# Searching for a handbag...commisseration, please? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 6, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475 "2003-07-06T00:56:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eilsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Eilsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eilsel)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/1 "2003-07-06T00:56:27Z")
This may not be important to men or some women but I really need the right handbag. I want it of microfiber, brown or camel w/cell phone pockets that snap not velcro. I have a really nice 9W black bag but it’s starting to wear. So I’m thinking maybe brown. I am now looking at _gulp_ Kate Spade bags. Are they worth the money? I mean, they come with “dust covers” for storage. Are they serious? I mean, i wear my bag for forever…well, I do switch back and forth from size to size but generally I have one main bag… Pshew, I feel better now. I think… $160 DOH! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![lovelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@lovelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/2 "2003-07-06T01:22:26Z")
If it’s the “perfect” bag for you, and you’ll carry it 300/365 days of the year… well, at $0.50 a day for just one year, assuming the bag holds up (which it will), is it worth it to you? Seems like a big chunk of change at the time, but I bought a great Liz Claiborne black leather purse that’s of the “not-square-not-round-just-right” persuasion and have been using it for 7 years with very little decay in style or construction. Sometimes it’s worth it to buy something nice you’ll have around for a while, if you can save up for it. ---
**Author:** ![Eilsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Eilsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eilsel)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/3 "2003-07-06T01:34:08Z")
Well I never thought of it that way. However I have decided to change what I’m actually looking for and I may have to go back to Lord & Taylor, Boscov’s, et al to look some more. I reallydo like that Kate Spade look and I’m sure I can find similar for cheaper. I would order it right now just so I don’t have to think about it but…it’s just a lot for a bag, you know? ---
**Author:** ![7\_up\_yours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/919ad9/32.png) [@7\_up\_yours](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/7_up_yours)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/4 "2003-07-06T01:47:30Z")
I personally wouldn’t get it. But then again, I’m a university student struggling to pay my tuitions. You may be making a lot of money and can afford luxury. I would say, if you want it, you know you’ll put it to good use, and once you get it, you won’t say “God damnit, I don’t want it anymore” then get it. What’s the point of making money if you can’t spend it. Still, I don’t want to be a downer, but you can find bags that are under $50 for the same kind of function and use. What’s missing is the name brand and that’s for you to decide whether it’s worth it or not. Does name brand = quality to you? ---
**Author:** ![Eilsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Eilsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eilsel)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/5 "2003-07-06T01:50:42Z")
Oh, no, I have been searching for a couple months and usually don’t go to the name brand section lol. But I happened upon [ebags.com](http://ebags.com) and was checking it out and saw some cute Kate Spade bags and then wandered in. I have no problem paying good money for good products but hey, it’s 160. We’re not rich either but we’re certainly not struggling to the point that you may be. I think I’m gonna go to the mall and look some MORE. ugh. I never ever have this problem w/clothes. I go, I find, I buy. Done. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/6 "2003-07-06T03:41:39Z")
Kate Spade bags are nice looking if you have the extra dough to toss around. Are they worth the money? Absolutely not. A few of my friends have some and I would say that they wear on the same level as a bag you buy at Target for $20.00. My opinion is that _any_ bag that is primarily a cloth material will not last, regardless of whom makes it. Personally I am a Coach fan, although I know you specified microfiber and not leather. I have a coach bag (black) that is over 10 years old and still looks new. Its a classic style that won’t go out of style. If you have a Ross store near you, you should check them out. I once got a Donna Karan bag ( a plasticy cloth type material) for $15.00. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/7 "2003-07-06T03:51:56Z")
Well, of course my vote goes to **GET THE BAG!**. Of course, for me $160 on a hand bag is low, and I have almost as many bags as I do shoes. The mind reels. (anyone wanting to make comments about demented shopping practices can please just keep them to yourselves. Cheers.) My most favoritest bag is an Anya Hindmarch that I love. Deeply. $395. Was it worth it? Oh yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Every time I wear it I get compliments. Every time. Buy the bag. You’ll love it an wear it and it will become a staple in your wardrobe and an item you’ll plan whole outfits around. Trust me. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/8 "2003-07-06T04:07:03Z")
My vote’s for the less expensive variety. I’m hard on my handbags and don’t want to feel like I’m married to it. I don’t want to keep a bag for 10 years. Use it, abuse it, throw it away is more my style. ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/9 "2003-07-06T05:12:10Z")
I second going for leather, not microfiber. No way would I pay $160 for a fabric bag. For a leather bag, yes. I also second Coach. I have one with a matching wallet and it was worth the cash. I picked it up at a Coach outlet store for about $120. Also, you might check Marshall’s if you have one in your area. I’ve snagged some really nice handbags from there for in the $30 and under range. One is a leather Arcadia with red leather piping, one is an M. London black handbag that would have retailed for about $200, another, the name escapes me, but same deal as the M. London one, but in brown. Most of these nicer bags have a cell pouch sewn into the inside. A good leather bag, well taken care of, will hold up, will make you look more “put together” and is worth the cash. ---
**Author:** ![Razzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@Razzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razzy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/10 "2003-07-06T05:35:28Z")
I’ve got a black Nine West microfiber bag that I absolutely love. Might check out them or Fossil’s bags if you’re going for less pricey. Kate Spade’s bags are beautiful, though 🙂 Have you looked at Dooney & Bourke? ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/11 "2003-07-06T11:00:22Z")
I just bought a Kate Spade knockoff–black leather trim with a festive striped fabric body–and it was $20. _With_ the matching makeup bag. I get the Kate Spade look without the guilt, and/or the idea that I have to carry the damn thing forever to get “my money’s worth.” Whatever. It doesn’t _say_ Kate Spade anywhere on it–although I wouldn’t have cared either way–but I get tons of compliments on it and everybody assumes it’s real. (I used to carry a Gucci knockoff and I’d always cheerfully tell everyone it was fake; the weird thing was, half of 'em didn’t believe me.) I love Kate Spade’s bags; if I could, I’d buy 'em retail. But I’d never in a million years _sacrifice_ for a damn purse; if you have to ask yourself if you can afford it, you can’t. I never spend more than $30 on a purse, and I buy one every three/four months; I have a whole wardrobe of fantastic purses and I don’t have to worry if something happens to them. But hey, if you gotta have it, you gotta have it. We all have our Achilles’ heels; if pricey handbags are your bag (you know I meant that pun!) then there’s no harm in it. If you really really want it, get it. ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/12 "2003-07-06T11:01:30Z")
Check out eBay, too; they have fantastic bargains on designer purses. ---
**Author:** ![Eilsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Eilsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eilsel)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/13 "2003-07-06T14:08:46Z")
You girls are great! Money isn’t the object here, but by the same token, I don’t just throw money at anything I see lol. Well, most of the time. rofl. I totallyforgot about Marshall’s. I may go out today and poke around the stores, if I dont’ see anything, then I’llprobably buy the Spade bag. ---
**Author:** ![Eilsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c68b51/32.png) [@Eilsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eilsel)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-for-a-handbag-commisseration-please/186475/14 "2003-07-11T17:46:38Z")
Okay so I found a 9W BROWN Microfiber bag JUST like my black one…and they expanded the color line AND the sizes, there are now three sizes. I wanted a bigger one (so my daytimer would fit in it) but they didn’t have brown. Plus they were the new line and they were $70. I would have bought one right there but it’s too dark for summer. Plus they’ll be on sale soon. So today I went to Boscov’s and found at 50% off a Aigner bag. I would have liked their signature burgundy color but what do you want for 50% off? I ended up w/the tobacco trim. It’s a $68 bag and I got it 50% off YAY. Here’s the link of what it looks like altho it doesn’t do it justice online. This site doesn’t show the interior at all like other sites. [http://a1480.g.akamaitech.net/f/1480/124/60m/images.ebags.com/images/Products/13824\_sq250.jpg](http://a1480.g.akamaitech.net/f/1480/124/60m/images.ebags.com/images/Products/13824_sq250.jpg)