By Sara Levin
My First Handbag Memory
My first handbag that I remember was a gift when I had chicken pox. I’m not sure how old I was 4, maybe? I have a mental picture of a plush toy dog with plastic handles and a clear plastic belly. In the belly were candies. I loved the cuteness of the combination plush and clear interior.
Teenage Years and Early Fashion Influences
I don’t remember many handbags I had as a teenager. I was more focused on clothing, shoes and jewelry. I remember looking at friends’ leSportsac bags which I recognized by their logo, but back then they were in plain colors. I was drawn to accessories with whimsy and fun, in pink and pastels. My favorite clothing brands were Esprit and jean designers such as Sasson, Jordache and Sergio Valente.
Discovering Vera Bradley in My Twenties
My next handbag memory was when I was in my twenties. I met my Dad at Tavern on The Green in Central Park. Before he arrived, I went to the fancy store. I found a gorgeous small quilted fabric handbag, barely big enough for a wallet. (There were no cell phones back then. It was the early ‘90s.) It was black with bold yellow flowers and a white and blue horse with a yellow mane, a white bunny rabbit and lots of brightly colored exotic birds on it.
It was so cute and perfect. It was Vera Bradley, a brand I had never heard of, which later became very popular with moms later on in the early 2000s, made exclusively for Tavern on The Green. I don’t remember the cost, but because it was small, it wasn’t too much money, and I quickly snapped it up. I still have it.
Falling in Love with LeSportsac
I went to Urban Outfitters one day, I think I was in my late twenties. I saw a pretty nylon black crossbody bag with brightly colored hearts in all the colors of the rainbow on it. This was a throwback to the LeSportsac bags I remember as a teenager in the ‘80s but with an updated design. And because it was sold at Urban Outfitters, I knew it was trendy. I bought it, and that was when my obsession with LeSportsac began.
LeSportsac is a great casual bag with the right amount of whimsy! They do wonderful collaborations with Sanrio (Hello Kitty!), Harry Potter, Peanuts. They have designs with kittens and puppies having a picnic, girls sewing, bunnies in a forest, pink bows, teddy bears! Even though I have so many patterns and styles, I feel tempted when I see a new cute pattern come out! I LOVE that they are machine washable. I hate anything sticky and I don’t want stains on my handbag, so it is amazing that I can completely wash off all the outside dirt from my handbags.
The Dooney & Bourke Obsession
In the early 2000s I saw an ad with Lindsey Lohan modeling the most adorable brightly colored logo handbags. The shapes were so cute: barrel, circle, with colors called “grape” and “bubblegum” with hearts and DB logos and even metal pins. I bought a bubblegum DB barrel bag and I loved it. I also bought a white Dooney bag with bumblebee pattern. I continued to be captivated by Dooney bags.
I loved watching the Dooney specials on QVC. I loved how the hosts described the material and detail. I loved listening to the click clack of the hardware and the zipper being opened. I bought a Disney cat themed Dooney bag and a beautiful pebble leather black slouch bag with a reversible latch. One one side it was a duck and on the other, it was the Dooney logo. Loved it!! I bought a heart pattern bag for Valentine’s Day and a cupcake tote for birthdays.
Becoming a Coach Fan
In 2005 I was a new mom and we moved to Bucks County Pennsylvania. We were right near Peddler’s Village. The other new moms and I went shopping at The Children’s Place Outlet. There was a Coach outlet there. Suddenly I was seeing Coach bags everywhere. I got my first Coach bag as a present from my mother in law—blue patent leather with a silver Coach charm. It was so cute! I took note of other moms and their bags.
Now that the internet and online shopping was available, I could look on Coach’s website and ebay and try to describe what I had seen. I especially loved a satin light purple Optic logo bag. I noticed how one of the other moms who I’d seen at my son’s school had a small semi-circle bag with a Coach scarf tied on the side. It was adorable. I got a few Coach logo brown bags.
Entering the World of Louis Vuitton
I saw moms carrying Louis Vuitton bags and I thought they were beautiful and it made the women seem very rich. All the moms were carrying the Neverfull and I bought myself one, gently used of course. Over time I bought all the patterns, the white multicolore and the black multicolore, that they used to sell at the shop that sold cheap knockoffs in Jersey City where I lived before I got married. But I had the real ones. I also got a bucket tote with cherries and even a handbag with smiling cherry blossoms.
I love the luxury and the whimsy. I got the Damier Azur pattern, which I had seen moms carry in the summer and the black Damier ebene square pattern which I saw women carry in the winter. I bought pink denim LV and blue denim LV. I bought fuschia and red vernis patent leather bags. I bought every bag pre-owned, except for one which I treated myself to one year: an initial LV speedy with SL printed on the side in pink and baby blue.
Collecting Luxury Handbags
Most of the time I don’t wear my fancy expensive bags out, except for special occasions. I don’t want them to get dirty. I don’t want them to worry about them getting dirty or spilled on or sticky. And I don’t want to give the impression that I’m super fancy, which I’m not. I just love beautiful well-made luxury. When I get tired of my bags, I sell them and I buy others.
Exploring Other Designer Brands
I have bought other styles such as prada (tiny pink nylon bag is so cute!) and Gucci love bag, which I saw a woman wore at a regional theater show I went to with my mom and sister. I have a clear Furla bag and a Sanrio Furla bag and a pretty lilac Valentino bag with a tassel on it. I had MCM totes and train bags, but I didn’t wear them and I sold them.
If I had lots and lots of money I’d buy new LV bags. I’d buy Balanciaga bags. I watch bags and drool over bags. I followed Jacquemus from their tiny bag trend and I really wanted one, even if it didn’t have enough room for my wallet, phone or keys.
The Appeal of Modern Handbag Shopping
Why am I obsessed with handbags? They are so accessible and easy to buy now because of ebay and poshmark and the real real and fashionphile, etc. I can find them on social media and on reality television shows with rich women (Bravo!) I don’t have to try them on and worry that they won’t fit. I can wear them daily without having to change them, like clothes. They can go with me everywhere, like a plushie or a security blanket.
Why Handbags Mean So Much to Me
When I look at the handbag I envision days by the pool or the theme parks, vacations and lying by the beach. Though I’d never take these beautiful bags to the beach. Too sandy! I envision dinner parties and fancy restaurants and shopping at fancy stores where I can buy more fancy handbags.
Handbags as a Symbol of Lifestyle and Dreams
These bags represent a lifestyle. I’m an introvert so I don’t go to fancy parties too often, and in truth, I’d rather sit home on the couch and watch other fancy people go to fancy parties while I eat take out food. We don’t have a pool and we don’t often go to the pool or to the beach or on a cruise or on vacation, because we don’t have a lot of money and also because we are homebodies. But if I went to these places, I have just the bags for it.
Conclusion
My journey with handbags has been filled with memories, fashion discoveries, and personal milestones. From childhood treasures to luxury designer pieces, each bag tells a unique story. More than just accessories, handbags represent comfort, creativity, and dreams of experiences yet to come.
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