When talking about designer items online, I always feel a bit apprehensive – I’m always met with a 50/50 split of reactions, from those along the “I LOVE this!” line to the inevitable “you spent HOW much?” responses. I promised you guys a full look at my new Vivienne Westwood Opio Saffiano Bag, and thought I’d tie it in with this look at why I believe in investing in designer handbags, but not necessarily other luxury fashion pieces…
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I do feel the need to say one thing before going any further with this post – I know there can sometimes be a bit of a backlash when bloggers/influencers talk about expensive, designer items. I don’t want you guys to think for a moment that I don’t realise that spending £££ on a bag is an incredible luxury, or that I take it for granted. I save up and put a huge amount of thought into my designer purchases, and there are lots of other things I choose not to splash out on. I hope the rest of this post will explain my thinking behind the bags I buy a little more too!
Let’s get into it…
The Sustainability Factor
I have spoken a few times about my love for minimalism, despite the fact I’m not totally there yet in every aspect of my life. For me, buying a bag that I know is going to go the distance is more appealing than picking up 3 or 4 that I’m fully expecting will break or be damaged beyond repair a few months down the line. This is purely something I’ve concluded from my own experiences – bags I have bought from the high street usually last me a good few months before a handle breaks, or the lining frays and shreds, or the zip gives up the ghost. Some of these things are fixable, some aren’t, and it’s a bit of gamble as to which camp they’ll fall into.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In contrast, every designer bag I’ve owned has remained in perfect working order (touch wood!) – when I’ve switched and changed to a new bag, it’s been for mostly cosmetic reasons after a good couple of years of constant use. I am a little nervous about this new Vivienne Westwood number given the pastel colour of it and the fact I am the clumsiest person in the world, but it just means I have to take extra special care of it. Which leads to my next point…
I Really Look After My Designer Bags
Now I am a huge believer in taking good care of your belongings in general, but in real life we know this sometimes falls by the wayside. From getting home after a long day and chucking your bag down by the front door to nights out that end up messier than you anticipated, we can sometimes put our bags through a lot! But when I’m carrying and using a designer bag, I put that extra bit of thought into making sure it doesn’t get unintentionally bashed and beaten around. I’m definitely working on making this a rule across the board with things I own, as I think this only adds to the sustainability factor I mentioned above.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I have made myself cringe a little with this bag – on more occasions that I care to count I’ve sourced it its own chair in cafes and restaurants (only when there were plenty going spare, of course!) – but I definitely don’t apologise for looking after something I spent my hard-earned cash on. Which, again, conveniently takes us to onto that fact that…
I’ve Worked Hard For Them
It always feels like a tricky (and even controversial) point to talk about, but I have earned every penny I spend on high end fashion pieces. I also make those purchases very sparingly, and the vast majority of my clothing and accessories are still from the high street. I don’t even own a credit card, and pay for everything up front once I have have the money in my bank account (and know I don’t need it for anything more important or urgent). I’ve worked since I was a young teenager in some form or another – even whilst at university, I was juggling my degree studies with not only YouTube and blogging but a job where I was already earning a graduate wage.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
We shouldn’t have to justify our purchases or what we spend, but there’s always a part of me that feels like I kind of do. I’ve always been a saver, and highly aware of those less fortunate than myself. I sometimes feel it’s tacky to talk about charity work or donations but I try very hard to help as much as possible. I feel I could go on and on here, but people tend to have very set ideas about ‘indulgent’ spending. Just know I don’t take any of it for granted.
I Don’t Buy Many Designer Pieces
As I mentioned above, I’m not someone who has to have designer-everything. In fact, I don’t own many pairs of super expensive shoes (the priciest I ever bought were some Irregular Choice limited edition beauties) and I have a couple of designer clothing items at the most. Though I’m talking about designer bags in this post, I definitely haven’t purchased/owned more than 5 in my lifetime and am yet to stray over to the super high-end Chanel/Gucci/YSL side of things.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
With shoes and clothes, I feel it’s harder to keep them in amazing condition (shoes especially) and I think at the moment, I’d be too nervous to make good enough use of them. That may change, and never say never, but I’m more than happy with my bags for now. I’m quite a fan of moderation when it comes to spending money and for me, this level of things feels right.
I would love to have any debates or discussions about designer purchases in the comments, whether we’re talking bags, shoes, clothes or other items! Leave me a note below and let’s have a chat.
Stay Creative,
Chyaz xox