How To Shop For A Purse You'll Love

My latest purse lusts: the Coach 'Sabrina' in black leather with silver hardware and a Chanel wallet clutch on a thin chain strap.

Do you find yourself falling out of love with a bag after 2-3 months and not using it anymore? Do you buy a purse and discover that you can count the number of times you've used it on both hands? Or maybe you find that you only use about 1/3 of your purse collection regularly?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you're not alone. I went purse-shopping with someone recently and was surprised to discover that not everyone thinks through their purse-purchasing decisions as thoroughly as I do. Although I'm a lot more thoughtful about the purses I buy nowadays, I, too, used to wind up with a lot of handbags I would rarely use. I hope these tips (based on my own experiences and how I shop for purses) will help you find a stylish, versatile number you'll use many times and love even 5-10 years down the road. Enjoy!

1. Peruse as many sources as possible for inspiration. Browse websites, flip through magazines, read blogs. People-watch in neighbourhoods known for stylish pedestrians. I find that looking at as many handbags as possible gives me an idea of what I do and don't like, and how a handbag will look in action. For example, the oversized Louis Vuitton Speedy looked great when it was displayed on a shelf, fully stuffed and backlit. But when I saw it hanging off the forearm of many a stylish girl on the street, I didn't like how it sagged in the middle when the purse was half-empty.

2. Assess your needs. Do you need a bag for the day or evening? What are the top items you carry all the time and require compartments for (e.g. cell phone, lip gloss, etc.)? What are your pet peeves with the bags you currently own (e.g. all the contents fall to the bottom and you can't find anything without digging, there are too few/many compartments)? Is there a size of handbag you would consider ideal, or a size that you would deem cumbersome? How do you usually like to carry your bag--on the shoulder, cross-body, in your hand, dangling from the crook of your elbow? A bag that doesn't meet your needs, or irritates you when you use it, is a bag you'll fall out of love with quickly.

I like my evening bags to be as tiny as possible so that they don't feel cumbersome while I'm clubbing and dancing up a storm. Coach wristlets are perfect for stashing my essentials, and the wrist strap makes it easy to dangle the bag from the crook of my elbow while I'm sipping my gin and tonic.


3. Research. If you're planning to splurge and spend a lot on a designer handbag, really do your research. Go into the store and ask the sales assistant questions as you examine the bag up-close. Talk to people who own the handbag you're eyeing. I find The Purse Blog and The Purse Forum to be valuable sources of information. Owners of the handbags you're coveting might comment on the pros and cons of the bags in the forums, or offer you advice on how to authenticate the designer bag you found on eBay. It was in The Purse Forum, for instance, that I learned about the difference between lambskin and caviar leather in Chanel purses (caviar leather is a lot tougher and therefore more suitable for clumsy me).

4. Envision yourself using the purse. Open and close zippers and closures. See how easily they do up if you have to manage with one hand. Carry the bag the way you would usually if you were walking down the street and see if it feels comfortable. Stuff what you would normally carry into the store's display model and see if the bag is spacious enough.

I emptied the contents of my MEC travel bag in Selfridges and stuffed them into this Chanel purse to make sure it had enough space for me to use as a day bag.


5. Take the time to think it over. Whether it's a lap around a mall or sleeping on your decision for a day, a week, or a month, not rushing into buying is always a wise decision. If after some time passes you still can't get the handbag out of your head, chances are it's a good one.

I took about a week to think over whether this Coach bag was right for me.


Are you an impulsive purse shopper or do you think through your purchase as obsessively as I do? What do you look for in a purse?

24 comments

  1. Great tips Lisa! For sure unless you are rich enough to buy carelessly and often, one should definitely think about a purse before buying it. I also try to think about what outfits and/or situations I could wear the purse in, similar to when one buys new clothes. That being said, I definitely have a purse or two that gets delegated to the "used rarely" category!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's funny, I have a post half drafted and ready to go on this topic. I am *not* a purse person. I carry two and tend to do a *lot* of browsing (for anything really) before buying--and you really have to see a purse in person to know if it'll work. These are all great tips, especially about seeing a purse on people or taking out all the tissue to see how it looks when it's not all puffed up. Can make a huge difference!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great advice, Lisa! I usually think my purchases through pretty well, but not as thoroughly as this- and I think I should. You look adorable in your chanel purse photo- I'm drooling over that bag.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MizzJ, your point about outfits is excellent. Sometimes if I'm contemplating a bag in a funny colour (like the green Coach bag I ended up getting), I take mental inventory of all the coats and jackets in my closet and imagine what the bag would look like paired with each of them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You're a supergenius. I am completely fastidious about handbag shopping for my everyday bags, and use almost all of your rules.

    ReplyDelete
  6. great tip. i am lusting after the chanel wallet with chain too but the price just keeps on going up... yikes!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Maybe half the fun is all the research and anticipation that goes into finding the perfect bag? I even have the bag/designer in mind but can't really justify having another bag at this point. At this point, I'd rather put what's left over at the end of the month towards travelling or put it towards a down-payment; if a purse is stylish container, then the perfect home would be the ultimate purse (except it doesn't look cute on your shoulder). Plus transferring things between bags can get pretty confusing, like today when I went looking for my debit card which was in another purse. But maybe I'm being too practical! A beautiful bag or two can also be a wonderful thing. Anyway great tips as always!

    megs

    ReplyDelete
  8. love your blog lisa! just had a quick question, is your chanel a jumbo flap?

    ReplyDelete
  9. great tips! :) i love that dress you wore in that one photo!

    xoxo,
    La C.

    ReplyDelete
  10. A well written post! I'm lucky enough that I don't have to buy my handbags, I can just steal my mom's- but usually I wear whatever handbag I'm using at the moment for months at a time. My trouble with handbags is that I want to wear all my bags more often than I can!

    What I would add to that is to be aware of the weight of the bag that you're carrying. There are some bags with serious hardware that quite honestly make my shoulders hurt at the end of the day- we go through enough pain with shoes, there's no need for purse pain.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Fashion Pinko, that's an excellent point.

    P.S. Thanks to all you ladies for your kind words!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great tips!
    It's always good to think through your decisions carefully; esp when you're splurging on such a fab handbag!

    ReplyDelete
  13. wow nice collection and great tips.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Awww I remember when we took that photo. Great post! you always feature awesome how to posts! I wish I could be that methodical..sigh..I can't wait to get paid oh dear it's going to be catastrophic..the damage I will do in Numazu !!

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are great tips. I will definitely think about these tips the next time i want to buy a bag.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love your upgrade from a MEC bag to a Chanel :) Excellent choice!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am definitely going to use your tips for the next time I choose a handbag/purse.

    I don't like the LV Speedy bags much, either. They tend to look droopy and unhappy if you have something too heavy in them.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  21. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  22. You're just Brilliant! i will surely keep these advices in my upcoming products on www.crystalpurseshop.com

    Your blog encouraged me to go even for handbags as well.

    Thanks Lisa!

    ReplyDelete

Back to Top