It's officially summer! I was tagged by another handbag enthusiast to share which bags are the most durable in my collection. It made me think what exactly does durable mean in the handbag world? The two things that I would consider if a bag is durable would be a vintage bag that has held up well with considerable use and at the same time holding its value. I know some will say, but I don't want a pre-owned bag, I like to buy brand new. I'll also include two bags in my list that you can still buy brand new today.
Let's start with the Paddington bag. This bag is 20 years old! Say what you want about the Paddington bag, but it was the "It" bag in the mid 2000s and now it's been given a new makeover with the re-issue. However the vintage OG is the way to go. Having the original will always be a flex. These retailed for $1400 or so back in the day and you can still fetch a vintage one around $1000 today. If you're ever interested to see how a bag wears over time, always search for a pre-owned one and use those photos as an indicator for what the bag will eventually look like. For the one shown here, the most wear I see is corner wear and some marks on the hardware on the lock and plate. I have also seen some more worn and they will typically have some fraying around the handles.
The Fendi Spy bag! Another bag that is now 20 years old. I seem to have quite a few 20+ year old bags in my collection. 😅 The Hologram/Fortuny Spy is my absolute favorite iteration of this bag. This bag becomes more beautiful with wear. Brand new, the whole bag is copper. With wear, the turquoise starts to peek out and bloom. TheRealReal currently has this bag on their website for $1595.
This is probably my most used bag in my collection. It's from 2003 and still going strong. The leather is chevre (goatskin) and completely broken in. It's the softest, most smooshiest leather. The corners are rubbed and the handles have smoothed out. It still has easily, another 20 years of life left in this bag. Back in 2003 this bag retailed for $1195. This is another bag that's been resurrected from the 2000s and the vintage ones in excellent condition can fetch over $2000. This one is easily the most durable bag in my entire collection, hands down!
This Dior Boston bag is the oldest bag in my collection. I believe it is from the 1980s. At 40 years old, give or take, it is definitely very durable. It's been used quite a bit as you can tell from the creasing and wrinkling of the leather. The shape has relaxed but I think it adds to the charm. Surprisingly, the corners are in very good condition. It's the handles that show the most wear. I would guess this bag retailed somewhere around $300 back in the 1980s. Today you can find one on the resale market for $800 or so.
Now that we have gotten the vintage bags out of the way. The Row Slouchy Banana bag is a bag you can buy brand new or you can save some money and buy it pre-owned. I will always champion buying pre-owned. It's better for the world and you save some money. Win-win. This bag is made out of grained calfskin. I have worn this bag a lot and it still looks brand new. The Row currently has a pretty decent resale value, so if you were to buy it pre-owned and decided it wasn't for you, you could probably sell the bag and come close to breaking even. This bag is lightweight and very comfortable to carry. It's also a bag that doesn't have any branding and is very much IYKYK.
What if your budget is under $1000? I would recommend Coach, Fount, Shinola, and Go Forth Goods. Those are typically my go-to brands whenever I'm looking for something that will give the best bang for your buck.
I will have a lot more Fount reviews coming up. I'm really impressed with their leather choices and the Sloane and Harmon Belt bag are my favorite styles from Fount so far. Easy to carry and the leather only gets softer the more you wear it.
I recently reviewed this bag and could not believe how similar their leather is compared to Louis Vuitton's Millesime leather. If you missed it, check out my review here. Shinola is a new brand for me, but so far I'm very impressed with their quality and most bags are around $500 range.
I admit, I have a slight obsession with the Florence style. I have 5 of them and they remind me of the Speedy bag in shape, except it's made out of full grain leather and not canvas. It's also under $500. Right now they are having their Fourth of July sale (everything is 25% off with code 4THOFJULY). How many is too many? Asking for a friend!
That's it for me! Hope you all have a delightful Monday!
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