Radley handbags .. nice or chav?

[bodiddly]

They seem to be everywhere on the John Lewis website etc ... and on the gift link email they sent me. What is the current opinion?

bagpuss I wasn't referring to you when I was talking about the emotive subject just comments generally - didn't mean for things to kick off. Perhaps the term "chav" wasn't the correct one to pick - it just seemed easier than a long description! I was merely questioning whether people think they are going the same way that Burberry did .. in that whether they were previously a designer brand that have become highly exposed on the high street so that everyone has them ... a la Burberry a few years ago.

Oh I agree about accessories. And the dog in fact. But looking at the all those "must-have" bags in the Sunday supplements ATM, I have to say that sometimes imagination can go too far. Sometimes I wonder if the statement people are making with their 'statement bags' is "I have more money than sense"...

Bags don't have to be imaginative but they ought to be beautiful IMO - the imagination is in the total look ie in how you put the whole outfit and accessories together.

However, there have been a lot of very large, ugly, clumpy bags around in recent years - they make fat ugly women look more delicate in comparison.

Does anyone else know of someone that does nice laptop size leather bags? Not stupidly expensive?

Ah right I see . They are fairly common I think, especially in the ladies' at John Lewis .

I think there is a gap in the market then for beautiful practical work bags ... which don't cost the earth!

these are cheap but don't know how long-lasting they would be. The red one comes in black too and looks quite nice "in real life".

thank you ... I quite like the idea of a red one .. or something a little different, which is probably why I looked at the radley bags to begin with. I have no desire to have a man's briefcase lookylikey .. something with a bit of interest, even if it is the colour, would be nice.

My trust old Jane Shilton across-the-body handbag recently broke. I found that they don't make them anymore, and the nearest I was offered was a Radley one.

Only problem (apart from the fact that I have decided they are far too common nowadays), is that because I sit the strap on my left shoulder, it would have meant having a narrow seat-belt material strap across my front. For crying out loud, the bag cost £70+, surely a full leather strap wouldn't have been too much to ask?!

Surely, most right-handed people would want to wear their strap on their left shoulder, in order to have their bag at the rh side?

Can you tell I was disgruntled?

Anyway, happy ending is that I went to the market, found the exact bag I wanted, and paid £27. Bargain.

I think I went off Radley bags, when sby told me they liked my old bag, then turned their nose up when they realised it wasn't a Radley. Oh ffs, what sort of a world do we live in?

Ive just bought a beautiful handbag by Saddler from an online shop, really nice leather and far cheaper than Radley but looks just as good.
The website i bought it from was www.spiritunique.co.uk

interesting what you said MrsCellophaneWrappedGift about having an across the body bag for safety - I used to think that but was told by a policeman that you should never wear your bag across your body (not that I listened) as if someone really wants your bag the chances are they will have a weapon and will probaby get it anyway so you are better off just letting them take it. If you have it across the body they will probably hurt you trying to get it ... or take you along with it!

Oh shit!
I have 2 Radley handbags and 1 purse, from my pre-children life.
I didn't think they were chav?
I thought Burberry was chav?
Thought Radley stuff was quite tasteful and if anything, a bit 'granny'?

What about something like this from John Lewis? Not so expensive (but probably not leather)

They are for the sartorially insecure

hmmm not sure whether that is leather - I am not convinced that something that isn't leather would be strong enough on the handles/stitching to take the weight of all the rubbish that I cart around! thanks though!

Well, I have two Radley bags and I like them. I got a dark brown across-the-body one from DH last Christmas because I wanted a "hands-free" bag for when I was pushing DS in his buggy.

I went back to work in October and bought myself a more structured black Radley bag which I really love as it keeps everything in my bag nicely organised.

Maybe I'm sartorially insecure but frankly, I don't care.

And I hate cheap-looking, non-leather bags

My mum is obsessed with them, so I see them as a bit middle-aged rather than chav (hate that word though). I find the doggy aspect a bit twee as well.

currant bun, do you have the large or medium-sized across the body? I'm dithering on this issue

Are they very common now? I don't know anyone else with one and I bought a black one with yellow poppers recently.

How do you know they're Radley bags, they're all so different?

I have a dark brown messenger one and it's very practical and nice thankyouverymuch.

What, exactly, is chavvy about a plain brown bag?

I know lots of people with Radley bags and not one of them is anything remotely like a chav.

That's what I don't get, what is horrible about a plain bag? I've never noticed anyone else with one. It's not like Burberry where you can see what it is.

ahh, i feel awful now! i habe a collection of radley AND kipling bags. i love them, dont think they are chav, boring or for old ladies.
i wouldnt be without them
each to their own i suppose!

and another thing, i cant imagine anythid odder than a 'chav' with scraped back hair and big earrings', carrying a radley bag.
surely these people are tho ones who keep thier money in the zip pocket of their tracksuit?