Please explain why a handbag is worth $500?

yksraya

Fri, May 31 2019, 12:12 am

amother [ Cerulean ] wrote:

Tbh I think it's not tznius to invest so much money in something like a handbag. Even if you do have the money to spend. It's excessive and disproportionate.

If the bag is refined colors, there is no tznius issue.

And most men don't even care for brands. They like when their wife wears nice stuff, but have no clue about prices and quality etc. It's more of a womanly thing.

P.s. I don't care for expensive bags.

amother

Pewter

Fri, May 31 2019, 12:53 am

Fox wrote:

This, 100 percent!

When you have the money, it's a very slippery slope. People tell themselves that they won't spend excessively, but then they discover the "best" not only in handbags, shaitels, orvacations, but also in shoes, furniture, make-up, kitchen accessories . . . and pretty soon they're asking where to find the finest dancing bears.

My own rule is no more than 2 or 3 "things" that I splurge on, and I skip a lot of potential purchases because I realize that I don't truly love the item; it's not going to make me smile when I see it five years from now.

The bolded is a personality thing. My financial situation is bh substantially better than what it used to be but I still won’t spend excessive amounts on these types of items. I don’t wear leather shoes so never spend much on shoe items for example. And I don’t have accessories such as a dishwasher or handbags. I only wear (cheap) backpacks because I don’t like carrying around bags. I am not into buying “the best” but what works the best for me and often that includes cheaper counterparts. People who want “the best” in something tend to have that mentality regardless of their cash flow.

amother

Babypink

Fri, May 31 2019, 1:09 am

Fox - fascinating response. If you own a lot of handbags though and each one matches a different outfit - I'm curious - do you have to take everyrhing out of one bag and put in the next based on which one you use that day? Isn't that super annoying?
Take out all your wallet chapstick makeup eyedrops tylenol tissues charger extra battry etc?

Miri1

Fri, May 31 2019, 1:25 am

amother [ Babypink ] wrote:

Sounds like a great recipe for cutting handbag clutter!

Fox

Fri, May 31 2019, 1:39 am

amother [ Babypink ] wrote:

Nope. I own five handbags. One is a lambskin evening clutch that was a gift circa 1980. One is a Tom Ford evening shoulder bag. Three are LV black Epi finish bags: a Speedy 25, a Pont Nuef, and a Sorbonne. I also have six Hermes scarves. I buy my clothes to match my scarves and handbags, not the other way around.

I do alternate the Speedy and Pont Nuef somewhat. The Sorbonne is more of a briefcase, so I only use it on occasions where I need a larger bag.

I haven't bought a bag in a long time because I pretty much have everything I can use. I buy everything on the secondary market, and I do keep an eye out, but I haven't been tempted in a while. I expect my bags to last 30+ years, so I don't buy anything that I don't think I'll want to wear when I'm 80!

DrMom

Fri, May 31 2019, 1:55 am

I'm sure that a $100-200 handbag is better-made than a $20 bag. Lining, stitching, hardware, etc.

But a $500 bag? A $1500 bag?

Law of diminishing returns.

I'm sure you can find a $5000 bag with 14k gold hardware and organic free-range lambskin outside and silk lining hand-stitched by French nuns. And I'm sure it would be exquisite.

- But is it worth $4500 of your hard-earned cash when you can also buy a $500 bag?
- Is it worth $4800 more of your hard-earned cash when you can also buy a $200 bag?

IMO, no.

If you look at such a bag as a piece of art or an investment or a luxury you just plain old like -- and have wads cash to burn -- zei gezundt.

I'd rather have the extra cash to have more to put *in* my purse.

amother

Cobalt

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:17 am

I'm usually not a big spender at all.
Then one day I saw a Ralph Lauren bag for 250 dollars which was a lot of money for me. I thought about it but it was so beautiful so I bought it. A couple months later I bought it in a different color and one year later I bought a similar one. I wouldn't buy one for 500 because that would be irresponsible considering my paycheck. But some designer bags are really beautiful.

Aylat

Fri, May 31 2019, 4:27 am

amother [ Pewter ] wrote:

A dishwasher isn't an accessory! It's a hardworking piece of equipment along with a car (commute to work) and washing machine.

Pollyanna

Fri, May 31 2019, 7:00 am

amother [ Cerulean ] wrote:

Tbh I think it's not tznius to invest so much money in something like a handbag. Even if you do have the money to spend. It's excessive and disproportionate.

I don't want to hurt your feelings, but Tzniyus has nothing to do with money spending. Perhaps you confused Gaava / or "showing off" / jealousy / or being to materialistic, but tzniuys is irrelevant (unless your talking about a really snazzy eye catching bag which would be the same as wearing a real snazzy dress but I don't think that's what you were referring too).

Simple1

Fri, May 31 2019, 7:22 am

Fox wrote:

If you check out the "how much are the clothes you're wearing" thread, you'll see that I wear a synthetic hair shaitel that cost $210. Now, I personally can't imagine spending more than $500 on a shaitel? I honestly don't believe most women look that much better in a $1800 shaitel than in a $250 shaitel. But there are objective differences, and those differences matter to the women spending more. I completely respect that.

There are also women who can't imagine spending $500 on a handbag but who go on vacation trips at least annually. I haven't been on such a trip since 1997. If you said, "Fox, you can have $500 toward a new handbag or toward a 3-day getaway," it wouldn't even be a question. That handbag would be ordered before you could blink.

So basically, handbags are to some people like shaitels and vacations are to others. Handbag geeks wouldn't dream of spending on a shaitel or vacation before a great handbag, and I've even know some extreme handbag geeks who worked extra part-time jobs to save for a Birkin or the equivalent (typically $20K+).

People do all kinds of things. We don't know why. Test on Friday.

I can't see a shaitel being comparable to a handbag, because that's what frames your face and what people are looking at when they see you. My shaitel isn't top of the line but at $1200 is way out of proportion to the rest of my clothing budget. And I'm pretty sure a $1000 shaitel needs less maintenance than a synthetic. Yesterday I got asked if I just had it set. No. I haven't done it since before Pesach.

But like you said, everyone has different spending priorities. I know many would disagree with some of mine.

southernbubby

Fri, May 31 2019, 8:19 am

Simple1 wrote:

Synthetic wigs are easy wash and wear and don't need to be reset but rarely last more than a year if you wear them frequently.

amother

Slateblue

Fri, May 31 2019, 8:33 am

Errr... actually, Pollyanna - and anyone else who doesn't consider ostentatious spending a breach of tznius, your point of view is a little inaccurate. (And, please, no offense to you, either Smile

).
Without going in to whether one should allow oneself freely to buy expensive items, or not - the word Tzanua means modest. And it is a concept in Machshava that encompasses every aspect of life. It is a common misconception that tzniyus refers only to dress - but that is incorrect. Modesty is something a Jew should strive to achieve in every aspect of his life. It means making do with less externals and focusing on the internal, spiritual dimension of life.
Therefore, in modern Hebrew, when someone wishes to say that a Gadol lives in very spartan surroundings (and not always because he cannot afford more...), one would say he lives in a "Tzanua" apartment. Obviously, no one is referring to the lack of drapes on teh windows...
I hope I've provided a little clarity.

allthingsblue

Fri, May 31 2019, 9:11 am

Pollyanna wrote:

Pollyanna, what do you think MODEST means? Google it.

PS I think all the women on this thread who have nice bags are smart. I don't have the funds to pay a few hundred dollars for a bag right now, so instead every few seasons I need to get another one. If I had one classic real leather bag, I'd be set.

But I'm happy with what I have Smile

amother

Sapphire

Fri, May 31 2019, 9:23 am

It never ceases to amaze me how judgmental we are of one another.

If something speaks to you and you can afford it-good for you. Enjoy B'simcha.

If the thrill of a sales are something you enjoy, fabulous.

If you have no desire for material luxuries-awesome.

If your personal wealth and satisfaction is not financial based (amazing kids/great marriage/chelek in OHB) -also amazing.

(Disclaimer-I did NOT just say that if you have great kids you can't have a fabulous handbag or CVS that if you have a handbag that your kids are by definition, inferior).

Hashem made us all different. We all have different qualities, gifts, needs and opinions. We bring different things and perspectives to His world. If He wanted us to all be the same, we would be-Hashem doesn't make mistakes.

And Tnius police-maybe worry more about your own tongue and typing fingers than what others are wearing/carrying. (Unless you are responsible for chinuch and enforcing the dress code in HS-then please, go about your job.)

amother

Scarlet

Fri, May 31 2019, 10:00 am

What can possibly be untzenuis about having an expensive handbag???? I'm literally scratching my head at what some women come up with!
Scratching Head

If someone wears (what you think is) expensive clothing, has an expensive stroller, drives a nice car and lives in a nice home they're not tzenuis???