Building a Handbag Wardrobe, Again

Having cleaned out the accessories closet to make room for the latest (and, ahem, last) acquisition, I got to thinking about what makes a handbag wardrobe "complete."  This is my second try at having a complete handbag wardrobe, and it's been a very different approach.

My old approach was the constant hunt - for a good deal, for the right color, for a different designer.  I would walk into a store thinking "hey, don't I need a little navy clutch? doesn't everyone?" or "something in just this shade of purple to match the flowers in my new dress I bought on sale."  After about four years of hunting and buying, I ended up with shelves full of purses who had rather singular uses.  I had some satisfaction in lining them up according to color and size - it's the OCD in me - but my overall feeling was rather indifferent.  They were just a pile of impulsive choices that rarely thrilled me past the point of purchase.  (Same story with clothes and shoes, after all.)  And with so many, I still often felt like I didn't have just the right one.  It was crazy!

You all know perhaps from previous posts that I had a sartorial shift once we had our big move - many of my purses were packed up in storage, and I took only my favorites.  It was liberating to have less choice, to choose from better and more well-loved things, and while I am certainly not a minimalist I finally understood a bit of the appeal.  And then eventually I stumbled across Hermes, and my love for their craftsmanship and quality left me hooked.  My first bag I truly loved gave me a thrill to wear each and every time I wore it - not just at the point of purchase.  Suddenly, I knew that I would much rather have a few things I LOVED than being buried in a pile of "meh."  So arose the question, if I could do it all over again, what would be my perfect handbag wardrobe?

Without of the guilt of past mistakes (the sentimentality of the old bags far from sight in storage), I started carefully drafting a plan, and here was my thought process.

Guide to Building a Handbag Wardrobe

What is your lifestyle today?  In five years?
I realize this requires a bit of fortunetelling, but the idea is that the handbag selections you make are long-term choices.  What you buy today should be relevant and useful five years from now.  Of course there are the transition periods of life - maybe you are a student now but plan to ditch the backpack soon enough, or you are a mom with a toddler and can't imagine wearing a day clutch which keeping hold of sticky fingers.*  But overall, you should have a good sense of the kinds of activities you do and the needs your handbag wardrobe will need to fulfill.

For example, when I drafted my plan, I knew the following about myself:
* I travel frequently for work, and must look pulled together wherever I arrive - often from plane straight to meeting.
* I travel frequently for pleasure, mostly urban destinations.
* I carry a lot of stuff with me, and I need to have plenty of room and easy access.
* I like handheld totes, especially for work, but I also like cross-body and shoulder bags for sight-seeing type travel.
* I rarely do either very formal events or roughing-it types of adventures.

What does your lifestyle tell you about the types of bags you will find most useful?
Here is where I sit back and think about style and function.  Using myself as an example, I broke it into categories, along with a rough percentage of use:

* Everyday large-capacity bag - think totes or satchels for work or travel (60%)
* Hands-free bag - think slightly sportier, cross-body or shoulder bag great for errands or sightseeing (30%)
* More formal or dressier bag - think clutch or 'lady-like' bag for nice dinner out, opera or formal event (10%)

The percentage I estimated I used each type of bag was also a good indication of where my budget should go.  Although I admire the bejeweled mini-audieres from Judith Lieber, it wouldn't be sensible to spend half my budget on a bag used maybe once a year.

Okay, what do you know for sure are your "nevers"?
It's easy to think about things that we don't like or don't suit us before we are faced with temptations in the store.  For example, a bag that meets your color and size criteria, but it's a backpack -- and you never wear backpacks, but maybe just this once... No, don't do it.  Some people can't bear hand-carry only bags.  Or don't do fabric.  Or maybe puffy quilting.  Whatever is your think, make note of it now because you might be faced with an oh-so-slight variation that you think might actually work but will really linger in your closet once you've bought it.

What does your lifestyle and personality tell you about material?
Another important consideration - what materials work well with your life and your preferences?

How hard are you on your bags?  Are you a bag baby-er?
Do you care about weight?
Do you have a preference for structured or slouchy?
Do you have a preference for leather, or canvas, nylon or fabric?  Are there some categories of bag you prefer one over another?
How weather-proof must your bags be?

For me, I knew I had a preference for leather and that I would want a sturdy one which didn't need to be babied.  It was also important to me that my most used bags be easily reconditioned, because they would go through a lot and I would expect them to last and look good for a long time.

Now, what about color?
Here's where it can get a little tricky, because if you don't have a good sense of wardrobe colors you can wind up in a "collect 'em all" kind of place.  I used to have a rainbow of bags largely because I had every color of the rainbow in my wardrobe.  But once I narrowed down my wardrobe colors to a handful, I had a much clearer sense of what accessories I needed to support that wardrobe.

For me, my wardrobe colors are black, white, grey/etoupe, khaki, camel.  Accent colors of red and purple.  When I purged my wardrobe, I got rid of all my navy and dark brown - two colors I found difficult - along with many other brights.  Standing in front of my closet, I started thinking about both the different scenarios and seasons I would wear my clothes.  It helped me narrow down the colors for my bags to this:

* black
* brown
* lighter neutral (especially for spring/ summer-wear)
* pop of color (for me, red)

Now, cross reference your style, materials and colors list and do a statistical regression on the likelihood that I lost you at "cross reference."  Oh, um, I mean, compare your lists and make a simple chart instead.


             Everyday Tote (60%)           Everyday Hands-free (30%)            Formal (10%)
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Black    leather or canvas                   leather                                  any
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Brown  leather or canvas                   leather                            not needed
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Light Neutral    not needed          leather or canvas                  not needed
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Pop of Color     leather                     not needed                           leather
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Notice that in my version of the chart, I resisted the temptation to check off the box in each color or category right away.  There are some spots where I thought I could do without - like a light neutral bag in a formal style.  Building your wardrobe can take years, it's best to slowly assess over time what you'll actually need and use.

Now, the fun begins!  Research, research, research.  Spend time planning, budgeting, and assessing how you will fulfill each category.   Go into stores and feel the merchandise, talk with sales people about wear and maintenance, and do your own investigating as well.  Talk with friends about their favorite bags or labels, you might find something outside your familiar haunts which you will love.  And take it on as a challenge to last years - not overnight - because taking your time minimizes mistakes.  I found this planning also works well for thoughtful wardrobe additions of the clothing and shoe varieties as well.

Anyway, as you can see from the chart, 8 or so bags ought to take me through a variety of my life's events and activities.  Okay okay, this is where theory and reality part company because I do own more than 8 bags.  But in the three or so years since I created my plan I haven't strayed very far.  I have two black bags in the hands-free category, and there is a brown clutch that fits the formal category - but I had that one before I started.  I also leave room for a special purchase now and again, like my latest acquisition.  Certainly not needed, but we've already established I'm more hedonist than minimalist.  Leave room for a little straying; I came across my second black bag in Argentina and would have been sad to pass it up just because that box had already been ticked.  I found making more mindful, careful choices led me to wear and enjoy my things more - and that's the whole point.