One of the questions I get ALL the time here on the blog or on social media is questions regarding my Chloe Marcie bag. I'm always getting asked for links if I accidentally leave it out, I'm always getting asked about "is it worth it?" and about how the bag has fared since I got it. Today I thought I would talk a little bit about whether spending money on "designer" pieces is worth it, my thoughts on the Chloe Marcie bag and how I approach BIG purchases like this one.
What is considered "designer" clothing?
I have to first off say that I'm not a "pro" when it comes to designer duds... and really, how the heck do you even define "designer" these days? Are $200 jeans designer? Are only certain name brands designer? Does a price tag or price range define designer? For my own purposes, I'm going to define "designer" as a piece of high end clothing or a high-end accessory by a high-end brand name where the price tag give you pause. That's not SUPER specific, but for me I would honestly say that is how I define it. I think we all have our own thresholds but for instance I would spend $50 - $100 on jeans without TOO much thought. But when I go to buy $200 jeans you better believe I plan it out and give it plenty of thought. Same with handbags... I'm good in the under $300 range to invest maybe three to four times a year. But when a bag is listed at over $2000 you better believe I will think LONG and hard about that one.
Chloe Marcie Review - do I love it enough to spend on it?
When it came time to buy the Chloe Marcie I just KNEW I loved it. I had stalked it on other bloggers and had visited and tried it on in the store in real life, so I knew 1000% that I loved it and wanted it. I couldn't stop obsessing about it and showing it to my husband and hypothesizing about what color to get for months. Finally my husband put me out of my misery and surprised me with it over 2 1/2 years ago to celebrate a private moment in our lives. Since then I have LOVED it. It is surprisingly durable (a friend spilled red wine on it and it easily wiped off!) and shows no wear or tear on the leather or hardware, over the two plus years I have owned it I don't believe it looks a day older than the first day I carried it and I find it to be the "just right" size for my phone, wallet, a few toiletries (lip gloss, etc), keys, Pure Barre socks (never leave home without them) and my Kindle. It truly has been an AMAZING investment. I love that this bag seems to never go out of "style" and while it was so difficult to choose a color, I still adore the grey and feel like it matches easily with outfits.
How to invest in designer
If you are thinking about investing in designer, definitely do your homework! Unless you have an unlimited budget you are going to want to choose a style that is timeless so that you will get the full value out of your investment. You will also want to read all the reviews you can - not every review will be glowing, but listen carefully to what people like and don't like about a piece to see if it matches up with your expectations. Next I highly recommend looking into the "gently used" market for the bag you are interested in for two reasons. 1) you may find a mint condition bag for a DEEP discount, after having carried this bag for two years and seeing how well it held up, I would TOTALLY buy one second hand if it were in great condition. 2) If you get buyers remorse or ever decide to sell the bag you have an idea of how much of your investment you can recuperate. I personally love the selection at TheRealReal (the selection is always changing so check back all the time!), but there are tons of market places for second hand designer duds (read their reviews too!).
In the end, only you can make the decision of whether or not a "designer" piece will find a home in your wardrobe and ultimately, if it's in the budget for you. It's 100% a personal decision and one that shouldn't be taken lightly.
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Now that I've blabbed on and on about this bag... let's talk about the outfit, shall we!?!? We actually had full-blown fall weather this past weekend and you better believe that I took FULL advantage. I wore layers and sweaters, we sipped apple cider and even turned the fireplace on in our new house for the first time. It was amazing! I didn't want to take this sweater off - and I can tell already that I will love wearing it all fall and winter. It's so soft and cozy, the perfect length with jeans or leggings and I am always a sucker for a turtleneck. So it's easily got all the makings for a must-have for cooler temps. It's available in quite a few colors and it runs big... so size down, I'm wearing an xs here. Paired with my favorite loafers and a casual pair of distressed denim it was the PERFECT fall outfit.
Outfit Details:
