People with 17yo daughters- an expensive bag

[WildFigs]

My mum wants to buy DD a bag for Christmas and has suggested this one https://www.johnlewis.com/coach-bandit-leather-cross-body-bag/black/p110804303

I think it looks lovely but I'm in my 40s 😂 Would love some views as it's obviously a very expensive gift and more than I would spend on a bag for myself- mum always includes receipts so not a disaster if it's not right but it would be good if she at least had a chance of getting it right. Thank you!

I’ve seen a few teenage girls with LV small bags as well as Marc Jacob’s snapshots.

But I’d ask the daughter what she’d like rather than buy it for her. She may want to add other cc extra Christmas money to the bag fund and get something else.

some absolute snobs on here. michael kor bags are gorgeous. its about personal preference

I’m told the teenage girls near us all like Longchamp- in case that helps

Hey OP,

Coach is super popular but I feel the bag you have chosen is a bit 'mummy' for lack of a better word. I would say a Tabby is a great option especially the puffy one but understand it is above budget. Have a look at Coachtopia, very cool, much more age appropriate and not as expensive as far as I am aware.

Otherwise the Marc Jacobs The Tote Bag seems to be quite in, or maybe a Telfar bag. If she would like something more sophisticated check out Polene.

How about Zadig and Voltaire? Super popular where I live in central Europe for older teenagers.

www.selfridges.com/GB/en/cat/zadig-voltaire/bags/

Maybe an older demographic, but my girls and the young ones at work all carry round their stuff in Longchamp totes of various hues. They seem indestructible. Very much a functional rather than a ‘dressy’ choice though.

Does your daughter use a handbag? Dd17 and most of her friends don't use bags for anything other than college. It's all in the pocket otherwise!

My young niece ( 21 ) has Michael Kors

Sorry I disagree, this statement would have been accurate 5 years ago. However, Coach is very popular now x

So much down to personal choice! Most of the bags suggested dd4 (20) wouldn't like because they are just not her. (She does have expensive bags, just doesn't go for obvious labels.) Gold chains would be a big no, and the MJ tote is considered v uncool by many round here as it's too branded. Too many knock offs too. Each to their own. Such a hard present to buy - lovely your mum wants to buy her something like this but def needs your dd's input.

Longchamps good here too - uni day bag is a pliage. Dd has dug out a leather Longchamps bag of mine from about 1996 and it's apparently the best thing ever! Might wrap it up and give it to her for Christmas 😂

You’ve got a million replies and don’t need mine but - purely diplomatically - could grandma present three options (without pricing) and say I’d like to get one of three and let your daughter make final pick?

That’s a hell of a lot of money for a bag for a teenager. They lose stuff. And there’s a risk of her being robbed with all her stuff inside. My lads would never carry anything worth that much out with them.

If your mum’s spending that much it needs to surely last for years and be used for special occasions. The trouble with letting teenagers choose themselves is that, as well as it no longer being a surprise (which IMHO is the best thing about gifts), teenagers can go for stuff that’s highly fashionable at that moment, which they then hate in a couple of years, so their choices often don’t stand the test of time.

It looks classic but a bit boring to me. But good for interviews and other formal occasions. And likely to stand the test of time. I’d suggest your mum goes for it and provides a gift receipt.

You can see from the above replies that what is ‘in’ or ‘out’ varies both across age groups and geographically. Not to mention individual bias. She is very likely to have a specific bag in mind, so you need to find out what that is. Otherwise this might be an expensive mistake.

DD (nearly 17) is very into Juicy Couture bags at the moment, but always limited edition ones that seem to go out of stock quiickly. Hope I've not replied too late OP.

Yes, coach is definitely in with younger group. Especially the 2000s style bags and the charms

I agree with you, both my sister 20, and my 16 year old dd have coach bags, sister has the Tabby in white and dd has this:

https://uk.coach.com/products/nolita-19-in-signature-canvas/CW426.html?frp=CW426+IMXAQ&fromSearch=nolita

I’m 30 so abit older than these 17 year olds but I scroll on tiktok a lot and see these bags a lot on younger girls in fashion videos and I really like that bag too!
But it really is personal preference and if it’s not shouting out to you that your daughter would love it I would take that as a sing and perhaps ask her ‘if you could have a designed statement bag up to the value of x amount what would you have ?’ And see if she can pick a few options so she can still be surprised

I love this bag, but ive read on some handbag forums that the Bandit's leather tends to scratch easily. Coach is fabulous for young women now, so perhaps another style or another type of leather if its to be used as an everyday bag.....

I’m a teacher in an independent school and all the girls have Longchamp Pliage tote bags in black with tan handles. They don’t really do tiny bags.
www.longchamp.com/gb/en/le-pliage/005/le-pliage-by-type/005fon/le-pliage/005fon001og/

I have a teen DD who would never carry a handbag and a teen niece who loves her Longchamp. There are two very different camps at my local school - the indie kids who have more rock chick type bags/backpacks/canvas totes and the Longchamp girls.

The only person I know who has a Radley is someone at work who dresses like Princess Anne.

Dd is 18 and I would say coach as a brand is good for that age but dd and her friends seem
to wear the bags that have a shorter strap and sit below the shoulder. Kind of in the armpit if that makes sense. Dd has coach, Kate spade and urban outfitters.

I always find the ones made by Radley are reasonably priced and durable.

Goyard is a whole different ballpark - around £2k!

oh!! Then I am assuming a lot of the teenagers by me have found an excellent option for dupes, as they all seem to have it!