Comments on: Designer Bags: Stares and Status

By: Tang

Tang — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:25:48 +0000

Im an Asian…ohoh! i couldnt sleep…i needed to buy a designer bag again..im just too obsessed with it…i know im crazy, but i only buy once a year and i do save up for it! And yes, i dont buy the most expensive one..$1000 is my limit….

By: Destiny

Destiny — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:16:04 +0000

I’m one who’s not really into LV. Though I love looking at the purses, I often just get fake ones because I cannot afford having a $2000 item on my hand and risking any stains and such. How people do it, I don’t know… but I find that having a house and other commitments makes it hard for me to just spurge out of the blue. Though some people will starve themselves in order to have a “real” purse, I’d rather just stick with a fake one because I end up tossing them in my closet afterwards.

I bet there’s so many over in Asia!!

By: Ivy

Ivy — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:22:15 +0000

I’m not a bag person either. I usually spend around 50$-300$ on ONE very functional, very durable classic bag that will fit with most of my wardrobe and can be used until something falls apart in about 3-6 years time.

Those TNA bags are all over Toronto!! They make nice gym bags but I don’t see why anyone needs to lug that huge thing around to get to class. I see quite a few TNA bags at UofT, but it’s not a big thing, since everyone is more worried about their GPA than some silly fad. Many people wear PJs to class at UofT too! Hahaha.

By: Ivy

Ivy — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:16:29 +0000

Wow! That is certainly very different from Singapore. Much of the middle and all of the upper class here own designer bags. You can see Gucci and Louis Vuitton monograms all over middle-class neighborhood malls here. (Every neighborhood in Singapore, rich or poor, has a mall) Of course, the most chic and most expensive will only be seen at the upper-class neighborhoods and the classy shopping districts.

It is usually the middle class who judge other for their bags because they somehow feel superior by managing to save up to buy a low-tier designer bag. Even designer retail assistants will give people a discerning eye, so to speak. It’s so so sad.

I was never really brought up to desire designer bags, but I do find quite a few that would go very well with my wardrobe. I’m just not about to spend 1000$ on a bag, unless I become a billionaire or something. Hahaha!!

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:02:03 +0000

This is really interesting… in many parts of the UK (even in many parts of London) having a designer bag would not be seen as an asset! In fact I think if I ever bought one I would feel completely out of place. It’s almost the opposite of what you describe here – in some places you can get stared at for having a designer bag. Maybe I just don’t move in very classy circles though!

By: Tammy

Tammy — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:15:03 +0000

Well, the whole infatuation with something occurs a lot in high schools here. I’m thinking of the TNA bags. Ugh, huge, ugly things, but at least they didn’t cost $4000. I think it’s less in UofT because it’s more academically motivated? Haha, at York, you can definitely see some dominant trends. My sister goes to McMaster, and she told me that people go to class in their PJs/comfort clothes quite often, but York is more fashion-conscious.

To be honest, I’m not fond of having overly branded stuff. Makes me feel like a walking ad. I’d be happy finding a simple bag that matches my clothes at the back of a clearance shelf. Granted, that has never happened (though I would be happy if it did), but I’m not much of a bag-shopper anyway.

By: Katy

Katy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:47:39 +0000

I have to agree with you! I would never get a designer bag just to fit in… the only reason I would want it is if I think it looks good, if it’s versatile and if it will be timeless… and if I know I have enough money and won’t go broke after buying one.

I hate those cheap $600ish LV monogram bags that girls are carrying around everywhere nowadays (and let’s not talk about fakes)! The monograms don’t even look good IMO and if they can afford LV, why but one in the lowest price range? They obviously can’t REALLY afford it (wonder how long it took them to save up?) and they’re just desperate to own a designer bag.

By: Tara

Tara — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:06:41 +0000

X_X;; I don’t understand the concept of designer anything. I don’t understand why I should pay more for a brand name when I could get a cheaper item!

By: teddY

teddY — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:13:57 +0000

That’s the same thing I’ve observed after living 6 years in Singapore – many women are simply obsessed with designer bags. What makes it really absurd is that what they have in mind is the brand behind the bags and not how much the bag suits their wardrobe – they tend to think that with designer bags, any kind of outfit, regardless of colour and hues, will complement the bags perfectly.

And it’s even more absurd to think people trying desperately to make their outfits match their bags and not the other way round. If they could not afford a couple of branded handbags from Marc Jacobs or Louis Vuitton, why purchase them at the same place? I could agree more with your view about making sure that your wardrobe matches the bags you buy and not the other way around.

I’ve got a friend who bought a pair of LV shoes recently, and she told me that she’s giving away half of her jeans because they simply don’t match the sepia hue of the shoes. I asked her why not try investing in other more affordable brands (like Converse, for example) with different colours, she retorted that it’s the brandname that really matters.

Regarding the ‘bag stares’ thing, I’ve read the post you’ve linked too and I find these people really despicable. Why stare at people’s cheaper bags, just because you think you fit in a high society and thus look at those who have non-branded bags with jeering eyes? I wish I could slap them to make them wake up from their nonsensical fantasies and back into the REAL world.

My mom uses this bag from Cleef (I doubt anyone have heard of it anyway) and she bought it for less than $100. And she’s still using it now, after 3 years, and it’s so durable and handy… well this pretty much disproves the fact that only designer bags are durable!

By: Lissy

Lissy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:31:43 +0000

I don’t buy designer anything. I never understood that. I don’t particularly like how the stuff looks and I’m sure as hell not spending over $50 on a bag that will probably end up on some bathroom floor at some point. And for thousands of dollars, that thing better come with a laptop.

I have really funky taste in stuff. I get more compliments on my $10 hat and $10 bag than I do on anything else. Why? They’re different. My friend actually asked me if my bag was from hawaii. I said, no, Paramus, NJ