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Designer bags

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amother

Babyblue

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 11:53 am

amother [ Forestgreen ] wrote:

who decides what's a designer knockoff of what's just a quality looking bag that's well priced??

I can't afford designer bags, but am I not allowed to buy a designer looking bag?

I don't understand.

Designer knockoffs are very clearly trying to imitate a particular brand, by their logo, etc. Nothing wrong with a generic nice looking bag for less.

amother

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 11:54 am

just my 2 (un- designer ) cents:
As human beings, we are judgy. Life (hopefully!) teaches us to be less judgmental , and to let everyone do as they please.
As a passionate, black n white-mindset teen, I inwardly mocked and judged stylish young women who dress up all pretty .....( still modest)
well, humor humor! im that young lady these days, and I chose this way of dressing ( very modest and understated, but stylish and made up) love it, but cant help cringing at the thought of judgmental ppl out there. cuz I was there. Just adding my sprinkle of salt. cuz I believe that , inherently, we are judgmental. it something you gotta work on. and at this point I should (and do!) work on not judging schlumpy makeup less ladies. first step -not calling em schlumpy!
it helps to notice that everyone is multifaceted and its THEIR business (talking to myself)
anyhows !

Fox

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 12:08 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

As human beings, we are judgy. Life (hopefully!) teaches us to be less judgmental , and to let everyone do as they please.
As a passionate, black n white-mindset teen, I inwardly mocked and judged stylish young women who dress up all pretty .....( still modest)

Exactly!

When we're young and still forming our values and priorities, we automatically look down on people who have different values and priorities. It's the way we solidify and validate our opinions.

Most people, as they grow older, learn that there are a lot of ways people can vary and still be wonderful people. Unfortunately, not everyone reaches this point, and some reach it much later than others.

So I have designer handbags that retail for upwards of $2K, but I never spend more than $250 on a shaitel. I read threads about "What can you get for $1500?" and it's like they're speaking a foreign language. But I understand why a woman would want a higher quality shaitel. And, listen, if I looked $1500 better, I'd want a more expensive one, too.

We should probably just be thanking Hashem that we live amidst such plenty that these are decisions we have the opportunity to make.

amother

Azure

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 12:21 pm

I just recently bought a designer bag at full price, but I waited till I could. I won’t ever wear a fake, I don’t want to try to be something I’m not. But hey, all the power to the people that don’t mind 👏

amother

Aqua

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 12:29 pm

amother [ Coral ] wrote:

TBH, I judge people who carry real designer bags.

I totally get you. I received as a present a very exclusive designer bag and I never used it. I don't want to be seen as someone who would spend thousands of dollars on a bag! I would rather give this money to tzedaka!
But I also understand if a person gets an expensive bag that will last years.

avrahamama

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 12:35 pm

I'm not a bag person. I try my best not to have to carry a single thing.

But designer shoes I feel are very well worth the money. (I still don't own any. Don't have money for that) I wouldn't feel frivolous buying a pair of designer shoes.

amother

Green

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 12:59 pm

I personally think that certain knock-offs are quite apparent, for instance, Louis Vuitton or Burberry. However, I cannot tell the difference for brands that are a few notches "lower", such as Chloe or Marc Jacobs. Do the bag experts here agree?

Amarante

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 3:07 pm

amother [ Forestgreen ] wrote:

If a manufacturer uses the logo of the high end designer, then it is a counterfeit.

And the world of designer bags is not all the same - Vuitton plastic bags with their stupid monogram are worthless because the only reason anyone would want one is because they think the logo conveys that it is expensive.

However, there are "quiet" brands which don't use their logo and you would know them only if you really knew fashion - and they generally have beautiful leather and very nice designs so that one might buy them even if one knew nothing about logos. Bottega Veneta bags are gorgeous with sublime leather - their ads used to be When Your Own Initials Are Enough.

Chanel bags are somewhat in the middle since they do have the logo generally. However, the leather is exquisite although not $5000 exquisite.

Hermes bags are still handmade - whether that is worth the price is questionable but they are still in a category of luxury products which mass produced bags like Vuitton aren't. Although Vuitton does have leather bags which are generally more expensive than the logo ones and often are only recognizable to those familiar with fashion.

However, there are all kinds of bags that are well designed and are influenced by what is being sold by high end luxury brands just as that is true for clothing. You don't have to spend on a luxury bag to get a fashionable elegant bag.

tigerwife

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 3:20 pm

I put away gift money for a nice bag. I ended up finding something beautiful on a designer discount site for about 60% off retail price. It was still pricey, but I love it, it is different but classy, and I hope to wear it for about decade.

SixOfWands

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 5:03 pm

Fox wrote:

I thought I recalled you buying an expensive but disastrous sheitl for a wedding.

No matter.

Everyone prioritizes what is important to them. Fox loves nice purses, so she prioritizes them. Someone else prioritizes sheitls. And a third person loves shoes, or wine, or really nice tablecloths.

Me, I'm a jewelry person. And pens. Yes, Waterman fountain pens are very different from Bic ballpoints, or even Lamy or Pilot fountain pens, and that makes a serious difference to me. (And yes, I vastly prefer Waterman to Mont Blanc.) But the difference between my Kate Spade or or Coach or Dooney & Bourke purses, and Fox's luxury purses? Meaningless to me. So I do me, and let her do her.

Just remember the difference between "knock offs" and "counterfeit." A knockoff is an item that mimics the general style of a more expensive product, without using the label, and without being an exact copy. A counterfeit is a copy using the other company's label. Its stealing. And as Fox says, often finances terrorism. Just say no.

ra_mom

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 5:14 pm

I enjoy no name $50 bags in styles and colors that speak to me. I love variety and getting new ones for different seasons.
Knock offs aren't my thing.

Malkqueen

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 5:37 pm

I despise knock-offs because it feels like the epitome of living for others. If you can't afford it, don't pretend like you can just for other people's opinion! What Fox and others mentioned, that it often finances undesirable people, is new information to me, and just reinforces my opinion.

If you have a smaller budget for a bag, I personally recommend going for a name brand leather bag on sale, as they are (IME) better made and will last longer than a fancy faux leather bag from Target, Zara, or the like. (Yes there are some exceptions, notably Michael Kors, whose bags are garbage despite being brand name designer, but for the most part I've found this to be true.)

amother

Forestgreen

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 7:21 pm

amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:

Designer knockoffs are very clearly trying to imitate a particular brand, by their logo, etc. Nothing wrong with a generic nice looking bag for less.

I don't mean the ones with the logo. like fake Coach or LV that put their logo as a pattern. I mean a designer looking back that looks, quality-wise, like it could be designer.

amother

Babyblue

Thu, Dec 03 2020, 9:41 pm

amother [ Forestgreen ] wrote:

I don't mean the ones with the logo. like fake Coach or LV that put their logo as a pattern. I mean a designer looking back that looks, quality-wise, like it could be designer.

I don't think anyone will find a problem with those. People were expressing their dislike of a clear knockoff.

amother

Aquamarine

Fri, Dec 04 2020, 4:54 am

I love brands, but I'd rather have a great quality non brand, than a low quality brand. And those Brand plastic totes they sell. I'd never buy those.

amother

Babypink

Fri, Dec 04 2020, 6:00 am

I buy Coach bags either on sale or through Coach outlet.

Fox

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 4:07 pm

Amarante wrote:

And the world of designer bags is not all the same - Vuitton plastic bags with their stupid monogram are worthless because the only reason anyone would want one is because they think the logo conveys that it is expensive.

. . . Although Vuitton does have leather bags which are generally more expensive than the logo ones and often are only recognizable to those familiar with fashion.

I tend to agree with you about the LV monogram -- it's become a bit too ubiquitous and there are so many counterfeits out there. I wear the Epi Noir finish rather than the monogram.

That said, I think you're being a little harsh on the monogram.

Louis Vuitton was founded in the mid-1800s as a trunk maker, and the brand became known for three major innovations:

1. They made trunks flat instead of with a domed top. Because all transportation was by horse-drawn coach or ocean liner, the domed top was needed to prevent rain from puddling on the trunk and seeping into the contents. However, the flat top allowed trunks to be stored more efficiently, and Louis Vuitton solved the rain problem by . . .

2. Developing an oil-based varnish variation that repelled water. The original trunks were grey canvas painted with this substance. Then they began using striped canvas, and then the checked pattern that is known as Damier today. Only around 1900 was the monogram designed. The fact that their trunks were relatively waterproof was considered a huge selling point.

3. The third major innovation was a virtually pick-proof lock. Along with rain damaging their clothing and possessions, travelers were at the mercy of thieves who would open trunks waiting to be loaded and help themselves to anything valuable. The LV 5-pin lock system was enough to deter most thieves, and it's still the lock used today on LV luggage and handbags.
______________________________

So the monogram is not actually plastic -- it's canvas coated with a plastic layer. The oil-based varnish has given way to a PVC layer on top of the canvas. You can also buy some bags in the canvas without the PVC layer.

The primary selling point of LV bags is that they are extremely durable. Unlike Hermes bags, which come with their own little raincoats, LV bags can withstand bad weather and being knocked around -- and they'll still last 30 years. As one of my handbag friends says, "You could let your baby teethe on an LV bag and it wouldn't show."

Of course, you're correct that many people wear the monogram as a misplaced status symbol -- they don't know the history behind the brand or why it became iconic. But for those who do know, LV bags in general (their leather finishes have various coatings that make them weather-impervious, too) represent not just a luxury brand, but a hard-working, long-term wardrobe staple rather than a fashion item.

Fox

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 4:14 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

I thought I recalled you buying an expensive but disastrous sheitl for a wedding.

Ugh! You're right! I'd managed to put that out of my head, though not as quickly as the $1500 was sucked from my bank account. In the end, I donated it to a gemach for kallahs in EY, and they were surprised to get a nice-ish shaitel that had been worn a couple of times. I sincerely hope that the shaitel is living a happy life in the Holy Land on the head of someone who is giving it the love it deserves.

SixOfWands wrote:

And pens. Yes, Waterman fountain pens are very different from Bic ballpoints, or even Lamy or Pilot fountain pens, and that makes a serious difference to me. (And yes, I vastly prefer Waterman to Mont Blanc.)

Will you please, please, please, pretty please start a thread about good fountain pens?! I would love to know more about the various brands, accessories, and what makes a fountain pen good. It would also be a great Chanukah gift idea for people who appreciate that kind of thing.

amother

Cyan

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 6:37 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

A counterfeit is a copy using the other company's label. Its stealing. And as Fox says, often finances terrorism. Just say no.

Ohh, I love seeing SOW and Fox agreeing on something Wink

essie14

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 9:53 pm

I like coach bags and I buy mine on Ebay.
They are classic looking and I like a sturdy well made bag.
I dont really have a yen for anything more expensive.

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