It’s always about bags and shoes

So if we want to get to know each other better, I need to come clean with something. I have a bag obsession and I loove flats and sneakers. But bags, bags are life. Big ones, small ones, black ones, red ones…every bag practically…well except backpacks, I don’t do backpacks anymore. But yes, as I was saying, I feel an urge two, three times a year to get a new bag and everybody who knows me, knows I go over the top with them. I actually wear all of them, I change them up and take each one of them out for a spin. So let me tell you what I have learned while spending too much money on bags.

1. My grandma always said: shoes and bags have to match. Those times are over, they don’t have to. Try to keep the 3 color rule alive. By that I mean, don’t wear more than three colors at once, they clash and take away from the whole package. 

2. If you wear a busy top or a floral/printed/striped dress, try to stay in the same color range with shoes and bags. While you might get away with matching yellow and red, blue and green, that doesn’t apply in this case.

3. If you like wearing black (I for one wear only black), switch it up with colorful accessoires. Red is a power color that makes your outfit pop.

4. If you go out in the evening, choose a clutch. I know it’s very comfortable to carry a bigger bag with you (it fits anything, especially flats) but it takes away from the elegant look you are going for. If you need a pair of flats on you, I suggest dressing your flats up from the start, you don’t need heels to make an outfit pop. What you can also do, is buy soft flats from a dollar store and carry those in your clutch.

5. Be frugal with your clothes but splurge on bags and shoes. You don’t have to be cheap when buying clothes but know which ones are worth the money. Invest in coats, jackets, some elegant essentials like shirts and dresses but you don’t have to shell out big bucks on party dresses. It’s better to invest in quality shoes that look the part and don’t leave you hanging in the middle of the night. It’s a fact that bad shoes affect your feet and leave you with blisters early on. A leather bag can go a long way in making your outfit stand out.

6. Patent leather, suede in bright colors and fringe and clubbing don’t go together. You will end up with ruined property and come to haunt me later:)

7. All that glitters and shines ain’t gold. When choosing a flashy accessoire, make sure it doesn’t look cheap. Don’t get me wrong, you can buy amazing stuff at affordable prices but take an extra look at everything before paying up.

I am somewhat of a brand snob and I don’t like it. I have bags sitting in my closet that were expensive but didn’t pass the quality test. Without wanting to shade brands, I’ll tell you which brands I love and which are mediocre in my opinion: 

Michael Kors is overexposed but the quality is good. They make durable, nice bags. Stones stay on, glitter doesn’t wash off and the leather handles can take some serious usage. 

Coccinelle has amaazing leather but the suede is very delicate. I don’t recommend the lighter colors. 

Furla is trial and error. Some bags are good, some not so much. 

DKNY, Guess and Tommy Hilfiger are not even worth the mention. Better invest that money in something worthy.

Coach gets the job done all the time. 

Hugo Boss has seen better days but the clutches are nice. 

It’s not that I’m a Romanian but if you are searching for a good leather bag and don’t want to spend so much money on it, there is a store called Musette in the first district in Vienna. The designer and owner is a Romanian and if you wait for their Sale season, you can get the most exquisite leather for 100,00 EUR or even less. 

My top recommendation for your daily bag? Longchamp. I know, I knoow, the overused bag worn by Economics students. But it holds up under so much pressure and the price is under 100,00 EUR for the bigger model. So buy one. Or buy a travel sized one for long weekends. You won’t regret it. 

And last but not least, the most amazing gift given to me recently, a Givenchy bag. This one deserves an extra article. I will get back to you on that. 

I love brands but I love quality bags in any form. The main issue, invest an extra buck to get leather, it will hold out longer and make you happy. If you need advice on bag shopping, let me know, I can direct you to shops that sell bags for every budget. Shoes will be covered next time. I will leave you with some pictures of my bags. Some are so used, but I love them all: