In the past two+ years of running the Bag Lust Philippines Instagram account, I've purchased a lot of things that have caught my eye. The activity of scouring what's available online and re-posting them into the baglust.ph account (which I do for free, by the way) is like daily window-shopping and wish-listing. I've ended up buying a lot more than I should!
I've had the pleasure of experiencing the good and the bad when it comes to online shopping. I'll be sharing with you some of the lessons that I've learned in the past 2 years. Feel free to add your inputs and share your experiences in the comments!
#1 Before buying, see and feel the bag yourself!
Most of the time, what you see in the picture is a lot different in person. Online stores will always put the best angle and lighting of the products. It's not always going to look that way when you receive the actual item.
With leather, you really need to have a feel first before buying. Not all "genuine leathers" are created equally (See Here's The Truth About 'Genuine' Leather'). I ordered before one 'genuine leather' bag whose leather wrinkled in a way that I just hated. I ended up using it once then gave it away after.
Another reason why you have to check it out in person is to see if it fits you. Try it out and look in a full length mirror. Personally, I ask myself: "Does this bag make my butt look big?". There are plenty of websites that say what kind of bags look food for certain body types, but I say let your instincts kick in on what looks good on you.
As much as possible, visit the physical store or check them out in pop ups and bazaars. Perhaps you can also ask a friend to show you if they've previously bought one before. However, going through the hassle of seeing it in person has to correlate to the risk of how much the item is. The pricier it is, the more you have to check it out in person. I know it defeats the purpose of "online shopping" but I'd rather make sure my purchase was worth it.
#2 What is practical for your lifestyle?
I've crossed paths with several really cute clutches on Instagram and I've purchased some of them. I fell in love with the pictures and thought "They are so cute! I have to have them!". Fast forward to later on, they don't get taken out of the closet much. Why? I realized that since I don't go to a lot of parties (Loserrr! J.K.) I don't need them as much. For casual social activities, I also realized that I'm more likely to leave my bag behind if it's not hands free.
Huwag maging takaw-tingin! (To non-Tagalog speakers, this is a phrase we use when we over-order in restaurants). Ask yourself, what do you need? What are the colors that you usually wear? What do you usually bring during the weekdays and what do you bring during the weekend? What kind of image do you want to project? Invest more on the things you'll use more often vs. the things you'll only use once or twice a year.
On the bright side, in my attempts to salvage my unused purchases, I've forced myself to be more adventurous and creative... to go outside of my comfort zone.
#3 Don't Ask Leather Artisans to Copy a Luxury Handbag
Do not fool yourself. This is a surefire way to get disappointed. The materials that luxury bag designers will use are a lot different from a customized 5000 php bag. It will never behave in the same way in your head vs. what the actual outcome. It'll come out looking like the zombie-fied version of the luxury handbag. You might as well just get a counterfeit bag from tiangge, it would have been cheaper.
Instead, when customizing bags, have a feel of the type of leather to be used (very important!) and create a design that fits you. It's like getting a prom dress made -- you need to know the design AND the material. You can take elements that you like from luxury handbags but don't do an exact copy.
One example of customization that I like is Ni-Qua's Bespoke. They have set template designs which work well with the type of leather they use so it would always behave in the way you'd expect. You can choose colors and add brass/silver/gold hardware (where it makes sense). Check them out when they hold a pop-up store near you!
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