a designer bag which I will come to, but I have concerns if people are doing it to make or even save money.

Designer handbags can be classed as a good investment for 2 reasons: 

Firstly they can hold their value really well so you might be able to sell it in future for a profit. Having said that if you want financial advice see a financial adviser, there are other ways to invest money that are lower risk. To me a designer handbag is about passion, style and beauty. They should be bought to be used and if you hope to make money you will be too worried about damage or losing it to really enjoy using it. Your foundation might leak, you might scratch a clasp, you might lose it, there are so many reasons you could lose money on it that purchasing the bag as an investment is risky.

The second reason you can claim a designer hand bag is an investment is because they generally last longer than cheaper, High Street bags. This is great for sustainability and reducing waste, but do the maths if you are talking of it saving you money. Take the beautiful Loewe puzzle bag for instance which will cost you over £2000. It should last significantly longer than a leather bag from Next, but you have to buy a lot of high street bags at £50  before you are anywhere near the cost of a designer bag. 

Don’t Buy It If You Can’t Afford It

A designer handbag is a luxury. It is a great item to save up for and when chosen carefully I don’t think it is a choice you will regret, but you shouldn’t buy one if you can’t afford it. Putting money aside and saving for a bag you love with only make you appreciate it more, but if your choice is buying the bag or food, buying the bag or paying bills then the bills should come first every time. The joy a bag brings you won’t keep you warm in winter or put food on your plate. 

So there are reasons not to buy a designer handbag, but if you have the money and are on the fence about whether to go for it then here are some reasons I think you should.

Reasons To Buy A Designer Handbag

It Will Make You Happy

If you absolutely love a bag, if you can’t walk past it in the shop without wanting to stroke it and feel it in your hands then it’s a good thing to buy. Whether it’s from the American luxury brand Coach or ethical Brit Designer Stella McCartney owning a bag that makes you smile is great reason to buy it.

And I promise when you open the box once it is delivered, unwrap the tissue paper, then open up the fabric storage bag inside to find the item of beauty then you will have a smile on your face.

The Bag For The Bag

Designer bags are designed to be luxurious, they don’t cut corners and one of the joys is that they normally come in their own fabric bag. This means that when you aren’t using it you can store it in it’s bag, keeping it dust free and protected.

You Can Use It All The Time

If you buy a stunning top or dress there are only so many times you can wear it. The more amazing an item of clothing is the more memorable it will be so you end up spacing out how often you can wear it. It’s different with accessories: a beautiful handbag can be used everyday, in fact it’s expected you will use them regularly. 

It Will Always Fit

The sad thing about clothes is when our bodies change shape they can stop fitting. This might be because we gain or lose weight or even just our shape changing as we age. You won’t get this problem with a handbag though. Whatever size you are you can still wear it.

The Quality Is Better 

While you can get excellent quality non designer bags the attention to detail and quality of every designer bag I have had has been excellent. The clasps are stronger, the stitching better; where High Street stores will cut corners to save money designer bags are just so much better. And yes you can get really good dupes which from a distance look great, but a well made leather bag with good craftsmanship is always going to have a high price tag, and that’s without the prestige of a big fashion house behind it. 

Any low cost bag has to cut corners to save money and this becomes obvious with use eg they will use less material so the seams are more likely to come apart inside, the thread might not be as strong, the material thinner. It might look good on the first wear, but by the 10th it can already be looking tired. My favourite designer handbag I have worn on over 1000 occasions and it still looks great.

It Completes An Outfit

When your accessories look great it uplifts an outfit and makes you look more styled. And when you feel you look good you have more confidence.

Low Cost Per Wear

If you choose the right handbag then you will use it time and time again. This means that if you divide the initial cost by the number of times you use it then it doesn’t always work out as very expensive. 

Tips for Choosing The Right Handbag For You

• Go for a classic style over a statement bag if you want to be able to use it for longer.
• How will you carry it? Do you have a preference for handbag, shoulder or clutch? Some bags come with multiple straps so you can use in a variety of ways. Do you want to wear it across your body, do you want a large tote bag which you can keep everything in?
• Weight. Some bags are really heavy, I love my Bayswater but even empty it weighs a fair bit so it would never become an everyday bag for me. Inevitably the larger the bag the heavier it is likely to be, so think about size too.
• Pockets and closures. For most of us living a busy life we want a bag that is fast to get things out of, but we also don’t want essentials like our wallet and keys to fall out on their own. So think about what sort of compartments or closures the bag has. 
• Colour. It may be considered a little dull but all my most expensive handbags are black. This is because I find they go with everything and they don’t show dirt. A beautiful cream leather is going to show marks so you have to take more care. I have some lower cost designer items in lighter colours for summer use, but these tend to only be used for a month or two each year.