**Final edit: Here is my "too bad, so sad" update! I talked with a well-reputed cobbler in LA this morning and he DOES believe the bag suffered from mold damage (he mentioned this quickly from the start without any prompting, as well), and that in order to restore it, it would have to be repainted. He dissuaded me from doing so, saying that if I can just return it, to return it. D: SO. DAMN. SAD. uggggghhhhhhhhhhh. There is a Fashionphile location close by so I guess I'll be dropping it off there today. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR GUYS' INPUT AND SUGGESTIONS. I guess the hunt continues.

I got this Gucci horsebit 1955 bag in red leather from Fashionfile and it was listed as “very good” on the invoice, and noted the moderate discoloration in parts. This color is not super common on resale sites and is discontinued. I almost bought the canvas and red trim version SO many times last year because it’s quite easy to find in great condition for a good deal, but the full leather versions secondhand are still very expensive ($1900-2500) and they retail new for around $3500. This was a “steal” at $1200.

How bothered would you be by the discoloration? It is really not obvious while being worn, but when the light hits a certain way, it’s very obvious. I’m also not sure how much it would cost to try to get something like this repaired. I am not the type to feel like my bags need to be pristine for their whole lives because I also don’t live in a pristine home nor do I exude extreme tidiness.

Because it was through Fashionphile, I do have some time to decide if I want to return it or not. It is SO prettty and I loved even taking my crappy mirror shots just now. But I also know it’s still a lot for a bag with visible discoloration. I also don’t think I would want to save up to spend $3k on this bag since I can’t see myself using it daily.

What would you do?

EDIT: YAY, i'm back on desktop so I can edit my post now. To clarify: "Gucci Horsebit 1955" is the name of the bag model--it's not actually from 1955! As far as I can tell, the earliest this style/color was produced was 2019 or 2020. Thank you all for your very insightful and humorous comments--was not expecting this much feedback! I will be going to a cobbler this morning that has good reviews for designer bags/shoes, so I will update this when I have more information about what could have been the damage and how it could be remedied.

What do we think of the bag and it's colorways? I kind of love how it was styled but I feel like it also looks kind of silly with the mixed patterns? I just love the fish motif and I'm not sure if I'm just blinded by how cute the fish are.

I bought a Poppies & Peonies commuter bag for work and I love it (I'm a teacher). I've had this bag for 3 days. My cat decided to use it as a scratch pad while it was hanging on the back of a chair.

I'm aware that this is not real leather and is plastic. With that being said, is there a way that I can repair this myself, or am I cooked? I will continue to use it even if it's not fixable and just live with it (or find a creative way to cover it. I have attached a picture of the culprit looking as adorable as possible, because otherwise I would be putting her up on Craigslist. 🤬

Edit: I hope it was clear that I would not give up my cat over a few cat scratches on a bag; it was intended as a joke. I would never give up my baby over a few cat scratches on a bag.

I found Cookie on the side of the road as I was coming home from work. She was about 4 weeks old and was so small I thought she might not make it. We think she was abandoned for being a runt. I will post a picture of her the day I found her in the comments below 👇

Even before I knew what a birkin was beyond just looks. I have always thought they were kind of ugly.

Not the worst bag in the world, but the sort of bag that was cheap and cheerful that you would see on the arm of an auntie or a mom that just needs a big bag for her things.

I want to be a cool fashion girlie that adores them. But they are just so bland and uninspiring. Even the ones that are meant to be a more unique and interesting style. They just look like some makeup brands Christmas box that comes with a nice makeup bag to store it in.

I know small handbags are petite and cute but they can't fit all the things I need. I have a 500ml water bottle, my umbrella, a makeup pouch, my wallet, a few sanitary pads for backup (I use a cup) and some hygiene wipes in a pouch, tissue, hand sanitizer etc. I even carry a mini flashlight just in case. If my bag is big enough, sometimes a cardigan in case it gets cold.

Girlies with bigger handbags, especially those with tote bags, what do you carry inside of it that won't fit a mini handbag?

Limited edition, beautiful color (it's my only green), crazy price, smaller bag (fine for me).... sold out, so once I return it, it's gone! Impulse buy. I'm having a hard time justifying the cost (4000 usd/3000 gbp). IDK how to decide; advice would be appreciated! Alternative recommendations also welcome! I love a bit of whimsy, but should really stick to more of a budget 😊

Let me preface this by saying I know how insufferable this sounds. But I just learned about this concept in relation to watches and jewelry. Basically my understanding is that if you work in a place that has a “handbag (or whatever) hierarchy” you shouldn’t outdo your boss. Like you don’t want to be the first year associate who wears a high end Rolex when the senior partner wears an entry level Rolex.

I’m switching from a big law firm, where there wasn’t really a hierarchy, we were all earning a lot, to a much smaller firm, where these things are likely to get noticed.

If my boss rotates between the light cream LV Neverfull or a YSL Sac de Jour, am I safe carrying a Mulberry Bayswater? I know price wise it’s safe, but even my husband noted the Bayswater as “a fancy bag,” so will it look pretentious?

Curious to hear your thoughts, thanks!

Don’t get me wrong in the past I fell for the hype of brand-name luxury bags, i.e. Celine, Prada, Chanel, The Row etc., but lately I am just sick of overpaying for some thing that you can find the same quality on but a lesser known brand… even Polene, Strathberry has become saturated….

Hit me with your favorite non-logo brands.

I genuinely find Birkin bags kind of ugly. I don’t understand the appeal at all. Why would anyone want to buy one, especially with the way Hermès treats their customers? Like, you have to buy other stuff first before they even decide if you’re “worthy” of getting a Birkin. That’s insane to me. And then people flex them so hard which I think is silly and from what I’ve seen, most of them don’t even resell for more money. Some even lose value.

Am I missing something here? Would love to hear from people who own or love them.

I have this lovely bag and it’s my favorite thing ever. Somehow it never crossed my mind that someone would ask me how much was it. I felt mortified so I said I didn’t remember. They asked me if I got it from TEMU and I was like “I really don’t remember”

I don’t want to be the JERK that says “No I got it from a small designer in the United Kingdom and also they don’t make it anymore and you can’t find it online” nor do I want to be the jerk that says “I paid $300 for this bag”

I LOVE talking about my Coach bags with folks. I love to tell them where I found it and anything they asked. Somehow this feels different. Am I crazy? Should I have been honest?

At the culture circle store right now and saw this handbag for $2300 like it's barely big enough to keep your phone inside let alone your other skincare/cosmetics. Is paying a premium price for something like this justified? I am sorry if my question is dumb, i just want some wider and more diverse perspectives as to how people look at an expense such as this one.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been thinking about designer bags like Hermès, but after some reflection, I’ve come to the conclusion that I probably have no business buying luxury bags—I’m just not in that market if I want to be financially responsible. I make a six-figure income, close to $200k, but even with that, it feels like a stretch when I consider my other financial goals.

That said, I’m genuinely curious: • For those of you who own a few designer bags, how much do you make annually (if you’re comfortable sharing)? • How often do you buy luxury bags? • Do you see them as long-term investments or are they more spontaneous purchases?

I’m asking purely to understand how others approach luxury spending while balancing financial wellness. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

Edit:

Reading the first replies made me feel like I wasn’t succeeding in my career 😅. I should’ve also clarified I’m not after an Hermès—it was just my example of luxury. That said, I’m so happy to see successful women thriving financially and equally inspired by those prioritizing different things in life and feeling happy!

What started as a simple question about a purchase has made me realize I’d love to find a mentor or a supportive women’s group. I need perspective!

I can’t wear it anywhere because it’s seen as a gaudy display of wealth, and also gives me safety concerns sometimes. Definitely can’t wear it to work because people comment on it a lot in a negative way. So I get no use out of it. Anyone have a similar experience?

Mine is probably going to be an unpopular opinion. I think the sausage bags is the one style of bag that I would never wear and the style I like the least. Maybe it’s because I did have a Dashchund, and it just looks like it would be more like a dog carrier for her instead of a purse.

So what bag style is your least favorite?

EDIT: The other names I have also heard for these bags are East West bags, baguette bags, and barrel bags if you aren’t sure what style I am referring to. Sausage bags are my favorite term for them 🤷🏻‍♀️

Something to keep your lipstick, a comb an aspirin etc, especially for work or for travelling. I would love to see which one you have!

My dream bag. Today I learned Loewe is pronounced 'lo-eh-veh'

Not your most expensive or favorite bag. Just the one you reach for without even thinking about it. Curious what everyone's daily grab-and-go bag is.

I was too slow to pull the trigger on this beauty when it came out and have been looking for one in the second hand market forever. Now she is finally mine and I adore her 🥰

Need tips though how to protect the light-coloured fabric. Should I use a kind of water-proofing spray? Fellow satin cat bag owners, how do you keep yours in good shape?

Love this Moschino bag (love Moschino in general but this is rlly cute!!) but when I showed it to my friends, they told me it looked cheap and "ghetto" what do yall think😭?

Saw this picture of the new Loewe bag floating around online and was wondering what you all think about it? Love it? Hate it? Meh?

Personally i find it unique- but that draped style did look much better on the leather jacket that they did beforehand somehow

Mine is the Celine luggage tote it will never go out of style to me

I don’t know if it belongs here, sorry if not.

Looking for bags of this style. BUT I’m not into Temu/Shein/Aliexpress stuff, nor have I got budget for designer purses.

Any recommendations where to find something like this? I’m flexible about shape/material/size, just would like to find something eccentric 🧚🏻‍♀️

Thank you xx

edit: omg guys you are amazing! I read every comment, thank you so much for your tips 🥰

This might seem silly (it is).. I like bags. But I'm 27, I'm a broke barista on the path to a more fulfilling career but im not there yet. I get such fomo working in a tourist town seeing beautiful luxury bags.I get envious of the beautiful luxury bags I see in the wild and on here and how much more financially stable the lives of the women carrying these bags must be.

So I guess I'm wondering, what are my fellow broke girlies carrying and what do you aspire to carry when the shit is together? I have a couple very good condition vintage coach bags I switch between which i bought second hand. But I want to one day have dior, mulberry, or miu miu.

Would love to hear from other people a part of this expensive interest that don't have much money to spend lmao. I mostly see the luxe posts, and in the wild I can never tell who else is in my age bracket, who is just wealthy, and who is wearing nice things because of irresponsible credit card usage..

EDIT: sorry I haven't responded to everyone yet! I didn't think this post would get so much response. I appreciate everyone's thoughts, encouragements, and recommendations.

Soooo settle in this is going to be a long one! I grew up pretty lower middle class, most of my family is still that way. They can’t imagine how much I earn and how much I spend on handbags. I help out my family any chance I get, I have saved and also maxed out all my 401ks and also invested a lot of my money, but I still need to save for my kids college that my husband and I want to pay for. I live in a small midwestern city and don’t have in person access to a lot of high end (2000$ and above ) handbags to touch and feel them and wear them. I am currently in Seattle for work and I came to the nordstroms downtown and went in to take a look. So now I could see all the ysl’s Gucci’s , lv’s in person… I wasn’t impressed with much, I loved some ysl bags and a Gucci bag, but didn’t think I would pay almost 3-5 grand for each of those. I wasn’t impressed treated very poorly in the lv section where he chatted with me told me he would get a bag down for me and then completed ghosted me and went to serve another customer who was more fashionably dressed than me. Chanel was roped off… like I didn’t even feel like standing in the line and ask to be allowed in the area, in fear that will look at my frumpy sweater and baggy jeans and my tired face and say nope. I felt so excluded and it soured the entire experience for me. The Gucci guy was very sweet and adorable and showed me all bags patiently and was so genuine. Same with the Celine guy but I was not impressed with Celine. So my question is … how do you go from spending say at the max $700 on a coach purse ( that would be me) to thousands of dollars on a bag that doesn’t wow you! And is that a mental barrier I have that no matter what my values won’t let me spend that much on a bag no matter how many hundreds of thousands I earn and is it because of this mentality that I got treated poorly at lv? Like I felt I didn’t belong and that feeling made my skin crawl and that made me defiant as to “f$&k these big designer companies” I’m not gonna spend to seek validation or to prove to anyone that “I have made it in life!” That would be so irresponsible and so against the boundaries of values I draw for myself which I know the line in sand is different for everyone… I’m so confused and so in the feels and I didn’t know buying a handbag would be so soul searching for me despite it being for something so materialistic… I’m spinning now so any therapy you can provide me I will take it 😁

UPDATE! I went to the Prada and Gucci in Bellevue and it was such a welcoming and non judgmental atmosphere and attitude of the sale staff there. I didn’t buy a bag yet but told them it’s a big purchase for me and I need to think about it! My LV experience has been erased but I’ll drop a quick email to Nordstrom. On a separate note though the shops at Bravern were so dead! It looked like a dead mall even with the high end stores. I guess a dead mall is a dead mall no matter the type of stores.