What do YOU look for in a bag?

[meowmix]

so what do YOU look for in a bag?
what details are you drawn to? how important is quality for you?
how about colors? size, shape, practicality, brand, popularity, celeb exposure?

my tastes change all the time, sometimes i crave one thing, other times i crave another... but some qualities and details i always seek in a bag are:

versatility, large but wearable size (it's gotta fit my big checkbook wallet!) and comfort (i hate it when it just doesn't quite fit well on my shoulder, or is awkward in my hands)

i also NEED an inner pocket for small belongings, i like little cell phone pockets too, and because i travel with my bags alot, i like a small outer pocket that just fits some identification, boarding pass, keys and cell phone (like the little outside zip pocket on the balenciaga bags and the marc jacobs stam)

and no matter what, i'm always drawn back to black bags.

 

[Tushka_BeLLa]

I'm definitely drawn to something like the Birkin or Balenciaga ... classic, yet the "it" bag at the same time, both are classy and roomy enough to fit all the essentials and some shopping and also turn heads. As for colour, I never go black.

 

[Guessgirl96]

I preffer larger bags but like smaller ones too. The design and feel of the leather are important. I'm usually drawn to the brighest most colorful colors. I preffer square/round shaped bags over rectangular ones like the twiggy. I agree about versitility, I like bags that I can wear with lots of outfits and ususally make the day to night transition. I'll sacrafice comfort/use of use for a bag I really like if I have to.I have to feel that I wont tire of the bag in 2-3 years and I'll still be wearing it after the craze is over. Thats all I can think of right now... Nice thread!

 

[His Angel]

it depends why i want the bag ....
if it is an everyday bag i like earthy nuetral tones ... a medium-big leather bag with many pockets ... the inside should be roomy enough to hold everything from a packet of wet-naps to my daughter's finger puppets .... the lining should be a dark color that is in a strong and versitile fabric .... a bag that is soft and light .... yet it should be stylish enough to turn heads and be classy ... i have never found that kind of bag that has everything i just discribed ... EXCEPT the paddington ... hence my paddington fetish ... i also would go with a mulberry or marc jacobs (not a stam though) or a denim LV ....
if it is a night bag .... it should be elegant and screams class!! ... i would prefer a smaller bag in a luxuries fabric or leather ... i would go with something like a chanel 2.55 ... in black or dark grey ... or maybe a classic dior ....

 

[masquerade]

i need a larger bag, i carry my life in it.


and i need it to fit on the shoulder, i cant deal with a bag you have to carry in youre hands

 

[meowmix]

his angel, i def agree about the paddington... i found it goes well with almost everything! even more so than my silverado i feel...
masquerade, i used to feel that way about the handles too... and i still kind of do. but now i'll settle if it at least fits in the crook of my arm cos i'd lose it otherwise... clutches scare me.

 

[jun3machina]

i definately try to stay away from "hand-bags" as its much easier for me to have a shoulder bag. if it fits on the arm, im okay with that, but the handle has to be comfy.....as far as color, usually i like earthtones and black with an occasional turn towards jewel colors, like violet or peacock/royal blue...and usualy i want a unique design to my bag. for classic bags, that help make my outfit look put together, i'll carry either my LV croissant or speedy or my dooney nile bag in taupe. these all have really nice structure. for an everyday bag i have my lush paddington, stam, new marc jacobs tote, LV speedy, gucci horsebit and some bags i have made.....they are all fairly roomy so i can carry my wallet, camera, cell phone, sketchbook, and a water bottle in and still have room. and they are all slouchy enough to look good whether im wearing jeans or a vintage dress.

usually i look for shape of a bag to see if its unique and then if it has practicality to it....then i see if its comfortable to wear. of course, im a big detail freak and love leather as well, so those factors are all important too. like recently, i bought the banana republic bloomsbury tote and i liked the feel of the leather...totally loved it...but the shape it created when i put stuff in it made it hit under my arm....that kinda erked me...and so i tryed to get used to it, but something just wasn't working....so i ended up getting rid of it....you just kinda know whether it'll work or not after you use it a few times...and im kinda picky...

 

[meowmix]

^ yeah often a bag will look great when you try it on in the store, or when you see someone else with it.. but when you take it home and wear it with your own clothes, see it in normal everyday lighting, it just doesn't look quite as fabulous anymore..

with so many ppl scrambling for the latest "it" bag nowadays, it's interesting what draws people to them, and that (hopefully) it's more than just celeb exposure

 

[ollsrayk]

I like my bags to feel soft, and I like it to have details, I wouldn't like the Paddington if it didn't have the brass studs, the Balenciagas if they didn't have the tassels etc. I also like a bag to be comfortable and wearable on the shoulder most of the time. It usually needs to be able to fit A4. Regarding colour, I don't really black except on Chanel bags.

 

[vintage_princess]

The first thing I look for in handbags is the style - I have to be attracted to it first. Then I look at the price range and decide whether its too pricey for me, if I can afford it and how much use I will get out of it. Im much better now at looking for bags which are more "classic" looking or nothing too fancy because I want to be able to carry them for years.

Im not really into bags that are strictly hand held, so most of the bags I generally look for have to be able to be carried over the shoulder. I just get so tired of having to carry them by hand sometimes and its quite annoying especially when im shopping and I want to look at clothes, it just gets in the way.

Im not a fan of black bags much until now..but generally I dont mind too much about colors as long as I love the style but have to admit I currently am not a fan of bright in-your-face colors.

 

[Foxie-Pooh]

I love hardware on the bag if it's placed correctly i.e: Birkin and Kelly's locks, Balenciaga's studds, Vuitton suhali's studds, Chanel reissue's chain and lock. and I also love novel shapes i.e: Dior saddles and trailer bags. I think details and shapes are what attract me the most but when it comes to actually buying it then I think I will have to factor in quality and practicality. But if it's something that I absolutely love then screw practicality

 

[Ms. Diorella]

In terms of practicality I like a nice spacious bag that is sturdy but still attractive, i prefer blacks and greys but i like brighter colours too it mainly depends on the season, and I prefer a leather bag over most fabric, exotic skins are also something i'll look for.

Most of my bags are vivienne westwood, i find that her designs are pretty much always gorgeous but practical aswell

My perfect bag at the moment would be the dior detective bag in large with black crocadile skin gorgeous! A good sized stylish bag with exotic skin, or a 40cm birkin in deep purple ostritch skin

 

[vintage_princess]

I agree foxie-pooh I forgot to say I really like hardware which suits the bag. I particularly like gold hardware.

 

[crepebacksatin]

the most important thing for me is the quality of the materials used. i will only buy bags made of soft, supple, quality leathers (and pretty fabrics too occasionally). if the leather doesn't feel good or won't wear in well, i am not interested. i don't care how beautiful the design is if the materials are not up to my standards. i also look for solid hardware, but i don't like way too much of it on a bag (i hate bags with 800 pointless buckles). i don't mind spending $$ on a bag, but if i do, i want it to last me a good, long time.

day bags must be able to be carried on the shoulder or messenger-style - i can't stand hand-carry bags. the inside has to be roomy enough for all the junk i lug around, and must be relatively easy to access. i don't like my bags to be too "thin" in width.

workmanship is very important, too. beautiful details executed perfectly make me swoon! sloppy stitching or lack of a lining make me angry

i LOVE botkier bags for day. my absolute favorite.

 

[Greendrv]

I large bags, but they must be light. That's why I love Balenciaga moto bags and the Fendi spy. Hardware, leather quality, and details are also important. I love distressed leather, and admittedly what sold me on the spy in the first place was the spikes woven into the handles (how cool is that?). I didn't realize what great leather the spy had until I received one (purchased sight unseen from FENDI NY). I do like having a cell phone pocket, and that's the only thing I don't like about the spy (I find that it's not so convenient to get in and out of the spy compartment).

I also own my share of clutches. I prefer to carry a clutch for evening because I can put it in my lap at restaurants and bags are too bulky for clubs. At restaurants I'm always super paranoid that the servers are going to spill food/drinks all over my $$ handbags, or other patrons are going to run into them!

I am drawn to bags of all colors; I dress pretty eclectically and having bags of all different colors also fits with my style.

 

[LouiseyPeasey]

I'm the odd one who strongly prefers a hand-held bag. I like clutches as well, and use them a lot for day or evening. My bags must be light - heavy leather or hardware is a dealbreaker. Chain handles are out, as are most hard handles.

There has to be one very accessible pocket to put my sunglasses in. The bag has to be easy to open/close. For something I use every day, I want it to be a pleasure to handle, to the leather and workmanship and quality of the hardware are really important.

I have an aversion to quilted leather - it's like an unnatural finish or something, it creeps me out.

Most of my bags are brown, with a few colors mixed in, and just one black bag. I really like suede, for the richness of the color and the texture. It tends to be heavier, though, so I have to be careful or I'll end up with a bag I don't use.

On the other hand - I love the look of a lot of bags I'd never carry: the Spy, the Novak, the new Fendi bag with the handles that hang down, etc.

 

[Guessgirl96]

I'm with LP that I preffer handheld bags. I used to hate quilted leather too, it reminded me too much of my grandma. Then I got the chanel 2.55 and that totally changed

 

[Luna]

I generally only wear bags that can go on my shoulder... I like some sort of inside organization.. cell phone pocket, zip pocket, etc.

As for designs, I like colorful bags... it wasn't until recently that I bought myself brown and black bags...

But the number one eye catcher for me is interesting hardware.

Oh.. and practically all of my bags are huge. I don't really own any clutches, or small shoulder bags...

 

[cardboardboxed]

I like bags that are worn on the shoulder. I like them medium large.. prob about the ize of a smaller messenger bag. It's because I marry an arsenal of makeup wherever I go!! Lipstick (or ten), gloss (or ten), eyeshadow, liner, powder. Sometimes I also take blush, eyelash curler, concealer, mascara.. everything. It's because I have long days at school sometimes, so I need top touch up during the day! I also need a bunch of pencils, my cell, keys, other random stuff, and I like it large enough to hold my composition notebook. So yes, bigger bags! I don't like tiny litttle clutches, unless I am also taking a backpack.. which in that case a large purse is overkill.

 

[LilyGirl]

size -- I need a bag big and flexible enough to carry all my stuff comfortably (without having to arrange things in a particular way), plus a few extras (magazine, bottle of water).

shape -- no matter how pretty a bag is or how good it looks on nicole richie, I won't buy it if it doesn't look good on me. I have to wear it and be able to say "wow" when I look in the mirror.

quality -- a couple hundred bucks on a cheap bag is a complete waste for me. but I don't need to spend $1000 either (though that does seem to be the price range for most of my bags). the leather has to be beautiful, supple and durable (and preferably smell delicious) and I don't like too much hardware or big shiny hardware. I want to hold it and look at it and feel warm inside.

pockets -- I prefer one exterior (big enough for cell phone and keys) and one interior, but will settle for only one decent sized interior pocket if I am mad for a bag. one of my current faves, tods kate media, has perfect pockets -- just enough, not too many and easily accessible.

practicality -- I generally pick bags that can be shoulder carried or easily carried over the arm (so it can't be too heavy) since I lead a hectic life and need 2 free hands. even though I try to be nice to my bags, I don't like bags that require babying -- I can't get hysterical if I have to put it on the ground (which I do a lot) or brush up against something dirty.

color -- I gravitate toward neutral colors since they go better with my wardrobe, which is important to me. I don't like to be matchy, but I also don't like it when my bag just doesn't go. I've been buying more colored bags recently, but I still use my black ones most because they just look better.

interior -- this may sound random, but black interiors are my peeve -- it's so hard to find things. it's not a deal breaker, but I'll only do it if I love love love a bag.

popularity -- my desire for a bag is inversely proportionate to the number of people I see carrying it, especially if they're fakes. I don't need to be the only one carrying it, but I do like to feel special.