Tips on Buying Your First Luxury Handbag

Following the amazing response for my last post about starting out a luxury collection and a poll on my Instastories, today I wanted to share with you a more in-depth look at the thought process and research that goes into my decision when settling on buying a designer bag. Now, I am only starting out in collecting designer bags but I watch so many videos on YouTube that I really consider myself lucky in having access to such a treasure trove of tips from my favourite luxury handbag YouTubers (I will be linking them all at the bottom of this post).

My first ever delve into 'designer bags' was Michael Kors when I visited London in 2015. At the time, I couldn't afford to spend thousands of Euros on a bag but I really wanted the experience more than anything I think, so, while we were in London for Mario's graduation, I went into the Michael Kors section at Harrod's and I bought the Jet-Set Tote in a gorgeous navy blue colour for €320, which for me, at the time was still a lot of money. I still wear the bag to this day though and it has worn pretty well with neglectable signs of wear on the hardware and it is often my travel bag of choice so I guess it was worth it in the end. I don't consider Michael Kors bags as high-end luxury bags, in fact, the brand is regarded as cheap in Europe, but it was my very first experience of the sort and I'm glad I bought a bag that has lasted me all this time and I can see myself wearing for many more years to come. The only regret I have is that there are way too many rip-offs of MK bags and consequently, the brand seems to have lost value.

My first ever 'designer' bag is now 5 years old and I still wear it to this day

Fast forward to 2017 and Mario proposed to me on NYE which was our four-year anniversary and apart from the engagement ring, he got me the YSL Wallet on Chain which I was looking into buying (in fact, he likes to credit himself for getting me my first ever luxury designer bag, and I don't complain 😉). Then, last year in October 2019, I got the My Lady Dior for my 30th birthday.

My first ever luxury bag came courtesy of my now husband as an engagement gift

So how do I decide what to get considering how expensive these bags are? First of all, I think it is important to know your own style and aesthetic - colours you wear more often, preferred colour of hardware (gold, silver...). All of these tips hold true for all my luxury purchases really, so without further ado, let's get right into it!

My Lady Dior which I bought for myself for my 30th birthday. It is my most expensive bag to date but it is so worth it!

As a general rule, I personally prefer classics over trend pieces and if I happen to like a newly released bag, I like to wait it out before diving in head-first. I like to see how well it wears, if I'm going to like it the same way I do in a few years from now (or if it will be a forever bag in my collection). This is where the research starts. I watch as many YouTube videos as I can on a particular bag I am after and I look for thorough reviews and one year wear videos etc as I like to know both the pros and cons of a bag before I fully commit to it.

As for colours, I tend to stick to neutral colours because first of all, they are always in fashion and secondly I am only starting out my collection. Furthermore, if I'm spending that much money on a bag, I want to buy something I am going to love and wear for years to come. Hardware also plays an important part in my choice of bag as I am not really into the whole mixed metallics trend. Thus, if I'm wearing gold jewellery, the bag's hardware has to match and so on.

YSL's grained leather is one of the most durable leathers you can get and the price point is fair for most of their bags when compared to other designer brands

When it comes to material, I prefer pebbled or textured leather for the simple reason that it is much more hard-wearing. The grained leather on YSL bags, for example, you could say is indestructible. The only exception to the rule is the smooth lambskin leather used on Dior bags such as the Lady Dior - they wear really well and are quite durable too. Canvas or coated canvas such as most Louis Vuitton bags is another option to look at if you're looking for something that's durable and more affordable.

My Lady Dior is made out of lambskin and it is much more hard-wearing than say Chanel lambskin which costs twice the amount

In Malta, we don't have any of the boutiques for bigger designer brands so it's hard for me to have a feel of the bag before buying but I make good use of my shopping time when I am abroad to make up for this and I ask to try the bag in the colours I like as well as different sizes to make sure I buy the right bag for me. I also like to Google pictures of the bag and see how other people style it. I then shop my own wardrobe for outfits to see if I will get a lot of wear out of the bag or not. My YSL, for example, has turned out to be an all-rounder - I use it for weddings, when I'm travelling, going out with friends, date nights... As for the Lady Dior, I do baby this bag when I use it and I tend to use it when I'm going out for lunch for example.

The pre-loved market is also a good route to take when there's a good discount vs buying brand new and the bag is still in good condition. However, I'm not much of an expert in the pre-loved market as I have only ever bought brand new.

Lastly, when it comes to size and shape, I prefer structured bags that are small/medium in size and I decide between the sizes of a particular bag depending on whether or not it holds my phone and the basic essentials that I always carry with me.

I hope you found this post helpful if you're also starting out on collecting luxury handbags 😊 These are my favourite YouTube channels for anything luxury, and my points of reference when deciding on a new bag to add to my collection:

Caitlin Pawlowski
Mel in Melbourne
Fashionably Amy
Lydia Elise Millen
Sophie Shohet
Anne Doctor
Chase Amie

In the Frow
Isabelle's Style

P.S. Please stay safe during this whole Coronavirus outbreak and STAY INSIDE! I cannot stress this enough! Social distancing works wonders in flattening the curve and not overwhelm the healthcare sector capacities. Let us not get to the point where we choose who to care for as other countries had to do. Let's protect each other and together we can win over Coronavirus too!

The Birthday Bag | My ABC Dior - Lady Dior

For the past three or four years, it has become a bit of a tradition for me to buy myself a luxury gift. Hey, I survived another year during which I would have worked hard in all aspects of my life, so I guess a little extra special treat won't hurt! This is going to be a long post so make yourself comfortable and read through if you're interested in knowing how I chose the bag and all the drama it took to get her home!

So, back to the subject, this year, I hit the big 3-0 and this was one of the most rewarding years yet so I wanted something really special. I knew I was going for a bag so I had my eyes on four contenders. Number 1, the Chanel Classic Flap; number 2, the Chanel Boy, number 3, Lady Dior and number 4, the Diorama.

I had been eyeing the first two for what seems like a thousand years but I knew I wouldn't bring myself to spend almost €6000 on a bag so I quickly put them in the wishlist again, not be resurrected for the foreseeable future. That left me with the two options from Dior - the classic Lady Dior and the contemporary Diorama. I like both bags as they are both styles I would wear but I was more inclined towards the Lady Dior for a number of reasons. First off, it is a Dior classic; an iconic piece from an iconic fashion house. It has historical connotations (I'll get into this in a minute) and it's overall elegant and ties well with my style. I guess for me, she was a natural choice.

When we went to the Dior cafe' in Japan during our honeymoon in July, I couldn't help but ask to see the bags up close so I could decide on a colour and size. I wasn't planning on buying it there though as prices for luxury goods in Japan are extortionate. At this point, I was between the mini and the My Lady Dior (or as it is now known, My ABC Dior) which is the small size. Being only 5 feet tall, any size from the medium upwards is too big for my frame and I feel that the bigger the bag gets, the less elegance it conveys.

Fast forward to two weeks before my birthday, and hubby surprised me with a weekend getaway in Venice. I researched the bag a bit more in a bid to settle on a size and colour and I was determined to get it from Venice. In the meantime, life had other plans. The Dior boutique in Venice only had the blush pink colour in the mini size which I decided was too small to fit my phone in so it was a complete waste of money for me but I did try the My ABC Dior in other colours to see how it looks on me and what it fits. I didn't think much of them not having the bag there as I figured I could always buy it online, only to discover that they don't ship to Malta 😒.

With no further travel plans yet, my brain was working at the speed of light to figure out a way of getting the bag so I emailed the Dior customer service and also messaged a friend who lives abroad to see if she would get it for me (which she agreed to! thank you, you know who you are 😉 👼). In the meantime, the Dior customer service team were looking into the matter for me and to cut a long story short, they found the exact bag I wanted at the Florence boutique and they called to bear the news. I agreed to pay the additional shipping fee of course and the bag was delivered last Monday afternoon, safe and sound! Here's a little tit-bit; the bag was shipped on the 24th of October which incidentally is the death anniversary of Mr Dior. Words can never thank the Dior staff for their exceptional customer service, including at the Venice boutique where we were served by the loveliest of ladies and she walked me through the bag and other articles I was interested in seeing. So now, without further ado, here she is in all her glory!

I promised I would tell you the history behind this iconic bag, so here goes. In 1995, Lady Diana was visiting Paris for a Cezanne exhibition and the First Lady of France at the time, Mme. Bernardette Chirac presented this iconic bag to Lady Diana as a gift. Following this episode, Lady Diana was seen carrying the bag multiple times and her being elegance impersonated, it was only apt for the house of Dior to rename the bag as Lady Dior.

What really drew me to this bag was the sturdy structure, which I always look for in a bag, whether it's luxury or not and the cannage quilting pattern, which is inspired by the Napoleon III chairs. I also like the sound the handles make when moved. Mr Christian Dior was a very superstitious man and he was fond of lucky charms and astrology, believed 8 was the perfect number and he also loved gardens. The bag is an ode to all that Christian Dior loved - from the DIOR charms on the front of the bag to the elegantly tapered structured sides reminiscent of the Dior dresses, the bag has timeless written all over it.

The previous edition of the My Lady Dior featured more coloured charms such as star signs if I'm not mistaken but now they have changed them to letters, the number 8, a bee, a star and a heart. In fact, the bag has been renamed to My ABC Dior, which is the one I have. It comes with a leather strap that can hold up to 6 charms (3 are included in the price then it's €50 for each additional one), therefore you can personalise it to your liking, hence the bag model being called  'My' Lady Dior. I chose to have my name spelled out. 

Here's another curious fact - did you know that it takes over 140 pieces to make the Lady Dior? The craftsmanship is really alive in this bag (see video further up) and I love that fact that the hardware is in champagne gold as it goes with both gold and silver jewellery. Oh, and the last curiosity I wanted to share with you is that if you look at the handles when they are open horizontally, they spell, C D - Christian Dior! This bag, same as the mini size has a flap opening as opposed to the zip opening on the larger sizes.

The inside of the bag also has the cannage pattern on silk chocolate brown lining. The bag has one large compartment and has a zip pocket at the back on the inside and another pocket on the front on the inside as well.

Now for the price. Dior have increased their prices this month and this bag has gone from €2950 to €3200 so an increase of €250. Apparently, most of the big fashion houses tend to increase their prices this time of year so if you're eyeing a particular bag or leather good, now is the time to buy before it goes up again.

If you've made it this far, thank you! That means a lot to me 😊 I hope you enjoyed reading through this post and learning a bit about an iconic piece of fashion history. Now excuse me while I go plan some outfits with this bag as the stand-out piece!