My First Luxury Bag — Love Nothing More

How To Choose Your First Luxury Bag

Honestly, I might be the worst person to give advice on purchasing your first luxury bag. It took me literally years to get comfortable with the idea and then it took me another year to pull the trigger.

Or maybe that’s the weight these sorts of purchases should have.

Either way… here are my 3 tips for how to choose your first luxury bag!

Terra on a brick tree-lined street in Fall.

Three Steps to Choosing Your First Luxury Bag

Work out the financials first. BORING… I know. But I think it’s safe to say that most of us aren’t in a position to make a purchase like this without a bit of forethought and planning. My position will always be to make sure you’re already systematically setting money aside for your future self before buying something like this. Take care of the household essentials. What you have left over is where you have fun! Figure out the final price you’re willing to pay on the bag you want, how much you can comfortably set aside with each paycheck and then start marching toward that goal. I find it helps to write down the number of paychecks until hitting the goal and then doing a countdown. Have the date circled on the calendar. Do all of the things to remind yourself that every day you’re another step closer to a big reward!
**IMPORTANT** Don’t let social media lead you to believe that you need something like this instantly. It’s okay to take your time.
Find a brand & style that suits you. There are so many opinions about what your first luxury bag purchase should be. It’s bullshit. Can you go wrong with a black Chanel Caviar Quilted Double Flap? Not really. Could there be a better fit for you? For sure. Trust your gut. If you’re not in love with Chanel, don’t get it. It seems to me that loving the thing you’re buying is a prerequisite if you have to spend so much time planning for the purchase. I landed on Saint Laurent on the recommendation of my dear friend and genius stylist Christina. My friend Kellie had just recently gotten a YSL Kate bag that I loved so I thought this brand might be a better fit for me than what other collectors suggest. As I searched my options, I felt like I had found the brand that suited me best and it turned out to be exactly what I wanted.
Try searching Authenticity Guarantee listings on eBay. Searching for name brand items second hand is kinda my thing these days. But I’ve always been nervous about purchasing a higher-end luxury piece second hand. I don’t have the expertise to shop handbags, for example, and know for absolute certain which are dupes and which are real. In June, eBay launched an Authenticity Guarantee program. When you purchase an item that has the Authenticity Guarantee, it is shipped to an authenticator first. They inspect the piece and confirm it’s the real deal. Then it’s shipped to you. They include an authenticity certificate with all of your item’s details. It’s awesome. I had peace of mind that the bag I purchased is real and I didn’t have to pay tippy top dollar to get it. When I finally received my new bag, I was delighted to see it was truly flawless (they said there were some minor scuffs on the hardware but I struggle to see it).

After about two months of carrying my bag, I can safely say I absolutely LOVE it. It was worth the time, consideration and dollars I put into it. And it doesn’t just sit wrapped up in a dust bag in my closet. I actually use the damn thing, which is the point after all! I have already started considering what my next bag will be. So I’ll let you know how that goes in about 5 years! :)