BagBible

Likes:

The Size
It is big enough to carry all my necessities and more (16″ W x 14″ H x 5″ D)

The Pockets
There are two side pockets with snap button closure, so things won’t fall out, two zippered slit pockets in the front, three slide interior pockets, and one zippered interior pocket. All the pockets make it easy to organize your bag and you can find things quickly when you need it.

The Weight
When the bag is empty, it is pretty lightweight, because the leather is not overly thick. A light bag is always a plus for me, since I tend to carry more than I need to.

Dislikes:

The Lining
I don’t really like the lining material, it is satiny looking with busy prints.

You might want to know:

The drawstring is non functional, it is only for decoration purposes. The closure of the bag is a magnetic snap button, which I think is more practical than drawstrings.

You can buy this from Macy’s for $250

Deal Tips:

Here is some idea on how to get a good deal. I bought this bag in blue from Ideeli. The price was $94, I got $25 from referring a friend, so I paid $79 total including the $10 shipping.

Recommended: Yes

I don’t usually like studded bags, especially if they are heavily studded. I always think that bag with too many studs looks tacky and too rock n roll for me. However, I’m loving this Marc Jacobs Cecilia.

I especially like the color combination.  Gold studs with cream leather make the studs shine in a very subtle way. Although, I’m not too crazy about the blue trim.

The tiny stud size makes the bag look less rock n roll and their scattered placement makes the bag sparkle all over.

The ruching on the top reminded me of the Nancy Gonzalez Gathered Croc Shoulder Bag

Marc Jacobs Cecilia is from the Marc Jacobs Fall 2009 Collection.  It measures 17.5″ x 10.5″ x 5.5″

Image from Marc Jacobs

Image from SplashStyle

Gossip Girl stars Blake Lively were spotted leaving The Waverly Inn carrying her Chanel Bubble Flap.

Chanel Cloudy Bubble Quilt Flap in Beige from the 2007 Fall Collection. This It is made of ultra soft, luxurious lambskin leather that has a slight distressed look. The leather is also padded with the iconic diamond shaped stitching. The large pocket on the back and flap with a magnetic snap closure. The hardware is a light gold tone which includes chains, magnetic snaps, CC, and zipper pull. The interior has a matching satin lining and features a zipper pocket, patch pocket, and cell phone pocket.

You can buy this from Fashionphile for $1,950

Source

The current economic recession definitely changed the public’s perception of luxury. The exclusive designer goods that used to be so expensive and hard to get are now flooding the outlets and sample sale sites. Consumers are now used to the 70% discount.  How will we ever pay full price again? Will the designers inflate their price even more and give us pseudo discounts?

Read Buyer’s Market from WSJ Magazine

Cynthia Rowley Handbag Sale on Ideeli

Wednesday 5/6
Save up to 58%
Starting prices: $151

Garnering inspiration in everything from brightly colored candy to vintage thrift shop finds, Rowley crafts looks that are both sumptuous and sophisticated. The Council of Fashion Designers of America recognized her vibrant spirit, honoring her with the Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent in 1994. Since then, her reputation for carefree designs executed with a meticulous attention to detail has established her as one of America’s great designers. From dresses to shoes to handbags, her collection proves that fashion should be fun and that girls are never too old to play dress up.

Click HERE if you are not a member yet!

YouTube Link

Image from Popsugar

The new bride Heidi Montag was spotted recently carrying the brown Chloe Paraty Python Tote.

Python leather tote with gold-tone hardware. Chloé tote has two handles, one long strap, a long zip across the top to fasten, piped panel detailing, clasps at the side to expand, a zipped pocket on the inside and is fully lined.

Dimenson Width 14″ / 36cm; Height 10″ / 26cm; Depth 6″ / 16cm; Handle Drop 5″ / 13cm

Retail for $3,820 from Net-a-porter

YouTube Link

The sale is on May 6th. It will start at 8: am PST / 11: am EST

Mark you calendar!

Rue La La is a member only sale, please click here if you need an invitation.

When I came across this bag, I immediately thought about my daughter, how she would scream at this bag.  Not because she’s afraid of all the fur, but because she LOVES the color. She loves everything blue, especially turquoise blue.  I’m sure she would love to have this bag. Unfortunately, my 3-year-old little girl doesn’t have $2,649.74 and more importantly she doesn’t know how to shop online. As for myself, I wouldn’t spend that kind of money for that kind of thing bag. It’s hard to imagine someone older than 12 pulling this off but I can definitely see Beyonce wearing this bag.

You can buy this from Bluefly. They are having a sale right now.  25% discount in addition to the sale price.
Versace turquoise leather fox large hexagonal tote
reduced: $3,532.99
sale: $2,649.74

Here is how:

Step 1: Buy your bags at deep discounts.

I usually can get my bags at deep discounts. Especially in this economy when everything is pretty much on sale.  I don’t buy my bags right when it comes out because it won’t be on sale. To be a smart bagaholic you should be patient in shopping. Always look around and find the best price.  It’s really not that hard. All you have to do is just click, click, click.  I like to go on eBay, Bluefly and the private sales sites such as Ideeli, Gilt, Hautelook and Rue La La.  If I happened to go out, I like to check out Saks and Neiman Marcus outlets. They sometimes have very good deals.  If you are not an experienced eBayer I would suggest to be extremely careful when shopping on eBay for designer bags, such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes, Prada, Bottega Veneta, etc. These particular brands are a common target for counterfeits. If you are new to eBay, start by buying contemporary designer bags such as Rebecca Minkoff, Bulga, Gustto or other similar designers, because those brands are not widely counterfeited yet.  If you don’t mind buying vintage designer bags, there are also some reputable sites that sells pre-owned, gently used, authentic bags such as, Yoogi’s Closet, Authentic Bags for Less, and Fashionphile.  I don’t have any experience with these sellers however, I’m sure you can go to the Purse Forum and ask for tips from those that have done business with them.

Step 2: Keep your bags in good shape.

Use you bag gently and maintain your bag well, so that it will look almost new. Read here on how to keep your bag looking nice and new. This step is very important in order to recoup most or a big part of your investment.

Step 3: Sell the bags that you haven’t worn in a year (except for classic bags).

I’m the kind of person that gets bored easily. Whenever I have some new bags I tend to use the newer bags more often compared to my old ones.  Set aside the bags that you haven’t worn in two seasons (I’m talking about fashion season which is spring/summer and fall/winter).  Try to sell it. I prefer selling my bags on eBay, because I usually can recoup most of the money I paid. Sometimes, I even make a little profit. However, if you are not familiar with selling on eBay, you can always sell it to  someone you know or to the pre-owned bags seller that I mentioned in step 1. With the money you made selling your old bags that were just sitting in your closet inside the dust bag, you can now shop for your newest obsessions.

As for classic bags, you probably don’t want to sell them yet after a year because these bags tend to appreciate in value over time.

Image from Polyvore

Louis Vuitton Kalahari GM retails for $3,390

As soon as I saw Madonna’s Louis Vuitton Ad campaign, I associated the Kalahari bag that she was wearing with the Carlos Falchi bag.  I’ve seen the Carlos Falchi bag around for sometime.  I even saw it on the sale at Neiman Marcus a while ago.

Carlos Falchi Deerskin on sale right now for $605 on Zappos

The Kalahari Bag from Louis Vuitton is one of their Spring 2009 collection.  Is it possible that the Kalahari design was inspired by the Carlos Falchi bag? In my opinion, the Carlos Falchi bag is the better deal, since it is made of durable deerskin compared to the coated canvas of Louis Vuitton Kalahari.  In addition, the deer skin flap drapes better compared to the coated canvas flap.

When it comes to bags, I don’t limit myself to certain designers.  I love to check out new designers.  I like to have a bag that is unique and not easily recognizable from miles away. I prefer it when people don’t know how much I spent for my bag, just because everybody and their mothers have it.

Recently I was invited by a new designer, Tara Sauvage, to check out her handbag line. The brand is Rocco e Dante. Though I have never heard about this brand, I was very excited to review something new.

The bag that I like the most from the collection is this Olivia bag. I love the deep rich blue color and if you look closely, the color is gradient blue not just flat blue.  The pleating on the upper half of the bag is also very interesting, it adds texture to the bag.  I haven’t physically held the bag yet, so I cannot tell you anything about the quality.  However, I like what I see on-line.  You can see more pictures and buy it on Angel Handbags for $408 or visit Rocco e Dante official site for the complete collection.

I just love those private sale sites. Their prices are very competitive, they have great selections, and the merchandise come to your doorstep. The only gripe I have is just their shipping is super slow. I purchased this Bill Blass Harrison Hobo from Gilt on April 10th and have not received it yet.  I know it is supposed to take 2-3 weeks, but if you are a bagaholic like me you would know how it feels to wait for so long.

Retails for $795, Gilt price: $238

A dear friend of mine uploaded this Chanel birthday cake picture on Facebook and tagged me in it.  She probably knew that I would flip over it.  She was sooo right. I’m flipping over it right now.

That delicious looking cake is actually her mother in law’s birthday cake. I’m so jealous of her mother in law. I wish I would get THAT cake for my birthday plus the real bag wrapped in the gift box. That would be my dream birthday