One big post that’s basically just ‘girly maths’…
Back in January I finally got round to purchasing a bag that I’d be eyeing up for yonks – the Chloé Faye. Instead of ripping it open I patiently waited until I sorted out my camera set-up and over the following six months filmed an unboxing, showed you how I style it for the winter, spring and summer months, gave you a ‘What’s In My Bag’ snippet for each of those and summed it up with the pros and cons at the end of it all. It’s easily the video that’s taken me the longest to make and it’s linked up down below if you fancy a watch. With all this fancy bag talk though, I thought I’d put together a post on how I go about deciding whether or not what makes it onto my bag wish-list is worth the purchase…
MULL IT OVER
When you’re dropping some serious dollar on item, whatever it is – whether it be a sofa or a pair of sandals – there needs to be a bit of mulling involved. Impulse luxury purchases are reserved for those who have won the lottery only *sneaks off to buy a ticket for next Saturday*. Plus, it makes the whole thing a bit more romantic if there’s a love story involved. It just feels more special (and kinda more justified), if it’s something that you’ve been lusting after for a while. It also safeguards you from buyer’s regret because if I had a penny for every time I wanted a ridiculously priced item and then a year later wondered why the hell I ever wanted it, I’d be impulse buying bags left, right and centre. The good thing is that because we’re not talking about fast fashion here, bags usually stay in stock for a good couple of months, if not years if they’re a popular style for the brand, so there’s no need to put on comfy footwear, sharpen your elbows and peg it for the shops just yet.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Being a bit of an A-class nerd, this is one of my favourite bits. Before buying anything that’s particularly pricey I like to do a quick Google to see what experiences others have had with it. I usually stumble across a YouTube video, or five, get fully sucked into forums dedicated to handbags (yep they’re a thing and they’re usually super helpful with lots of care tips and practical advice) and find some new blogger reads in the process. If you’re looking at buying a bag then the PurseBlog Forum is one of the best sources of information I’ve found, but a quick ‘*Insert Bag I Want to Buy* Review‘ search on Google will point you in the right direction of all different sources.
BAGS CURRENTLY ON MY RADAR
MOOD BOARD IT UP
If you’re a creative soul, then by all means feel free to get all Blue Peter and create a visual mood board to see how your new purchase will fit in with your current wardrobe. However, whenever I complete this step I tend to do it more in my head and with the help of image searches on places like Pinterest. I find that it really helps to visualise what outfits, silhouettes and colours work best with the bag. Usually the girls wearing the bags I want look all chic, wear their hair in buns and don’t look like an egg head and wear mostly black and white; so whilst I can get the latter down I accept that I will never not look like a moonface. However, it’s really good just to get an idea of how to style it and whether it’s more of a summer, winter or all-year-round purchase.
DOING THE DEED
Once you’ve taken this all into consideration, if all signs are pointing to a purchase then it’s time to do the deed. The best option here is to buy it in store if that’s possible for you. They usually give you booze (WAHEY!), wrap it beautifully and the whole thing just feels really special. However if you’re not local or don’t find yourself in one of the big cities too often, then it’s best to go for it online. Personally I find Net-A-Porter to have the swiftest service and find delivery, returns and the purchasing process really easy on there. Although I have bought things from My Theresa, Selfridges and Matches and been impressed too (just don’t sign up to their mailing lists – it’s dangerous!). When it arrives it’s time to unbox and have a big ol’ posing sesh in front of your mirror, or if you’re like me – begin your six month long review video. Enjoy…
Photos by Lauren Shipley
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