How To Buy An Expensive Handbag – Without Making A Huge Mistake

You’ve been swooning over that beaut new bag for ages, and you love it so much that you’re prepared to splurge all your hard earned cents just to get it. But, hold up! A designer handbag is a major investment so before you blow your budget we spoke to our fashion editor Linda Conway to get a few pointers on how to choose the right one. Her advice? Don’t buy a bag until you’ve asked these questions.

Is it practical?

“If you’re going to invest money in it you have to make sure that you’re going to use it all the time. Don’t just leave it in it’s dust bag in your wardrobe for the rest of it’s life. It’s something that needs to be used.” Linda explains. So you should be thinking about things like, can it be used every day, is it big enough to carry your essentials? Think about all the things you need a handbag for and work out if that coveted clutch ticks all the boxes before you drop your cash on it.

Is it wearable?

“If it’s your first one and you’re not sure what to opt for, go for minimal embellishments and a neutral colour. A grey, black or nude is a great option,” Linda suggests. “And the great thing about buying something more basic is that you can accessorise it to make it on trend. For example, this season’s bag accessory is the luggage tie.”

“You also want to choose a shape and size that you know you will wear,” Linda continues. “Something that you can either put on your arm or across your body is a good choice for practicality. Above all, steer clear of anything you might tire of quickly and be sure to also choose something that you feel fits in with your wardrobe and your style.”

Is it durable?

You want your new bag to last so “go for quality over crazy embellishment,” recommends Linda. “It’s going to get wet. It’s going to get bashed about on the bus so you need to get something that’s going to hold it’s own. Italian leather or a soft suede are great choices.”

And after-care is super important. “A lot of bags will come with care instructions,” says Linda. “Research the fabric and make sure you know how to take care it. So if you spill a glass of red wine on it, you’ll know how to fix it right away. Take care of it, and it will stand the test of time.”

So, there’s only one question really; Are you gonna buy the bag?

Pic credit: House Of Frazer

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• Fashion
• handbag