On my journey to live luxurious with less I tackled the next project. Handbags and purses. I had a lot of them because I "collected" vintage handbags. When I saw a pretty one I always felt like I needed to save it and give it a home where it would be loved and cherished.
But here is the thing with vintage handbags. Most of them only have a little clip on top to open/close them. Not the safest way to store your belongings. While this does not matter when you are going to a party, the theater or a chique dinner, these purses are not so handy when you hit the city on a busy weekend in town. And so most of my purses where just sitting in the closet, safe and warm, not being used at all. I had a particular one that until my move I had completely forgotten about. Big no-no. And while I loved every single one of them, my handbag collection needed streamlining. I gave away everything I had not used in the last year, or used less then five times. The amount of handbags that fitted the criteria was shocking even for me.
In the end, I kept five bags. As you can see, I kept with two colors, black and nude/brown. These bags go with everything in my wardrobe and the sizes fit every occasion I may need a bag for. The other thing you will notice is that all the bags were real steals, price-wise. I found them on sale, in the thrift store or on flea markets. I know that these are not the occasions one would expect to find wardrobe staples, but it did work for me. I had these bags for at least four years now and find myself going back to them again and again.
On top, you can see my trusted black workbag. It is made of nice soft leather and I have it four five years now. Not that one can see this, the bag is still in perfect condtion even though I admit that I do not do a single thing to maintain it. The brand is L.Credi and I bought it on sale and it was about 25 euros, a steal considering how well it has kept up. It fits my netbook, even laptop, and a whole bunch of littles bits and pieces and it looks really proefessional.
Next, I have a smaller, beige leather handbag. This one is perfect for running errands and as a handbag when I go to scientific meetings. Again, it can hold my netbook, and something to take notes as well as all those little things you have to shlep around with you. This purse is a bit of an unnecessary extra because the black one would be enough,but I love it too much to give it away. It is made of the softest leather I ever owned and gives my sometimes very dark outfits a nice splash of color while at the same time looks very sophisticated. And the best part about this purse was the price. It is made by a company called Picard which I would say produces purses and handbags in the upper middle pricesegment. A bit more expensive than you regular Mango or Mexx purse, but still rather affordable. I found this particular bag in a thrift store and payed only 8 euros for it. Score!
Then I kept a black faux crocodile leather bag. This is one of two vintage bags I kept because I use this one for chique events. This bag fits perfectly with my little black dress and is appropriate for all occasions. It also is a nice conversation starter, I found. I bought it about four years ago on a flea market for eight euros, another great score.
Next up, my little brown "messenger" bag. This bag is by Mexx and I bought it on sale. It is rather small and simple, just a bag with a zipper on top and on the sides, done. It is made of faux-leather and was about 20 euros. This bag is perfect for hitting the city on a saturday for a stroll and for going on a bike ride. It has a short and a longer strap, the latter being long enough to carry the bag cross-body. Perfect for biking and sunday walks.
And least but not least, the one bag I kept because it was just too beautiful to part with. I do not really need it and it is a bit on the small side when it comes to fitting in things but again, it is just so beautiful. It is a vintage straw bag. But not only is it straw, it is also treated with a glaze overcoat making it look very fine and chique. It is the perfect companion for summer weddings, sailing events and cocktail parties. Ok, that last sentence makes me sound more posh than I actually am. But you get the idea. And once again, it is the perfect conversation starter.
Oh, so so pretty. I almost forgot to mention that it also was a gift from a friend so I am definitely sentimentally attached.
Right, that is it. Ideally, I would like to get by with even less purses and in the long run, will make some more cuts. But this is as much as I could condense my collection. Considering that I had twice as many, this is a good start. And I repeat, my idea behind this project is to live with less, not punish or deprive myself.
How about you? How many purses / handbags do you own? Too many? Enough? How is you collection looking like?
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