How much money will you spend on handbags and shoes?

Citygirl1

This is a difficult one. At one time I would never touch a leather handbag because of the cost, until a friend talked me into buying one in the sales and now I can't get used to non-leather bags. Having said that I will only pay up to £40 for one as I don't think the Radley bags and such are worth such the huge price they are sold for.

I used to always buy cheap shoes as I wear them down quickly anyway but last year I went onto Clarks but then I found I was only buying one or two pairs of shoes for each season as they were so expensive and I got sick of wearing the same ones so now I've gone back to the cheaper, mid priced ones and have a few pairs. Whereas, with bags this isn't so much of an issue as I only use one bag for daytime and a smaller one for evenings, I don't chop and change so I suppose I can afford to spend a bit more on a sturdier one, especially for the daytime as they get more wear. My evening bag is a £3 patchwork leather one from the market and I really love it.

I like M&S bags, currently have a leather scoop one thats still going strong after three years. I do fancy an across the body one but don't know if I could take to it or not. My evening bag is like that but its more practical for evenings. They have a decent sized one in M&S for only £20 and its leather.

glowgirl_2

I'm a bag lady:oI buy quality and keep them years but I do usually go for classic style with a bit of fashion added however I personally find Radley frumpy and prefer a more relaxed look and I love a designer label, the feel good factor with a bag you love is priceless and it can make a cheap dress etc look much better, the same goes for shoes, although not so much a passion as bags, I do like quality shoes but not necessarily designer, try shopping in outlet shops and charity shops and boot sales for amazing bargains especially on the bags, you would be surprised how many people don't know their labels and let stuff go for pennies (well a few pounds;)) I just picked up a Fendi make up bag (a real one) in a market for £1.50:rotfl:I was so shocked when the woman said the price I said to her Are you sure?:o

Oh, and M&S bags atm are really nice and around the same price is River Island and the oultlet shop on ASOS can throw up some bargains depending on how much you want to spend, also if you have any exchange shops in your area, they can be good:)

Hermia

I tend to buy good quality shoes because I have dodgy feet and find that cheap shoes cripple me. I don't buy designer shoes, just well-made shoes made with good quality leather.

When it comes to bags I don't buy cheap fake leather things 'cause they look tatty very quickly. But, I don't buy designer bags either. I have a posh department store near me. Some of the designer bags are beautiful, but some are stupidly overpriced. I have seen bags that are made with not-that-great fabrics and the construction isn't brilliant either. I am lucky in that I have a fantastic arts centre near me and some of the artists make bags. One of them makes the most beautiful bags out of the softest leather. What's great is that when they age they look even better.

elamozzarella

My feet are a five-and-a-half so most of my shoes are from M&S or Clarks as they need to fit properly. I also have very slim ankles and backs of feet and I don't want my shoes slipping. Clarks' sales can be good, depends where you go, but to be honest I find the cost worth paying. I like leather for my shoes but I'm not terribly picky about that. If I am paying Clarks prices it must be leather, but I'm currently wearing some faux-leather boots (bought last October, worn almost every single day til April with tons of wear left in them) which were £35.

Bag-wise, I have a couple of leather ones but I'm really into vintage. I love leather, but love having lots of options more so have all sorts. I think Accessorize bags are overrated and my last River Island one looked awful quite quickly. Designers at Debenhams seem to be okay, but I'm a charity shop girl at heart.

Citygirl1

Hi thanks for your replies. I find my patchwork leather bag does look a bit tatty even though its new so I will stick to my leather.

Do you wear shoulder bags or across the body bags?

Hermia

Citygirl1 wrote: »

Do you wear shoulder bags or across the body bags?

I use shoulder bags for work because across the body bags crumple my work clothes. I do have a problem with shoulder bags 'cause I have very narrow shoulders and they always fall off. If I am going shopping I use an across the body bag as I find carrying 6 bags of supermarket shopping a pain if my shoulder bag keeps falling off. I do have a couple of rucksacks too as I like going on long walks.

littlemisslogical

I've had problems with recent pairs of shoes that I have brought from Clarks - I took one pair back and the sales assistant told me that the shoes weren't designed for walking in! I only wear them around school, I have hiking boots for outdoor adventures! I'm on my feet all do so I am prepared to pay for comfort - my current favourites are 'hotter', more expensive but they've recently had a 3 for 2 offer - I can wear the shoes all day and students think they are 'really cool'.

Bags - I'm less fussy but I buy what I like rather than a brand.

sofababe

littlemisslogical wrote: »

I've had problems with recent pairs of shoes that I have brought from Clarks - I took one pair back and the sales assistant told me that the shoes weren't designed for walking in!

Hmmmm.......:rotfl: So what do Clark's recommend we do with their shoes???

I have shoes that I call "sitting down shoes" ie.ones u really couldn't be walking about in all night. When I'm being driven to and from an event then the sitting down shoes come out!!!

Amanita_2

I have hard to fit feet ( very narrow and a high instep) and with shoes I find I get what I pay for. I've just thrown away a pair of loafers I've had for 20 years. They were more than I could really afford when I bought them but for value for money they were unbeatable. I've just bought another pair in the hope that they will do as well. Cheap shoes just don't fit me well and I'm miserable if my feet hurt.

As for handbags I'm embarrassed to confess to how much I've spent on some of them. I do have some Radleys but they seem to go shabby looking very quickly and most of the styles are too "old ladyish" for me so I doubt I'll buy any more - I just don't think they are worth the money. My Mulberry handbags though just get better looking with wear.

I like the across the body type for shopping but for work I'll use a shoulder bag.

POSSETTE

I hate buying shoes!! i would go barefoot everywhere given chance..i have 2 pair low heels,1 comfy paver shoe,steel toe caps for work and trainers for dog walks..oh and a pair of wellies! thats it...honestly! Yes i am female!..bags i buy cheaply from Peacocks,and they last me about 18months of everyday use,i have 2 small clutch bags which were free from Freemans catalogue, for going out with.
So in answer to question..£24 is most paid for shoes...£9 for a bag!

gunsandbanjos

Can i recommend TK Maxx for bags if you have one near you. They are brilliant and i have had some great bargains. I got a lovely Ri2k bag from there recently plus a few others over the years.

Got a nice italian leather one for my birthday about 3 years ago from TK Maxx and it still looks as good as new.