Are you ready to ditch that old bag? I know I am.
With summer in full swing, I am in the market to pick up a new purse. I am looking for some bright colors that will add a little pop to my wardrobe. I like practical purses that offer durability for everyday use, but they must also offer a little sum-something that is trendy. So I started doing a little research as to what I really need when it comes to buying a good quality purse. I visited some of my favorite places such as TJ Maxx & Nordstroms and came up with a few suggestions for you too.
1) Consider what size is best for your needs. Do you carry a lot of makeup or a hair brush? Only look for a purse that is going to hold all that you carry now, unless you plan on weeding out a few items. You can also find a cute evening bag that will carry just the essentials.
2) Decide if you need a long handle or a short handle. Sometimes you get lucky and you will find that perfect bag that has a short handle tucked inside the bag with a long handle on the outside that comes off when you want a different look.
3) Do the mirror check when you are out shopping. Put the purse on your shoulder and see how it looks …if you like it, hold onto it while you finish comparing with all the other ones and then pick the one you like the best.
4) After you have a couple of purses picked out, ask the store clerk for her opinion. If they are a good sales clerk, they will have a keen eye for what looks right.
Things to look for:
Material: A good quality purse is going to have nice material and feel nice in your hands. Depending on the cost of the bag, you might end up with either synthetic or leather, however sometimes this is okay as long as the material is not thin and has some weight to it. A good leather bag should not smell like plastic, it will have that nice leather strong smell and you should be able to tell if your handbag is made from poor quality leather when it gets wet – dark patches, a change in color, & smears indicate that it isn’t made from the best leathers.
Stitching: This is probably one of the most important parts on a purse. The stitching holds it all together, so make sure to check for loose threads, uneven stitches, and pay special attention to trims and handles. Pay particular attention to where the four handle points meet the bag.
Lining: Check the lining inside to make sure it is stitched well and make sure the material is of good quality and that it fits the inside of the bag properly.
Fittings: Check any links, rings, or metal hoops to make sure they are secure and stay away from any cheap plastic or tin type of material. Basically try to find quality fittings that have some weight to them.
Check zippers too…if your handbag is going to be zipped & unzipped quite regularly, a good zipper is a must.
Does the purse have those little feet? A quality handbag will come with the four little metal studs on the underside. This is to protect the bottom of the bag when you put it down.
Ta Da!
I found this color block style purse online via a site called Gilded Lily. It retails at $43
Although it is not real leather, it is in a great price range (remember, I am practical) and a eye-catching color. It is big enough to hold all my items and has the two handle straps for when I want to hang it over the shoulder or simply carry in hands. The little id tag hanging off the side gives it a little flair. This bag comes in four different colors….red, green, black and yellow. The red looks orange to me in the photo, and the green looks more blue to me. (ID-Tosca B 2000)
So there you have it, a few things to keep in mind the next time you get ready to go out shopping for a new purse.
If $$ didn’t come into play, I would choose the Red bag in the polyvore set by Jimmy Choo. Which one is your style?
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