Designer Purchases: How I Decide To Purchase & What I Keep In Mind

I don’t do a lot of designer purchases, but when I do, there’s always a good reason (and a huge thought process) behind it. No, I don’t think designer pieces make you fashionable. At all. That’s pretty much another topic for another day. BUT ANYWAY…I originally posted this in 2018, so please appreciate these photo edits (#SEOproblems, ya know?).

Now that we’re in 2023, do I still love designer purchases? I SURE DO.

Today’s post isn’t to talk you into buying designer purchases, because I know that’s not feasible. Over the years, I’ve definitely come to appreciate designer purchases. They’re very sentimental to me. For example, my dad bought me my very first designer bag: A Gucci logo hobo. I was WAY too young to have a designer bag, but since my older sister was getting one, he bought me one too. (I know, I was TOO lucky.) It’s not every day that I get to purchase a designer piece, and all of the pieces I’ve purchased have really great stories or memories associated with them.

There are definitely a few things I keep in mind before making that splurge purchase.

Think about the designer purchase

One of my biggest rules I have when it comes to making a designer purchase is that I HAVE to think about the purchase. 95% of my purchases are impulse buys, but not my designer pieces. Let’s take my Celine belt bag, as an example. I’ve had my eye on this bag since 2014. There was just no way I could justify that purchase as a recent college graduate. So I just kept tabs on it. Fast-forward to 2018, and I still had my eyes on that bag. This really meant that when I was ready to make a purchase, this would be the bag I wanted.

When it came time to purchase it, I really went back and forth. Sure, it’s easy for people to just swipe their card and not think about designer purchases, but that’s not the case for me. I went back and forth on purchasing a used handbag from sites like this one or just purchasing it brand new. The money I spent on that bag technically could have went to my student loans, but I justified it in another way. I’ve been blogging for quite a long time, almost 11 years. In 2017, I landed one of my highest paying campaigns. I wanted to remember the feeling of accomplishment, success, and my hard work. So I purchased a brand new Celine belt bag, four years after first laying eyes on it.

She’s still in my closet today.

Trendy vs classic

When I think of designer purchases, I think of timeless, classic pieces. Pieces that I’ll want around FOREVER. I think most of my more expensive and designer pieces are things that I’ve been wearing for years. When it comes to “trendy” pieces, like my Gucci fur mules, I have to justify the purchase. No ifs, ands, or buts. Much like my Celine bag, I’ve been wanting the Gucci fur mules since I was a junior in college. I remember seeing them on Lauren Elizabeth, and was dying over them. Again, couldn’t justify nor afford the purchase.

I received a pair of red Gucci mules for my birthday, I knew I would love them forever. They were so comfortable, and I knew I wanted to add more to my closet. I kept telling myself I would buy the leather fur mules. But I put the purchase off because something was off. I saw someone wearing the velvet mules and knew those were the ones I should get. Of course, this style is NOT for everyone, and yes, they’re quite trendy. But to me, I’ve worn these a SIGNIFICANT amount of times. Honestly, they might be one of the best purchases I’ve ever made in my life. To say this was a good designer investment is an understatement.

Again, I still own all three pairs to this day in 2023.

Second Hand Love

I used to be TERRIFIED of eBay. But then Krista assured her readers that eBay could be a gal’s best friend (she’s written a lot of posts about eBay, but this one is my favorite). I almost ALWAYS look on eBay, The Real Real, Fashionphile, etc. for designer purchases. I got a great pair of Chanel flats (just needed to get re-soled), and purchased like-new black Gucci mules! I purchased my first Chanel bag on Fashionphile. The first step to second hand purchasing is to ALWAYS do your research, and definitely pay attention to the return policy.

Find the next best thing

When I don’t have the money for designer purchases, or am torn about making the purchase, I ALWAYS look for a good dupe. No, not like a Chinatown dupe. Just an “inspired by” dupe. I’m not afraid to say I’ve purchased designer dupes. A lot of them are just as cute as the designer piece, maybe not the best quality, but they sure look good! I’ve been seeing a lot of Bottega dupes, which I’m okay with because I REALLY cannot justify the price of Bottega pieces – it’s not really my vibe. But I do have my eye on this similar bag.

So moral of today’s post:

• Designer items don’t make you fashionable.
• THINK about what you want to purchase when you finally have the $$$ to make a purchase.
• Don’t be afraid of second hand pieces (just do your homework).
• Designer dupes are OK…and often help you decide if you want the real thing or not.

What are your thoughts on designer purchases? What is your FAVORITE designer purchase, and is there a story behind the purchase? (My guess is that there sure is.)