Who is buying the really expensive handbags and £600 trainers??

[Newmeagain]

I really like clothes and have always splurged on the occasional “investment” item - e.g. nice boots, a jacket from ME&EM that I loved, etc.

But even though I am on a high salary I can’t imagine spending £2000 on a handbag or £600 on fashion trainers that will only last a few months.

I work with lots of women in a professional environment, all earning between £150k/£200k - many don’t have children - and I don’t see any designer items. Mostly mix of standard high street brands plus a bit of Sezane and similar.

So - if you are spending £££, are you earning over £500k or have a partner who does?

@Wonderingaboutthingand @use92438567- I think the problem is many MNers mix up being rich and being upper class - they are not the same thing. Particularly common in my childhood was upper class people with minor titles, big inherited country piles and no income. They “didn’t care about dirt” or “cars” or “designer clothes” because they had no money to buy things / pay for the number of staff a house they size required. However they are dying out (literally), the upper classes who’ve managed to keep a decent income are the only ones still in the big houses and not sold them to be turned into luxury flats or a country house hotel and wedding venue.

No idea who is buying stuff at that price, many of my friends are now in high income households and I don’t know anyone who buys those kind of brands! The most I spend is up to £100 on trainers, up to £200 on boots, and my most expensive handbag was £85. Household income £150k. I’ve nothing against women who choose to spend significant amounts of their money on clothes just have yet to meet any!!

As I have got older I do like a good designer handbag, one a year or every 18 months.
The rest of my wardrobe is high street clothing but I did spot a blouse on Sezane that I like the look of but not sure of the sizing and returns policy.
I also find that you can’t outgrow handbags but you can clothes!

My parents had a local friend who were the archetypal "capital but no cash" couple. They were great, and knew loads of frugal tips to keep up appearances... neither shopped for clothes or bags or shoes, they just mended things and kept 3 good outfits - suitable for a funeral, shooting party, and a wedding/Christening, and one "serviceable" outfit for the supermarket/ the GP/ having friends round. Other clothes were what hadnt fallen apart yet. They didn't have the money for meals out, or theatre etc

Lots of design houses have their profitable shops in Dubai, China, New York etc, but need to have an outlet in Paris/London/Milan for their branding.

I'm reading this thinking I would never spend that much on a handbag! 😯

But then realise I spend over £2k a year on my PT and have been going for 3 years. I could have a very nice bag for £6k (if that was my thing!)

@Isabelle70 Returns are free and really easy with Sézane.

I have about 15 designer handbags. I’ve built up my small collection over about 20 years and I don’t see myself buying many more. I have pretty much one for every occasion and most get a decent amount of use. I’m not so much into shoes, I have one Gina pair that were over £500 that I wear to weddings. I’ve always worked full time even with young kids and if I want to buy something pricey I’ll put £100 aside per month and eventually buy it. I earn probably slightly above average wage and DH bought me one of my handbags for a special occasion. The rest I paid for myself.

I’m in the £50-60k income band and single so no other household income
My maximum budget for shoes or bags would be £500-700 as a special treat for myself, as I’m comfortable with buying from designer outlets or even second hand I aim to get a lot more for my budget
I splurge more on antique jewellery and have good relationships with a few dealers who will hold a piece whilst I save up for it and give me a good discount
Often trade in items and have never made a loss yet

🤣 I need to see these orthopedic boots lol!

I wouldn’t buy expensive trainers as I am not really into shoes, I like Adidas and Fitflops and so occasionally buy a new pair but generally wear the same pairs over and over until either my dd’s steal them or they wear out.
i do really love bags though and probably buy about four a year, usually around £300-£500, I like Aspinal, Mulberry and Marc Jacobs. I have some over £1000 which my husband has bought for me for special occasions or if he has a bonus. My work bag and my everyday casual handbag are longchamp which are around £100. I take very good care of them all though and so keep them for years, I am also not precious about them and let my DDs borrow them and my best friend is always welcome to use my bag shelf as a library and can borrow them if she likes them.
I earn average pay but my husband is an extremely hard worker and good earner and very generous, especially with presents so I am very lucky.
I also spend a small fortune on skincare and make up but let’s not go there.

I have two Mulberry, a Max Mara, a Tod's, a Bottega Veneta (second hand) and an LV tote. I've bought them over about 10 years and I'm surprised with how many I have when I list them like that because there was a time I never thought I'd afford even a Mulberry. I earn well and don't spend on bigger luxuries like holidays, drive a very old car, don't drink or go out much (exciting, I know). I like to dress well and that's my main luxury.

I don’t like the boots at all.. clicked the link just for a nosey. My friends daughter who is 14 has these - OMG didn’t realise the price she wears them all the time now I know why . I buy expensive bags yes, albeit max 6k before not all the time but buy 2-3 bags a year 2-3k. I love clothes and standard wardrobe is me and em and some high street stores. I buy Zara bags too just buy what I like not because of the brand. I love Max Mara and Zimmerman but wouldn’t buy Willy nilly. I just love shopping 🤣🤣

I buy a nice bag every couple of years. Used to be every year before I had school fees to think about. Recently bought a Balenciaga for around £2.5k.

My 16yo DD just bought a pair of Isabel Marant Bobby’s for £500 with her own money she’d saved from babysitting.

I have 2 mulberry, 2 Chloe, 1 Celine, 1 Prada, 1 Balenciaga, 1 LV, 1 Fendi, 1 Stella McCartney, 2 Dior and then I’ve got 1 mulberry and 2 Chanel, both gifts, Chanel are vintage. 1 Dior and 1 Chloe are second hand. I don’t like logos or too much metalware. I also have a couple of fakes. I did buy some of these bags on sale, not a huge discount though. I’m actually embarrassed now how much I’ve spent/wasted but I do like most of it, I am an impulse buyer on the whole though.

My auntie has way more than me, at least 30 but she sold some.

I find that expensive bags tend to be made of lambskin or calfskin and that's enough to put me off buying one, so I stick to my second hand Falabellla

I don't mind paying for quality but paying for marketing is a pet peave of him.

I have a few designer handbags but two were gifts, one was first big promotion, and another as a treat to myself after a big break up. Haven't bought any in years and only 2 of the 4 can be considered timeless.

Really don't see the attraction with LV at all - logo, print, quality - no redeeming features.

First time in forever I have spare money to buy something "nice" for myself

Last time I bought anything "designer" was early 80's when I bought a Burberry

Now I have the money - there is nothing I want/lust over

I live rural, dont follow influencers, dont have the big shops anywhere near, so never see what Im supposedly missing out on

I bought lots of expensive handbags about 10 years ago. I have 6 chanel bags. The most expensive were about 3.5k each then. They sell some of those for 9k + now. I wouldn't buy anymore now. It was ridiculous then, more so now. We were also child free with no mortgage at the time. I don't care if anyone thinks they are fake. Hopefully not worth robbing me then.

In recent years DH has bought me VCA jewellery. Think I'm done with that now too. I basically have my fill then move on. Clothes r mainly boden, wyse london, me and em. So no chloe, gucci or LV clothes. I also do not buy designer shoes, never have. Shoes get filthy so defo not paying hundreds plus comfort reigns. We have no debts, in our 40s and neither have had credit cards and earn much much less than 500k/yr. So basically shifting priorities (DC and house) put paid to buying expensive stuff. With age also realise that more 'stuff' is really not required.

I have 3 bags and… a lot of shoes. Maybe 10? Mainly Louboutin and Celine shoes. I work in the industry though so don’t pay full price. Majority of sales do go to either a small number of customers spending 10s of thousands a year OR the occasional splurge. When I was 23, I told myself when I had a real job, I would buy myself a Mulberry bag. I am over 40, earned £200k last year and literally work in fashion but still could not bring myself to buy one outside of employee purchasing 🤷‍♀️.

I buy designer bags and shoes fairly regularly, both new and vintage. Mortgage/other debt free with a household income considerably higher than the one you've listed. Fairly normal in my social circle with is very much not the MN demographic.

Me, I do.

My shopping style used to be 'little cheaper bits and often', Karen Millen, Ralph Lauren etc - I was young and also, as a young person you are building out your adult wardrobe, so you actually do need some quantity as well.

I have absolutely everything I need now, I do not 'need' any items, ever. I also operate very much on a capsule principle, e.g. I only have 3x handbags, 3x outerwear, 1x jeans etc. Most of my things are 10-20 years old.

Therefore I only buy something when I fall in love head over heels.

It's very much like choosing a DH, you circle around the item since it comes out on the catwalk, weigh up if you really need it, lust over it with the most handsome Italian man in the world who works at Chanel and gets paid to play dress-up with you and gushes over how amazing you look in said item... 😂

And you buy it.

I usually buy something once every 6 months if that. Last purchase was August.

My everyday handbag is 5K, everyday coat close to 10K, scarf 1K etc. No logos or very small logos, you only know what they are if you work for high-end brands. Loro Piana, Alaia, Prada mostly, also bespoke niche labels that make the item made-to-measure on-order.

Would never spend 600 on trainers though! My trainers are 20 years old and/or from a sample sale.

If I am after a 'basic' item where there's no lusting and gushing involved, it's very much a one in, one out system, i.e. I sell bits I no longer use and need to make room, and buy said item second hand. I don't generally buy anything new off the shelf unless it's an amazing swoonworthy designer item. Or socks!

In terms of finances, I don't earn a lot as such but I am quite comfortable due to how much I used to earn. Don't really have any major outgoings or commitments, and I am very interested in fashion, art and couture, so don't really want to buy anything that doesn't massively excite me. Very few items excite me, but when they do, I do spend.

Currently lusting over Anderson's Dior and a couple of by-appointment goat-to-garment brands based in Paris.

Same! But I do splurge on comfort and things I like which are quality, I don't like visible brands

I buy designer handbags, I don't earn six figures but we don't have kids so have relatively large disposable incomes

There are a couple of Tik Tok accounts, where they brand themselves as being into ‘luxury’ where they seem to buy designer bag after designer bag. I don’t get why someone would need multiple Birkins, plus a few Chanel and LV bags too.

A close friend of mine collects such bags. She isn't wealthy by any means. I would personally say she couldn't afford it but it's her money. I think it makes her feel special and important. She gave me a flashy expensive bag for a bridesmaid present (not thousands expensive like hers but several hundred) and I just couldn't use it because flashy stuff like that makes me feel like a twat.