I was having a clearout of my bags the other day and realised they were looking a bit shabby. Is it worth shelling out for a designer handbag or can an ordinary one be just as stylish?

no i would just get a cheap bargain holiday, and buy some fake designers ones that look like the real thing for next to nothing from the nigerians!

NO.

I used to work in Selfridges and believe me, the bags are not treated with the greatest care. Stampled on, thrown on the floor, just left out of their bags.

No difference IMO.

Thanks for your answers. This is what I imagined. I think lots of people pay through the nose for these designer handbags, which are not worth the extortionate prices. I think it is possible to buy a decent leather bag without major sums of money. TK Maxx, I think can be pretty good.

yeh, tk maxx is the place for bags at very good discounted prices! very good deals to be had.

I got a mint Jimmy Choo bag from Selfridges for £600, should have been £1400. It's absolutely perfect and not a mark on it.

I don't think so. Nor would I buy them on ebay because 99% of them are fake.

It's worth buying new LK Bennett & Russell & Bromley bags on ebay that owners have never used. I've got a lot of bargains that way & some beautiful bags at a fraction of the retail price.

Unfortunately the fakes market is so sophisticated now that fake bags are sold with fake receipts, fake serial numbers, as well as tags & care cards - so you can never be sure that a previously owned designer bag is genuine.

I'd rather go for a good quality bag but I don't think that means designer or even all that expensive. The best bags I bought are one for £50 from one of those bag shops that also sell suitcases and one I bought for like 200 rand (about £15 when I got it) from a department store in za. Both are still in great condition even after about 5 and 7 years respectively. Have a little pull at them, check the stitching, check what the bag is made of and buy something you like rather than a trend...that way it should last a damned long time.

I personally think it is. I have some of both and imo high street bags are noticeably cheaper looking in comparison. The quality of designer ones can be beautiful - the leather and the lining and I think they're worth every penny. As mentioned before brands like LK Bennet are nice and good quality but while cheaper than designer bags they're not exactly cheap.

There are no words to describe how much I am opposed to fakes - I mean what is the point? You're only fooling yourself, they'll look fake and cheap and you'll never get the same joy/satisfaction from buying one. Plus they're illegal counterfeit goods. Just don't do it.

No. But then, I'm not a bag person. I like the odd designer gear as much as anyone but some of the prices are outrageous.

Apparantley if you go to Milan you can get the designers overstock (that comes from the factories) at really good prices in markets etc. If you want something closer to home best to try a designer sample sale if you live in london. You can get nice genuine leather bags from the highstreet but I think designers are that extra bit special.

Personally, no a designer bag is not worth it. Leather, yes but if designer is your thing and you dont mind a limited choice check out outnet.com. Colours, styles etc are hit and miss but you may see a bargain!!

I agree with this, I work on a dept selling designer handbags and they aren't treated any better by the staff or the customers than the cheap ones.

Still get thrown around, stepped on, scratched etc etc The amount of bags we have to send back because people have damaged them is ridiculous.

I personally would go for the low-mid ranged designer bags around £100-£200, I wouldn't pay any more than that.

Is it ironic that the bottom of this thread showed a google ad for cheap LV bags for me????

I reckon like anything - you do pay for quality on the real designer bags up to a point and then the rest is paying for the brand... If you have the money and want to spend it then fair enough.
Personally I like to buy good leather bags but not necessarily designer in the £50-£75 range that will last for a good few years till I get bored and need something new!

I don't think designer bags are worth paying an extortionate amount of money for. Mid range bags are usually best. Cheap bags tend to fall apart quickly in my experience.

H&M are doing a Jimmy Choo range in November, bags and shoes. If you didn't want to pay out a large excess for a designer bag yet want something a bit special you could give them a try

TK Maxx (on line) has some great bags ..
ive saved £100s of pounds and buy all my bags there,.. always worth looking in their stores too

In a word, no.

Is it worth it, no probably not. Designer handbags are luxury items, but I buy them because I adore the quality and the classic pieces I have don't date. I can hand my bags down to my daughter (if she wants them) and they will still look very good.

As for bags being treated badly....I don't know about Selfridges, but I always buy my bags directly from the designer and I inspect the bag carefully before buying. Each one was in excellent condition at the point of sale and still are.

I think it is the style and qualitily of the bag that is important.
I really don't think I could pay more than a £150 for a bag, the most I have ever paid is £70.

I think it is the style and qualitily of the bag that is important.
I really don't think I could pay more than a £150 for a bag, the most I have ever paid is £70.

YEs. My mulberry is three years old and looks good, if not better now it's aged. If you buy classic rather than fashion (ie vuitton or chloe's latest) they dont date and last forever. My handbags are my babies.