I have £2k for a beautiful bag - which one, though?

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I am fortunate enough to have been given £2k by a very dear relative and instructed to treat myself to a new handbag.

This will be a treasured item (because of the person I will always associate with it) and a massive, unprecedented splurge.

So . . . what do I get? I want beautiful quality rather than the usual brand names . . . and not a work bag, as I work from home. A small crossbody, probably. Any suggestions? Thank you!

If I had money to spend on a beautiful new bag I’d look at Loewe and Bottega Vennata. Enjoy finding your new bag!

I'd also look at Loewe.

Like this

https://www.loewe.com/eur/en/women/bags/mini-bags/mini-puzzle-edge-bag-in-soft-grained-calfskin/A510P88X60-3170.html

Instructed ? Really
I have a mulberry, but there’s no way I’d spend Two grand on a handbag in this financial climate

Absolutely Bottega or Loewe. I have two Bottega bags and they are beautiful. I only have a Loewe belt but depending on your style they also do some lovely bags. Fantastic quality & craftsmanship. Far superior to the likes of Gucci/YSL

There is also Fendi which you could look at.

I would love a Dior book tote bag but I'm not sure 2k would cover that. My biggest splurge has been a Mulberry Bayswater and that's gorgeous quality. It gets better the more I use it.

This is exactly what I would buy too - maybe a different colour, but i love this!

Oooooo that mini Puzzle is very cute!

I’m wondering if pre-loved is the way to go . . . let someone else take the initial depreciation hit?

Yes, it’s a gift, @bumblecoach- you may be familiar with the concept.

Sounds like I need to do some research on Bottega and Loewe - thank you!

One of my Bottega bags was pre-loved. The other was bought in a Flannels relocation sale (30% off).

I will say though that the customer service/experience at Loewe in London was fantastic. I was only exchanging a belt bought on their website for a different size & was treated so nicely, offered drinks, mini bottle of bubbly etc.

I got a preloved bag from the mulberry site. A Mila Hobo. It’s lovely. There were lots of photos and details about the bag. And I felt confident about it. There’s also great bags on the Handbag Cliic website.

If you buy a bag from a store with a loyalty programme you’ll get money (well in the form of a gift certificate) back, so I’d recommend researching which has the best scheme. I like Liberty & the staff there are lovely.

I use this website & have also visited three of their shops in person to purchase items.

uk.designerexchange.com/product-list?sortBy=price_desc&sellPrice=%3A2500&superCatId=2&Designer=Bottega%20Veneta%2CLoewe

What a waste of two grand. 😭

In your opinion maybe. But my bags (though they were more around the £1k mark) bring me a lot of joy.

What a waste of a post.

Took longer than I expected

It would make a lot of sense to go pre-loved and you may even be able to get two in differing styles.

I think half the joy is in looking for the right one/s.

I was mentally playing the bingo card. Congratulations- you're quick off the mark.

I was going to say maybe going down the preloved route would allow for a bag and also a belt.

I would also consider pre-loved - I am ridiculously careful with my bags, but the time you spot a scratch or scuff you made is always heartbreaking. At least with a worn in patina etc, the agony won’t be as great!

For most of my life I’d have thought the same. There was so much more I could do with that kind of money.

but I kept my thoughts to myself & now I do have money to spare I feel no guilt.

OP, enjoy the journey of finding your first luxury bag.

Okay, I admit I'm firmly in the "What's wrong with Radley?" camp, so feel free to ignore me.

But in your position, I'd go to some posh London store (make a weekend of it?), and look at bags in the flesh. Is the leather gorgeously strokeable? Does that colour look exactly what you want in real life? Will it fit your life in the various pockets?

Is there such a thing as a personal shopper for handbags?

What a lovely quandary OP.

My one piece of advice would be to steer clear of any bags that have noticeable logos. I see so many people wearing "branded" bags that are obviously fakes.

Go classy and subtle. And love it!

But it must be spent on a bag? I've no problem with spending £2,000 on clothing and have items I've spent that much on. I've no problem with other people spending £2,000 on a bag, if that's their bag (pun intended) but personally £2,000 bag would be a waste as there's so many other things I'd prefer.

Does she think you'd waste it on a new washing machine and tumble drier if you had a free hand?