In today’s installment of Closet Confessionals, we meet a collector in her mid-thirties from Australia who has been collecting bags for a decade. Prior to that very first Louis Vuitton bag, CC 215 eyed designer bags from afar, avoiding counterfeits and building up a collection of contemporary bags until she could afford luxury brands.
These days, this smart-shopping accountant has built a collection of nearly a dozen bags, with more than half of them being Louis Vuitton. All of her purchases are well thought out and chosen to suit her lifestyle, and CC 215 hasn’t ever regretted a purchase or sold any of her bags.
While she has bought bags online, this collector prefers to shop in-store to really see, feel and try on the bags up close. However, a poor experience at the Chanel boutique left a bad taste in CC 215’s mouth, and she’s since sworn off Chanel completely.
Read the full CC now, and don’t forget to submit your own!
Valigia Louis Vuitton in tela monogram e losine marrone | Basic Bio
Your Age? 34
Your Gender Identity? Female
Where do you live? Sydney, Australia
louis vuitton cruise 2022 womens ready to wear photos? Accounting
Valigia Louis Vuitton in tela monogram e losine marrone? Banking
borsa louis vuitton berkeley in tela a scacchi ebana e pelle marrone? $250,000
Total Household Income? $450,000
Are you a PurseForum member? No
Onto The Bags
How many bags do you own? 11
What bags are in your collection?
- Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene Neverfull MM Tote Bag N51105
- Louis Vuitton 2019 pre-owned monogram Puffer Asymmetrical shoulder bag
- LV Neverfull MM Damier Azur
- LV Alma BB Damier Ebene
- LV Pochette Felicie Epi Rose Ballerine
- Louis Vuitton 2019 pre-owned Monogram Christmas coin case
- Louis Vuitton x Supreme 2017 pre-owned Danube PM shoulder bag
- LOUIS VUITTON LV Territory Monogram
- Mulberry Large Darley in Oak
- YSL Nano Sac de Jour Sunflower Yellow
- Louis Vuitton Autres accessoires
Pre-Loved Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene Uzes? I’m an accountant, so find myself pondering whether to calculate purchase value, resale value, or replacement value? Purchase price would be around $25k. Resale value would not be fantastic as I really “use” my bags. Replacement I don’t want to think about, as many bags in my collection now cost double what I paid.
What is your most expensive bag? Based on purchase price, this would by my Louis Vuitton Mylockme satchel chain bag at $3.6k. It was a promotion present (from me, to me), when I wanted something similar to Chanel Classic Flap or Boy Bag, but I refuse to buy Chanel (more on that later).
Do you ever regret any of your bag purchases? If so, which ones and why? No
What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? Quotations from second hand bags Louis Vuitton Boîte à flacons.
I was about to get a massive promotion and was on the hunt for a designer bag to mark the occasion. I spent countless hours scouring the web for the perfect bag – and when I saw the Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene Neverfull MM Tote Bag N51105, it was love at first sight.
However, the story isn’t that simple – the bag was A LOT of money for me at the time, and my savings were depleted from two huge international holidays. I tried to compromise with myself by buying a cheaper and very similar (but still pricey) bag from a contemporary designer. But I still kept coming back to the Fuchsia Neverfull, regularly looking it up on my phone like it was the Facebook page of an ex! One day, doing my daily stalk, I’d realised the Fuschia had disappeared from the colour options. In that moment, I knew I had to have the bag. The next day, I went into the store, found they still had stock, and purchased it on the spot.
Is there a specific bag you are looking to purchase next? I’d love to add some Loewe to my collection, I’m tossing up between a Puzzle bag or a Basket tote.
Do you have a ‘holy grail’ dream bag you’ve always wanted to own? A LV Keepall. Hear me out. Yes I could afford one right now, but it’s not about the money. The Keepall is a travel bag rather than a handbag, so cost per wear would be much higher. Plus I’d only use it in transit, so it wouldn’t really be seen.
It’s a holy grail bag because I’ve always wanted one but would only buy it at the point I had ample funds to satisfy all my other handbag/clothes/shoes/jewellery desires.
Louis Vuitton x Air Force 1 Metallic Gold? I buy bags to celebrate milestones or promotions, so all my bags have sentimental value. One story that stands out is my YSL Nano Sac de Jour Sunflower yellow – ironically the only bag I didn’t buy for a milestone or promotion.
I bought this in the middle of Sydney’s longest COVID lockdown, using money I had saved from fortunately maintaining my income whilst having less expenses. Lockdown meant I had nowhere to wear it, so I’d often try on different outfits at home to see what it paired well with. Every time I use that bag now, I’m reminded of that lockdown, and take a moment to be grateful that we can now go out and about freely.
Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? Not really. I’m sure to some degree it does, but Sydney is full of people wearing designer bags, so I don’t stand out. You couldn’t swing a cat in my local supermarket without hitting an LV bag. I work in a well-remunerated team, so the women often have multiple designer bags, or are just not interested – so I don’t have any qualms about using my bags at work.
How do you take care of your bags? Pochette Louis Vuitton in pelle monogram con stampa nera verniciato.
On Shopping
Sac à main Louis Vuitton Ixia en daim monogram marron et cuir marron? I have a set budget for designer goods each year. This means I typically buy one handbag a year, sometimes twice. Although in 2022, there wasn’t any bag I had my eye on, so I spent my budget on several pairs of designer shoes and custom jewellery.
Do you prefer shopping for bags online or in-store? Why? In-store for sure, so I can see how it looks on me. But it’s not a strict rule, as I have bought a few bags online.
Which stores do you frequent the most? Louis Vuitton. However, I rarely visit unless if I’m seriously considering a purchase. There’s often a small patchwork, and I feel bad wasting an SA’s time if I’m just browsing.
Have you ever returned a bag after purchasing it? Why did you make that decision? No
The main bag types Louis Vuitton? No
Do you sell old bags to pay for new purchases? No, and I don’t ever plan to. I choose each new bag very carefully and for a specific role in my collection.
Louis Vuitton Damier for Neverfull MM Rose Ballerine? Yes, I’ve given my contemporary designer bags to my younger sisters. They were all in great condition, but I found I didn’t wear them once I had an established designer collection.
Louis Vuitton Monogram Shanti MM Shoulder Bag M51233? No
Брендовые кроссовки louis vuitton? I think bags can theoretically be investments, most of my bags have appreciated in value much better than my actual investments! However, I buy my bags to use and don’t baby them at all – so I’m not treating mine as investments.
Do you follow the latest fashion trends when deciding on your next purchase, or do you prefer classic styles? Classic for sure, the one question I ask myself when buying a bag is whether it will stand the test of time. I buy bags to work with my personal style, and I often get inspiration from handbag/outfit I see in real life – whether that be strangers, colleagues, friends.
Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? Not at all. I’d rarely enter a boutique unless if I was seriously considering buying a bag.
Do you enjoy shopping beyond just acquiring something new? To me, visiting a boutique is like visiting an art gallery. I love the beauty of it – the store architecture, the beautiful displays – and of course, the bags themselves.
Have you ever felt you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity, or gender? I’ve only had two instances of inferior service – and they were both at two different Chanel stores. In one case, I’d decided I wanted to buy a particular bag, had the money, and went to visit a store within a mall. I was well dressed, but with a contemporary designer handbag, and my husband was carrying some reusable shopping bags so we could grocery shop after.
The sales associate informed me that they didn’t have the (very common) bag in stock in any colour or size, despite some being on display. And when I asked if she could help me see if any other store had any, the SA dully responded to call up the Chanel Service centre and started ushering me out. I will now never ever buy a Chanel bag.
What are some factors that may dissuade you from buying a bag, even if you like it? A bag needs work with my personal style. For example, I adore the Mulberry Bayswater and find myself admiring them on the street when I see one, but the style just isn’t “me”.
Virgil Ablohs Louis Vuitton Chicago Residency? Aside from Chanel as explained above, Balenciaga. I sometimes think society can be too quick to ‘cancel’ a brand or a person, but in this case I felt what they did wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgment – it was a deliberate decision designed to be provocative that many signed-off on, and it makes me sick.
On Budgeting & Perceptions
With MSGM and Louis Vuitton both? Me
Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? I have an annual designer budget, which any bag purchases come from.
Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? No, I am very anti-counterfeit. Before I could afford designer bags, there were plenty of beautiful non-designer bags I was able to find within my budget. I fondly remember from my university days owning a purple patent bag I found at Nine West, with matching ballet flats.
Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? No, not at all. He is fully supportive of my bag buying, and he provides a great sounding board when deciding on purchases.
Have your friends or family ever criticized your bag-buying habits? If so, how did you respond? No. I do sometimes get questions, but I feel it comes from a place of inquisitiveness and not criticism.
Have you ever made a significant sacrifice to afford a bag? If so, what was it? I once would have said nothing, but I remember reading a Closet Confessional that summed it up well… the craziest thing I’ve done was work in a profession that requires insane hours, meaning I am remunerated well enough to afford my bags!
Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? Have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? Not a problem in that I don’t spend beyond my means, but I feel like I always have something I “need” to buy.
Let’s get personal…
Any other expensive hobbies or passions? Fine dining. Sydney has so much good food, and there’s always somewhere new to try.
What is your greatest fear? Global warming robbing the next generation of the future they deserve.
Valigia Louis Vuitton in tela monogram e losine marrone? My husband. He inspires me to be a better person every day.
Louis Vuitton LV Monogram Beige Sneaker? Брендовый палантин шарф louis vuitton.
LOUIS VUITTON FW21 Tourist Vspurist Short Sleeve Mens White 1A971X? Parenthood. I always hear people talk about how hard it is (and it is), but I wish more people spoke of how great it is. My child’s smile brings me more joy than all of my handbags put together (and trust me, the bags bring joy).
Louis Vuitton Bergamo handbag in brown damier canvas and brown leather? Life’s short, buy the bag. I’ve never regretted a purchase, but there’s a few purchases I will forever regret not pulling the trigger.
