How to buy a good handbag

I realised I’ve been interested in handbags since I was a little kid. While not being particularly obsessed with fashion - I care about how I’m actually carrying my things around on the Earth.

Do I need a backpack so my back won’t hurt? Is everything going to fit on? Is it at least colour- matching what I’m wearing? How are things organized inside? Aren’t my things ruined lying unorganised inside? In a nutshell- functionality first. And this is going to be the angle I’ll be contemplating in this article

In this article, I want to shed a bit more light into decision- making process when buying a new handbag.

PU vs. Real Leather?

In my teenage years as well as early 20s, money was short. Starting off a career and taking care for oneself, handbag wasn’t a big item on my budget. Even though I was commuting and traveling a lot, I could not invest in a quality handbag . While never thinking of it as an option, I always opted for a nice, plastic alternative from big chain stores. Investing not more than 20-30€ per piece.

Those bags usually wore off pretty quickly- they started to crack, broke down or something fell of off them. In one instance, my bag kept falling apart only after 10 months. I came back to the store, returned it, got my money back and went off to buy the new one straight away at the identical store. I’ve repeated this process 3 times throughout my college. There was one moment, when my the handle of a new bag fell off after 2 weeks and the store refused to return the money. I was mad and told myself this is the last time.

Ever since, I only buy real leather. It won’t scratch that easy and can get fixed if needed. It’s also environmentally friendlier option than a ‘vegan’ handbag. To this day, I don’t understand why on earth they’re promoted as sustainable. Unless iť’s a self-sufficient tech material (eg. Mushrooms) or plant- based materials like pineapple - it doesn’t make sense.

Why leather?

mini black leather handbag — Leather handbag ages well if you take proper care of it.

It can be passed down- you buy leather for good. When I started to buy leather bags, I always went for timeless models, thinking I would keep them for life. This is a good mindset until- you get bored of them. With time, the personality changes as well as style. Handbags come and go.

The competitive advantage of leather is its durability and demand on the market. Of course there’s a place for trendy, plastic/transparent models for fun. However, it’s much more easier to sell a leather hanbag that the PU one. And so I did the same- sold the ones that didn’t bring me joy. Usually after 5~ years, I put them on vinted of FB marketplace. It might take some time but I was able to sell them for the buying price, there were times I even made some money after I wore the bag for 4 years and sometimes it would sell only 10-15€ below its original price, which is fantastic.

10€ for 4-5 years worth of wearing is a pretty good deal. And a pretty low cost per wear. Buying plastic bags 1-2x a year (20€ each) without a chance of getting the money back is just not economical, nor environmental. Sure these are not a huge lumps of money but when you’re young, every € counts!

Beware the handles

Even leather handbags can worn off quickly or get destroyed. The most important mechanisms I’m looking at when buying one are:

The composition Ask yourself questions: Is it robust enough? How am I going to wear it? Is it big enough to carry all my stuff? Does it have all the compartments I need?

Touch - Is the leather grainy or smooth? Which one do I prefer?

Handles - if your bag is going to break, it’s 90% related to handles. How are they connected to the handbag? If you can, always prefer the hardware. Sewn handles, if placed in a wrong angle - are risky.

Zip and closure. Bag should keep your things safe. Especially when it comes to tote bags- ccomputers, iPads, documents- make sure you have an option to zip it. Zip can also be a realpain. The amount of times I scratched my hand for the sake of safety... there's now a number of tiny scars on my fingers. Make sure to test the handbag by putting items in and out before you make the the purchase. Is the zip smooth enough? Test, test, test.

Designer?

Can’t really give an advice on designer pieces here. There’s a ton of positives: craftmanship- they’re durable, timeless, they can actually become an asset - the investment as collectibles. It’s a status symbol. There’s a reason the hanbag costs thousands of $$.

Before you buy a designer handbag

Unexpectedly, I came across a couple of negatives when trying out designer handbags - a lot of them are not that practical (which of course makes sense). Eg. Valentino Garavani was quite heavy as it was. I couldn’t imagine having another 1kg worth of things inside to carry around.

Chloe faye - again yet another heavy bag + strap was so thin it bruised my shoulder. My recommendation is: go try and test that expensive handbag you’re dreaming about- jut in case. That peace of mind is worth it! :D

watch youtube videos - there are tons of reviews and comparison videos that will help you narrow down the search.

Buy a ‘fake’ one first to test it out. Better spend 100€ before 1000€ to see if you can get the wear out of it, if it fits your wardrobe and if you like it as a concept itself.

If you decide to go for it, look at pages like Vestiaire or The Real Real to look for second hand options. The amount of immaculate handbags is insane + it’s cheaper + more sustainable option. :)

Handbag essentials

Here’s a sample of a versatile, essential collection of key pieces to have in your closet:

A little black bag or blig for going out

A work bag - eg. tote bag for shopping or work

A backpack - if you’re communig or you need to carry a notebook with you. Scoliosis is not worth it and there are pretty awesome and stylish options om the market. Backpacks are more ‘in' than ever!