Closet Confessionals Vol. V: The 38-Year-Old Australian Researcher Who Buys Bags While Traveling

Tax refunds on international luxury shopping help this academic get the best bang for her handbag-buying buck

Anonymous

31 Comments

Aug 23, 2018

Tax refunds and lower local luxury pricing shape the way this Australian researcher shops for handbags, making travel an important part of her buying strategy. This week’s bag aficionado is an academic in Australia, and because prices in Australia are so high for luxury goods, relative to their price levels in other markets, she finds herself frequently shopping while on vacation. Below, you’ll find more about that money-saving tactic, why she doesn’t believe in brand loyalty, and why she hates shopping in Saint Laurent boutiques.

Rather than building a collection around a single house, she chooses bags based on design, durability, and versatility, with an eye toward pieces she can wear for years. To be considered for your own Closet Confessionals installment, all you have to do is fill out the form at the link below—don’t worry, we’ll keep you anonymous. What stands out most is how personal her relationship with handbags is.

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The Basics

Age: 38Gender Identity: FemaleLocation: Melbourne, AustraliaOccupation: ResearcherIndustry: AcademiaIncome: $250,000AUD (about $183,813USD for the household)

The Bags

Are you a PurseForum member? Yes

She sees them as useful companions for everyday life, but also as objects tied to memory, mood, and identity.

How much is your collection worth? $20,000

What is your most expensive bag? A first designer bag gifted by her husband remains her most meaningful piece, while other purchases reflect her preference for clean, lasting silhouettes with a little character. (I am scared of buying anything over $3,000!

Age: 38
Gender Identity: Female
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Occupation: Researcher
Industry: Academia
Income: $250,000AUD (about $183,813USD for the household) A six-year-old Louis Vuitton Palermo PM. It was my first designer bag, and gifted to me by my husband while we were on a holiday in France. How many bags do you own?

I don’t have a particular brand that I am “loyal” to, because I purchase based on how attracted I am to the design, the bag’s durability as well as versatility. For example, I love and own a City Bag, but I am not a fan of the rest of Balenciaga’s range (especially the current obsession with kittens and puppies). How much is your collection worth?

What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? What is your most expensive bag? For example, in my twenties, I carried a black and white Nicola Cerini (an Australian graphic designer who used to have a fabulous range of quirky and unique handbags), and that was IT. Also, I was working overseas and travelled and relocated frequently—there really was no room for many sentimental objects to lug around.

It’s either the Louis Vuitton Trevi PM, or the medium-sized YSL Niki. We decided to have a look and it was then and there that my partner declared, “You must have a French handbag since we are in France! " I was like, “Are you serious? What are the most important brands or pieces in your collection? " Luckily, the sales associate was very patient. A six-year-old Louis Vuitton Palermo PM. " But it was all very sweet, because the sales associate was so happy that I got my first Louis Vuitton bag.

The Shopping

How often do you buy new bags? It was my first designer bag, and it was gifted to me by my husband while we were on holiday in France. Also, as much as I would love more handbags, my closet doesn’t quite work like Hilbert’s Hotel. There is only a finite amount of space, and I do worry that we are entering into an age of not just disposable fashion, but disposable high fashion where the status is derived from quickly accumulating as many luxury items as possible. Even though I do not carry it very often now, it remains my favorite because of the memory attached to it.

I try to make it a rule that if I buy a handbag, I must also make a donation somewhere—an aid agency, domestic violence shelter, animal welfare group—it’s not about buying off guilt, but rather to remind myself that I have the privilege of getting all these nice things, and there is a responsibility to redistribute.

I do not feel loyal to any one brand. And no, I am not a Catholic, although my husband told me I’d make a perfect one.

Which stores do you frequent the most? I may love one bag from a house and feel completely indifferent to the rest of the line. Also, I tend to buy bags whilst overseas, especially in Europe because the price (after tax refund) works out better than in Australia.

However, I will say that of all the stores I’ve been to, and despite having two YSL bags, YSL is the store that I feel the most intimidated. For instance, I own a City bag and admire its look, but I am not drawn to everything Balenciaga produces. A terrifying experience, I tell you. I recently bought a YSL Niki because I like its retro character and can imagine it aging well.

Do you ever buy second-hand bags? Where do you buy used? What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? medication), hopes (whether a grant proposal or a mortgage application) and also mundane secrets (like that bottle of Horlicks that you’d never, never admit to drinking). So for me, handbags are very personal and private things.

In my twenties, I carried an Australian designer bag that suited my need for something easy and versatile.

Who influences your buying decisions? At that stage of my life, I was moving, traveling, and working overseas frequently, so owning many sentimental items did not make much sense. We have very different taste, but we do support/enable each other to buy new things.

She once complained that I only go for totes, or tote-shaped bags and that they are all black, black, and black. When I was around 32, my husband and I were in Lyon and wandered into a Louis Vuitton store.

Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? No, and it’s simply because I buy handbags during overseas holidays.

He encouraged me to buy my first French handbag while we were in France, which felt both amusing and incredibly sweet. Firstly, because I don’t have a brand loyalty. The sales associate was lovely, and I still remember how special that first purchase felt.

Why do you enjoy shopping, beyond just acquiring something new? Linda Grant in her essay, “To the Shops” (from the book, The Thoughtful Dresser), described it best. How often do you buy new bags?

“The point, for me, is to be in proximity to clothes. To see the things that are in the magazines. About two bags per year. To hold a navy coat up against my chest to see if the shade of blue drains me, or brings some warmth to the skin. We are academics, so extravagant spending does not really fit our reality.

In order words, it’s the joy of immersing yourself in handbag heaven. Unless it’s a YSL store with the scary teenagers.

The Money

If fashion is meant to be more sustainable, that should include handbags too. Or my partner would buy them as birthday gifts.

Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? I also like to balance purchases with giving back.

The Taboo Topics

Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? If I buy a handbag, I try to make a donation to a cause I care about, whether that is an aid agency, a domestic violence shelter, or an animal welfare organization. “This will be my second work bag and travel bag too! " I thought it couldn’t get better when the salesman showed me how it can be folded up (I think you know where this story is going).

For me, it is less about guilt and more about remembering that luxury comes with privilege and responsibility.

Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? Ha! My partner is a terrific (and dangerous) enabler and I actually don’t tell him what bags I’m interested in, because then he’ll ask, “Do you want my wallet?”

That depends entirely on which bag I am interested in at the time. I have done things like bringing packed lunch or make my own coffee.

I do not follow one brand exclusively, and I often buy while overseas, especially in Europe, where the overall value can be better than at home once tax refunds are taken into account.

Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? It becomes a problem if I buy things during stressful times. If I had to name the store that makes me most self-conscious, it would be YSL. Needless to say, it didn’t make me feel better, and now it’s sitting there in the closet to remind me of that terrible time I was going through.

The Rest Of It

Any other expensive hobbies or passions? The interiors are so spare and the associates can feel intimidatingly polished. ) and my husband and I do enjoy fine dining and cooking. It is a very particular kind of luxury environment, and I do not always feel relaxed in it. The Noma restaurant in Copenhagen is on our list for next year, and in October, we are planning to travel and eat through the south of Spain. It shall be a whole lot of cured meat, tapas and good Spanish wine. Do you ever buy second-hand bags?

On the non-spending side, humanitarian and social justice issues are very close to our heart, and we regularly volunteer and donate to various causes.

I really love these. Handbags feel private to me, and I associate them with very personal things—what I carry, what I worry about, and what I keep close. I could think about/discuss her answer on why she doesn’t buy used handbags for a long time!

For that reason, I have never been drawn to pre-owned bags.

You have a problem with people who care about social justice issues?

Love this story!! Wish my partner was as good of an enabler as she’s got

Do you sell old bags to pay for new purchases?

So far, I’ve found this CC to be the most relatable and interesting. Like the author, I don’t care to have a SA relationship because I admire many brands and do not want the pressure. A close friend who also loves handbags. As for what influences, I am avid magazine reader but not so much social media person but I am drawn to what I see on others. We have very different tastes, but we enjoy talking about what we buy and, in our own way, encouraging each other. And I like her hubbie!

Very interesting life she lives. She once teased me for favoring totes and tote-shaped bags in black, which I thought was very funny. Love how she loves bags but isn’t too crazy about them. It’s like she enjoys traveling and having great moments more than material things.

I am also noticing that her own style is becoming more tote-oriented, so perhaps we are influencing each other more than we realize. For example, a Givenchy Pandora Flap was bought during a very trying time and I wanted distraction. Because I usually buy while traveling, I do not have the kind of ongoing relationship with sales associates that some shoppers develop.

Shopping as self-soothing often has poor results for me too. I find that the “treat yoself” type purchases have better results, for some reason. In any case, I prefer to make my decisions based on my own needs rather than feeling obligated by familiarity.

I’m going to randomly feel the urge to say “poor flap” when something is sad, now. And no one else will understand. Why do you enjoy shopping, beyond just acquiring something new?

Cant stop laughing at this CC, she got me with the “unless its the YSL store with the scary teenagers” LOL, so true though!!!!

I like being around beautiful objects and seeing them in person.

I wish St Laurent would redesign the stores. They are SO cold and impersonal it puts me off the product. Shopping can be a way of learning, not just buying.

I find it interesting that she shared that reaction to YSL stores because I live in here in Honolulu, HI and I walk past the YSL store often when I’m at the mall and I too feel the stark, minimalist feel with the precocious teenagers and security guards. LOL I laughed so hard at this because I totally understand where she was coming from. When it is done well, it feels like a small immersion into craft and design.

You snagged a really cool partner. Who pays for your bags? I never managed to put The Thoughtful Dresser on my to read list, I have now. I’m really curious about these willowy YSL beings and whether they’d scare me. Mostly I do, though my partner sometimes gives me bags as birthday gifts.

Now that I think about it, of all the designer stores I’ve been to, YSL was indeed my least pleasant experience. The store itself is intimidating and doesn’t feel inviting at all. I usually charge the purchase and pay it off within a month or two.

This was so well written and just hilarious, and most importantly, really relatable! Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item?

I absolutely relate to her thoughts on buying pre owned bags!!! I love how eloquently she expressed my thoughts. Once, when I was younger and traveling through Istanbul, I bought a nylon tote that reminded me of a designer style I liked.

I love this series. At all income points, personality types, ETC!!!

I thought it would work perfectly as a work bag and travel bag, especially since it could be folded away.

Loved it!

The YSL shop in Rome is exactly the way you described it!

#richpeopleproblems

Beyond that, I have not bought counterfeits, though I do understand why some people do. I am 36 and can identify with YSL part and giving to charity for her reasons.

I miss seeing the bags from these Confessionals. My partner is an enthusiastic enabler, so I sometimes avoid telling him what I am looking at because he will immediately offer to pay for it.

Some people share bag photos and others don’t. Our biggest concern is a bag photo becoming easily traceable back to the person, and that can happen especially if they are a tPFer. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to afford a bag? If we can include bag photos, we will!

I have done practical things like bringing lunch from home and making coffee myself. But you never know, there may be some with photos included.

I really loved this one!

I am also aware of how easily collecting can become compulsive, especially if it mirrors old habits of hoarding. So relatable and funny.

I want to meet this lady. Love this series.

It can be, especially when I am under stress. I found myself engrossed in her story and definitely can relate to a lot of this. I have made purchases during difficult periods that were more about distraction than desire, and those bags now carry an emotional association I did not intend.

I love her idea of donating with every purchases. Also, many of her outlook is very interesting. That is a reminder to me that shopping does not fix what is actually bothering you.

She should be a novelist the way she described the YSL sales staff!! Ironically, here in Las Vegas where i live, the sales associates are the best – I could not have received better help and customer service!! : )

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