SimoneI don’t have a lot of guilty pleasures but my love for designer bags is one of them. I inherited this passion from my mum, which is why ever since I finished school I wanted to save up money to one day be able to buy myself one.
Many people might believe that spending a rather big amount of money on a fashion item is a waste of money and if the decision is made too rapidly and without any proper thought this might be true. Hence, I decided to take you along the thought and decision process I went through before actually buying the YSL bag I now own.
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WHY?
The first question I asked myself was WHY I wanted to invest my money into a bag worth an average monthly salary. To me, it was always about both my passion for fashion but also the fascination and anticipation of saving up for something that has the quality to last for decades. My mum has a selection of Louis Vuitton bags she has owned for several years, some of them even more than a decade, and they still look the way they did on the day she got them.
Designer bags are meant to last for a long time and double or triple in value over time. Additionally, with the price also comes particularly great service. If the bag gets damaged or dirty, the chance of the brands replacing or fixing the bag for you for free is a lot higher than with high street brands.
The second reason for me was that I simply wanted to fulfil myself a small dream. I have loved YSL bags in particular for a long time and when I finished school I decided to set myself the goal to buy myself a designer bag once I graduated uni, had a job and had saved up the money to do so. When I look at the bag now, it’s not only a simple item of clothing but a representation of all my accomplishments of the last few years. When I look at it, it fills me with pride over how far I’ve come and how hard I’ve worked and I feel grateful for everything that life has given me. So to me the emotional value of the bag is a lot higher than the actual value on the price tag.
WHAT?
It might seem like a banal question to ask yourself but before investing into a designer bag, it’s highly important to be absolutely certain about your choice. Be sure about what you want to use the bag for, if it’s supposed to be an everyday bag or an item for special occasions.
My demand has always been that the bag should match most of the items in my wardrobe and be practical and easy to combine. Secondly, I wanted the bag to fit all my most important items I carry with me on a daily basis and I wanted to be able to close it as shoppers often tend to not have a flap or a latch to keep it closed.
A very important thing to think of before purchasing a designer bag is the COLOUR. I love everything cream and beige and would have loved to buy the YSL Lou Lou I own in a beige colour. The thing about light tones is: They get DIRTY so EASILY and I would’t enjoy wearing it because I’d be in constant fear over spilling something on the bag or accidentally messing it up because I put it somewhere filthy.
Which is why I went for a classic black bag as it matches my whole wardrobe and is a classy, elegant and timeless colour that never goes out of style.
WHERE?
Another question people barely think about but which I find essentially important when investing in a bag: The place you buy it at. Many people find it exciting to purchase designer items abroad when on holiday because it adds to the „gifting yourself something“-feeling but I would actually advise against it. Buying the bag in your own country makes it easier for you to return an item if something is wrong and it also makes communication easier and faster.
For example: After buying my bag in the Viennese YSL store, the shop assistant gave me her card and told me to text her on Whats App if something was wrong or if there were any issues with the bag.
Are Designer Bags Worth It?
In conclusion, I personally put a lot of thought into the whole process before actually purchasing the bag as I saved up for it for quite a long time and it undoubtedly is an exceptionally big amount of money for a normal person. In the end I think it’s essential to be absolutely sure about your purchase if you’re thinking about such an investment.
However, I highly advise everyone to only purchase something expensive like this if it doesn’t get you into financial trouble because owning such a bag definitely isn’t worth worrying over money. I bought the bag after years of saving and putting money aside I earned and was gifted from relatives for birthdays and Christmasses. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.
To some people designer bags equal a certain form of prestige and wealth but that really shouldn’t be the initial trigger to invest into such a bag. It’s much more rewarding if it’s something you allow yourself to own when you feel like you’ve reached a milestone in your life as you’ll always associate the item with that and it will make you a lot happier in the long run.
More fashion posts can be found here.