In today’s installment of closet Confessionals, we meet a bag lover whose obsession with bags began as a teen but recently grew thanks to time at home during the pandemic. like numerous of us, COVID has changed this confessor’s carrying habits, which can be attributed to leaving the house with less and much more time spent keeping bags clean. However, COVID also helped catapult this handbag lover deep into H territory, and this collector recently added six Hermès bags to her collection.

Despite her love for handbags and Hermès in particular, this confessor is down to earth and self-aware, choosing to purchase what bags work for her and not giving in to societal pressures or what’s trendy. though this confessor has difficulty parting ways with her bags, she’s not scared of shopping pre-loved for terrific deals. read the full CC now, and don’t forget to submit your own!

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הבסיס

Age: 32
Gender Identity: Female
Location: Bay Area
Occupation: product Manager
Industry: Tech
Salary: $150,000
Household Income: $650,000

התיקים

Are you a PurseForum member? כן

How numerous bags do you own? 15

What bags are in your collection?

Hermès Birkin 30

Hermès Bolide 35

Hermès Evelyne 16

Hermès garden party 36

Hermès Herbag 31

Hermès Picotin 18 and 22

Chanel classic Flap (mini and medium)

Chanel classic WOC

Fendi Baguette

Mulberry Alexa

Mulberry Bayswater

Proenza Schouler PS1

Louis Vuitton Speedy

How much is your collection worth? $40,000 based on the amount I paid for them, I suspect they are worth much more now.

What is your many expensive bag? My Hermès Birkin which was a gift for myself after I got a promotion at work.

What are the most essential brands or pieces in your collection? Hermès is my drug of choice. I really can’t shop at any other brands after switching to Hermès. It felt so surreal to me when I finally got provided my Birkin – I have dreamt of owning one because I was a teenager. Still pinching myself in some cases about having my holy Grail bag ?

I’m really wishing to add a Kelly to my collection next!

What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? 16. I was in Paris for an exchange. My parents gave me spending money which I used towards purchasing my first Louis Vuitton bag and SLG.

Is there a particular bag you are wanting to purchase next? The Hermès Kelly. then I will put myself on ban island for quite sometime (maybe until 40 or next promotion?)

Any particular bag that holds a special sentimental value? My Louis Vuitton fast was the first bag that I purchased with my own hard-earned money. I felt so happy walking into the boutique and paying for it all by myself. even though I don’t use the bag anymore, I just can’t get rid of this bag. I’ll always cherish it.

Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? כן בהחלט. because I am Asian, I automatically get lumped into a category of “rich asian” if I use certain bags. I get a whole other level of service when I use my designer bags instead of when I carry a non-designer bag.

I do not carry any of my bags to work or family functions as I do not want people gossiping about what I finish with my money. I will use my bags on getaways and while running errands where I don’t have to interact with too numerous people I know.

Have your bag-carrying practices changed because Covid? Yes, best now I am sticking to one or two bags max. I don’t rotate my bags as much just because I don’t want to get them dirty and have to clean them afterwards. I’ve also stuck with my smaller bags so that I only carry my essentials (the Evelyne or Picotin are terrific for this purpose)!

הקניות

How typically do you purchase new bags? תלוי במצב הרוח שלי. I can purchase 3 bags in a month or go 5 years without purchasing one.

Has the Coronavirus pandemic changed your shopping practices or overall attitude towards luxury? I have to admit that COVID was what spearheaded my luxury purchasing obsession. during lockdown I binge viewed way too numerous luxury handbag videos and chose it was the time that I needed to treat myself to much more bags. and lo and behold I ended up purchasing about 6 new Hermès bags in the span of one year. It was an extraordinary case but once I get my Kelly, I don’t plan to purchase any much more bags for a long time.

Which stores do you frequent the most? I think you can guess ?

Do you ever purchase second-hand bags? Where do you purchase used? Yes, if I can find a good deal on a bag from the second-hand market, then that is where I go first. With Hermès bags it typically doesn’t make a lot of sense to go the second-hand route because resellers charge a premium for highly sought-after bags. many of my non-Hermès bags have been purchased pre-loved besides my fast and PS1.

Do you sell old bags to pay for new purchases? Not really, though I should. I’ve sold a bag here and there, but I have a hardtime getting rid of bags. They all hold so much sentimental value for me!

Do you ever feel societal pressure to purchase much more bags? לא לא ממש. I purchase bags to please myself.

Do you consider your bag purchases investments? Yes, there are several bags that I can resell for much more than I paid for (i.e. Chanel and Hermès). but I don’t look at investment value when purchasing a bag, but rather how much happiness it’ll bring me.

Who influences your purchasing decisions? YouTube luxury community, Instagram, the PurseForum. in some cases I don’t realize I “need” a bag until I see it on another influencer and I’m like damn, I want it now. happened to me so numerous times! I love seeing how others style their bags and it makes me realize that I can pull them off too.

Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? incredibly so! I have the most fantastic SA at Hermès and thanks to her I’ve been able to get my dream bag. She is working hard to get me my next bag too ? just love working with her!

Why do you delight in shopping, beyond just acquiring something new? I don’t really delight in shopping because the entire process is very tiring for me. I choose online shopping and already picking out a few items. then I’ll just go to the store to pick them up or purchase them to my house.

Have you ever felt like you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity or gender? On the contrary, I feel like I always receive exceptional service because of my Asian heritage. I was shocked at how good the SAs were to me when I went shopping alone at the Louis Vuitton flagship store at age 16.

A few times I’ve received bad service in some stores and it’s typically when the SAs are really busy and I didn’t really plan to purchase anything anyway.

הכסף

Who pays for your bags? mostly myself. My spouse has gifted me a bag here and there.

Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? No, however, I’m typically good at saving money and have a monthly budget which I stick to. because I wasn’t able to travel in 2020, I put my money that would have otherwise been used for travels into bags.

The Taboo Topics

Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? No but one of my ex-boyfriend’s mother used to gift me counterfeits. I never used them! I was too ashamed.

Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? No, he’s very supportive of my luxury obsessions. He’s also completely ok with me purchasing him Hermès ties that he’ll never wear just to meet my quotas, lol!

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to afford a bag? Hmm I guess using the law of attraction and manifesting my dream bag? האם זה נחשב?

Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? Yes, in some cases I can’t stop myself from purchasing a bag even though I know it’s a waste of money. I typically purchase bags that I don’t end up using. I tried to embrace minimalism and it’s helped a bit but I still wish I could purchase every bag on my wishlist lol!

The rest Of It

Any other expensive hobbies or passions? Sailing, skiing, and horseback riding ?

Anything else you would like to include? thanks for reading :)!

Editor’s note: today’s confessor preferred to remain anonymous, photos shown of the confessor’s noted bags are not her own.