The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Investment Bags on a Budget


[1] Stella McCartney for LeSportsac Hobo, $182.99 [2] Linea Pelle 'Dylan' Patchwork Tote, $297 [3] B. Makowsky 'Berlin' Tote, $134 [4] Anthropologie 'Station-to-Station' Bag, $99.95

Let's say you've saved up around $300 to spend on a classic, high-quality handbag. Now before you go out and buy a Coach, stop and consider the following: Do you really want the same purse that every mall rat in America is carrying? Or do you want something a little bit more original, a little bit more distinct and dare I say, more fashionable? If your answer is yes (and it better be!), then keep reading for some Coach alternatives, plus ways to score a so-called investment bag on the cheap:



  • Online sample sale websites: Ruelala.com, Hautelook, Ideeli.com, and Gilt.com are great places to score a premium handbag for less. Gilt.com (http://www.gilt.com/invite/budgetbabe), my fave site at the moment, has featured Gryson, Botkier, Lauren Merkin and other top handbag designers at drastically reduced prices. Just be sure to check out the sale the moment it starts as the most popular styles will often sell out within 15 minutes.



  • Off-price retailers: Overstock.com, Smartbargains.com, and Bluefly.com all offer designer handbags without the designer prices. Some designers to look for: Linea Pelle, Kooba, Hayden-Harnett or Foley + Corinna.



  • Specialty apparel retailers: Anthropologie.com carries many designer labels, they just don't advertise them as such on their website. Also, keep an eye on the handbag section at BananaRepublic.com and JCrew.com. They often have beautiful leather handbags at a fraction of the price you'd pay for a top designer name.



  • Department stores: Macy's (which has been hurting financially, but that's another story...) carries this brand called B. Makowsky which is surprisingly stylish. TJ Maxx and Marshall's carry this brand, too, and I often find myself reaching for them on the racks. They look expensive and are made from genuine leather. Also, I've been really happy with my Fossil cross-body bag, a brand carried at most department stores.



  • Outlet malls: If you must have Coach or Dooney & Bourke, at least buy yours at an outlet. Never pay full price, ladies!



  • If you don't like leather: Get a chic bag by LeSportsac, Kidrobot or Matt & Nat. OK, not exactly an "investment bag" but they boast a high "cool" factor, for a low(er) price.



  • Never buy fakes: You know I've got nothing against a Steve Madden bag that looks suspiciously similar to YSL, but the fake designer goods you see on the streets of NYC or shady websites (fake Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel) do contribute to bad stuff like human trafficking and child labor. Besides, if you're driving a '90 Honda Accord and carrying a Louis Vuitton, you will look like a damn fool. Get yourself a good looking bag that will make you look good, too (see above!). Soapbox, off.



What bag brands would you recommend as an alternative to Coach?



Comments
Thank you for bringing up the fact that fake items contribute to some of the worst crimes against humanity (like child labor and abuse)- Women who carry those bags need a reality check, not only do you look like a FOOL (because we ALL know damn well if you're on the bus in your baby phat jeans and discovery bag you sure as hell can't afford a real Chanel bag) but you are also contributing to a serious crime that is steadily growing. Stop being such a label skank to the point that your morals go down the tube!
Next time you buy a fake bag (or anything fake for that matter) please consider the men that are trafficked from Africa thinking they are going to be given an opportunity for a real life and job and then forced to work on the streets of Europe constantly running from the police to sell these cheap fakes on the streets to ignorant tourists (and locals)
or the children who's legs are broken because they will stay put longer to construct fake bags and not get the urge to run and play....

Style and fashion has to do with a personal statement, not just flashing your fake labels.
#1 peaches on 2009-01-13 11:37 (Reply)
Banana Republic has great handbags--and that's where I tend to look when shopping for a new purse. They range from $100 - $300, but oftentimes you can find them on sale. I just recently bought a gray 100% leather purse on sale for $59.99, regularly $160. It's pretty awesome and all the styles are really classic.
#2 taylor on 2009-01-13 11:46 (Reply)
great post. B. Makowsky is also offered on QVC-he is the wife of bag designer kathy van zeeland if I'm not mistaken.
#3 Real Style Real people (Homepage) on 2009-01-13 11:52 (Reply)
I really love Alexis Hudson (though not always on sale.) Her basic bags are structured, versatile, and even though I got mine wholesale for around $300 it was well worth it for the 3 years I've carried it around. Also check Nordstrom Rack- they have great deals on big designers (Kors, Cole Hahn, Spade) and occasional refurb shipments and rock bottom prices (case in point, my fave black patchwork Marc Jacobs for $60!!!) I also got my mom a B. Makowsky for her birthday this year- I think the quality and design is so much nicer than the van zeeland bags, and the leather is amazing- really really high end. Check Marshalls for these as well though- you can score a fantastic one for around $100, a savings of $150-200 off the QVC prices (and often in styles you won't get there as well.)
#4 Veronica (Homepage) on 2009-01-13 12:43 (Reply)
Great post! I hate how everyone and anyone just has a regular ol' Coach monogram purse - let's have a little originality people! If you can't afford the real deal, then don't bother faking b/c you look like a fool. There are tons of great looking and more economical brands out there, without the sinister beginnings.
#5 MizzJ (Homepage) on 2009-01-13 13:16 (Reply)
I love you to pieces.

My bizarro handbag secret? Sigrid Olsen. Yes, that dippy company that used to make sherbet-colored resort wear for aging broads. The company is kaputsky now, but many fine bags are available on eBay - and let me tell you, the designs are gorgeous, the materials TOPS, and the construction unbeatable. I've carried the same SO bag nearly every day for three years and it bears not a mark.
#6 Sal (Homepage) on 2009-01-13 14:59 (Reply)
Coach bag = Mall rat?

Brilliant! Yes, Coach is great and a lot of women really rock it but TOO many tween girls in Uggs and lululemons lug their coach bags all over the place. And you KNOW that their mom's bought it for them!

I'm currently loving Mat & Nat...kinda pricey considering it's "vegan" (and I'm not) but still I love my new pink bag from them, much like bag #4,

Otherwise I pick up real designer bags from Ebay...always cheaper and always authentic if you know who you are dealing with :-)
#7 Wanderlusting (Homepage) on 2009-01-13 15:06 (Reply)
None of these bags look like anything I would "invest" more than $20 on. When I think "investment", I think of a classic, timeless bag that I could wear with many different outfits in many situations, hopefully for many years. Most of these bags pictured have needless tags and zippers and other ugly fluff that could easily be ripped off or fall apart. I definitely would not spend anything close to this amount of money on anything that looks this hideous. The pink bag is cute, but comes across more as a trendy piece (especially the color) than a wear-with-everything investment bag.
#8 Laura on 2009-01-13 15:25 (Reply)
Laura, I agree with you totally! You sound like a very level-headed person. So where DO you recommend for bags??
#8.1 Patricia on 2009-03-10 16:22 (Reply)
all great bags and wonderful advice! gilt group works for me (check out today's post!)
#9 Cupcakes and Cashmere (Homepage) on 2009-01-13 17:15 (Reply)
why does everyone need a Coach bag?? (barf) --looks like something my grandmother would wear. Are they popular just because they are EXPENSIVE??!?!

I enjoy my Hype bag... you can often find them on Zappos.com and occasionally at TJ Maxx or Marshallsw.

Another brand I am currently lusting over is Junior Drake. Google it.

and there is nothing wrong with a BCBG bag from the outlets....
#10 Crista (Homepage) on 2009-01-13 17:58 (Reply)
ICK, Coach... never liked it, never will. Feels tacky to me... I never did really catch on to logomania. :s

I was digging around TJ Maxx the other day and found this adorable, simple bag by a Spanish label named Puntotres (here's a similar-looking one by the same brand: http://i6.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/cf/f6/5c30_2.JPG). I still think investing in a Chanel is the way to go - they last and they're a classic. The fact that they're on sale right now because of the economy is fabulous too. w
#11 Kelin on 2009-01-13 19:45 (Reply)
Most of my handbags are either vintage from thrift stores or embroidered/embellished ones from places I've visited around the world, but there are 2 brands I just adore, and would buy more of if I could afford to: Lucky Brand and Hobo International. LB has wonderful bohemian-style bags that are always eye-catching, and Hobo bags range from simple and classic to quirky/retro/feminine. Both brands use quality leathers or fabrics. You can find great deals on them everywhere, but they tend to be very popular. Even so, I think they're really worth the search!
#12 Anusha (Homepage) on 2009-01-13 23:35 (Reply)
I visit your site daily and I really do appreciate all you do, but I never comment. However, today is different. Maybe I am misreading it, but why is there such a hatred for Coach? My boyfriend just bought me a leather Sabrina for Christmas.It's my first purse that I actually didn't get from a thrift store or a Marshall's type place.He got it because I liked it, but would never splurge like that.

I am college professor and far from a teenager or a grandmother, but somehow I feel by reading the comments above that I should have given it back since I'm over 15 and under 60.

I love the bag and I like carrying it. Would I ever get a logo bag? No, because I think they are tacky, but there are other options other than the bags the "mall rats" are carrying. Again perhaps I am missing something between the lines or perhaps I am simply not as schooled on bags as others.

Either way, I love your blog and will continue to visit for your great advice!
#13 Athena on 2009-01-14 09:13 (Reply)
Coach makes beautiful bags, I think I can speak for most of us here with the "coach hatred" that we're specifically talking about the logo bags. And even that has nothing to do with the quality of the bags or the company itself, but strictly that brazen logo toting that is creating a generation with the wrong idea about what it means to be stylish. When we say "yuck coach bags" we really mean "yuck don't drench yourself in logos (especially if the bag is fake and you bought it in china town)

I looked it up online and think that the bag you received for christmas is absolutely beautiful, and you are one lucky lady! That is definitely a gorgeous investment bag and I think you should carry it with pride- that particular bag oozes class :-D
#13.1 Peaches on 2009-01-14 12:34 (Reply)
Hi Athena,

The leather Sabrina is a gorgeous bag, hands down. You should certainly carry that bag with pride. I think it's a classic style and speaks to your good taste. If I saw someone carrying your bag, that's what I would think. Here's the catch: I've never seen anyone carrying that bag, and that's part of what makes it special! As Peaches said, what I was referring to as the "mall rat" accessory were the bags covered in Cs--and I should have been more specific. However, Coach, the company, should heed our warnings about reigning in those tacky designs lest we stop purchasing their bags altogether. As I see it, those bags which say "Look, I'm carring a pricey Coach bag!" only serve to cheapen the brand as a whole. So props to you (and your generous boyfriend) for supporting the kind of Coach design and craftsmanship which made this great American brand so iconic and well respected in the first place.

Hope that clears up the issue somewhat...thanks for reading :-)
#13.2 The Budget Babe on 2009-01-14 13:08 (Reply)
I have bought my leather bags at outlet stores, marshalls (all designers for less than 250.00)and there is a online store yoogiscloset.com where they sell pre-used and new designer bags at affordable prices, I haven't bought anything form there yet but probably in the future I will.
#14 GiSel on 2009-01-15 03:34 (Reply)
I really adore the Makowski Berlin Tote! Sexy and treny looking at the same time :-)
#15 Vanessa Simmons (Homepage) on 2009-01-15 13:45 (Reply)
Ooh i very much second the gilt.com recommendation. I just got a gryson there for $250.

$200-$300 would give you a fair amount of choice in a bag. You could do regular retail or dig around in clearance for a designer piece on sale. Nordstrom Rack or off 5th (for Saks) might be good. Rack prices can be abotu 40-50% off their regular website clearance.

They're not all leather but right now Tumi is having their sale on discontinued colors - til the 31st I think with an extra 30% off the sale prices. They also have them in Tumi stores.

Second the vote on the Sigrid Olsen bags. A friend had one and while it was not to my taste it was nicely made.
#16 moth on 2009-01-15 18:16 (Reply)
Another great place to find discounted Tumi products is Campus Exclusive. They were advertising on my campus last week and the rep told me everything is 35% off if you use your ID # during checkout and everything is from their current collections. The site looks cool and has some addition coupon codes for other sites that I regularly shop on.
#16.1 Amanda Sanders (Homepage) on 2009-03-04 19:44 (Reply)
I really enjoyed this post! Great recs too, I love the Anthro bag and the B Makowski bag (too bad they're not showing up on the websites today). I personally enjoy Hayden Harnett and Marc by Marc Jacobs - usually under $300 when on sale, and beautiful leather. I also love bags from Urban Outfitters - their pleather bags are cheap and always stylish and unique.
#17 Trace (Homepage) on 2009-01-16 08:21 (Reply)
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