PHOTO DETAILS: HERMES KELLY 35 (Hermes Kelly dupe)
I am truly a handbag addict — always have been and always will be. To me, handbags aren’t just the final accessory you throw on as you head out the door, they complete the look. Sometimes they are THE look.
After over a decade of buying and selling luxury handbags, I wanted to provide a helpful guide with 4 key questions I ask myself before purchasing a designer handbag.
I very rarely have buyer’s remorse and have gotten it down to a science with these questions to focus my search.
If you have any specific questions you’d like me to answer feel free to leave them in the comments below and I can follow up with a part 2 blog post. Also, check out my previous blog posts reviewing luxury handbags and a few dupes if you’re in the market.
4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Designer Bag
What is your budget?
Ahh yes, the most boring question of all (I had to).
Knowing your financial boundaries will keep your handbag search focused because it can be so easy to get swayed. I’ve thought “What’s another $500 when I’m already spending $3,000?” Going into debt for a bag — even a beautiful designer bag — isn’t worth it.
I try to think about this step in terms of replacement value. If something happened to the bag could I purchase it again relatively soon? If it would take me say a year to save up then it’s likely not in my budget at this time.
What’s your intended use for the bag?
This helps to set your frame of reference. Are you considering using it as your everyday work bag or as a statement bag for your date night looks?
If you don’t know where to start, try to think about the gaps in your current collection. Do you have far too many colorful bags and need to add a neutral one to your collection? Are you missing a great everything tote? Do you have too many top-handle bags? I am partial to a top handle bag so I get it.
This will help you decide on things like size, material, top handle vs shoulder bag vs crossbody, weight, color, etc.
Also, any features that would be must-haves on your list. For example, for a travel tote, you might need a zipper whereas for an everyday bag that might not be as necessary.
How often do you intend to wear the bag?
This helps to narrow down colors and materials further. If you want to wear the bag regularly, opting for neutral colors — or colors that work well with your wardrobe — means you will get more wear out of it.
Also, if you want to wear the bag often, selecting more hard-wearing materials like grained leather or coated canvas could be better. These materials are quick to wipe down and don’t show signs of wear as easily.
If you’re just building your collection you want to make sure you have your basics covered like an everyday tote, evening clutch, and neutral shoulder bag.
However, with that said make sure you select bags you’ll get the most wear out of in terms of cost per wear — so choose styles, materials, and colors that you know will work for your style regardless if they are considered “basic” or “neutral” or a “must-have.”
Do you plan on keeping this bag long-term?
I never buy bags purely for resale value and have a love-hate relationship with the concept. I believe in purchasing bags that you like regardless if they sell for more on the pre-loved market. To me, if I purchased a bag that is great on paper to recoup my investment, but I never really wore it then it was a wasted purchase.
However, if you are someone who goes in knowing you don’t keep your bags for long and want to rotate them continuously then I think it’s pretty essential to factor this into your decision.
Brands like Hermes and Chanel hold the best resale value on the market — often selling for more than the retail price. If you do intend to resell your designer bags then it’s generally best to opt for classic styles and keep everything. Receipts. Dust bag. Box. Keep it all.
My favorite online retailers to buy preloved bags are Rebag and Fashionphile. However, Rebag remains my favorite place to sell as I’ve found they often give the fairest price for trade-ins.
What questions do you ask yourself before buying a designer handbag? Did you find this helpful? Let me know in the comment section below!
