Handbags are tricky. They are the single most expensive item, I find, mostly because it is extremely difficult to skimp here. While I can find you a pair of non-designer heels that pass as designer, the same is not true for handbags — especially anything large yet presentable enough to tote around as a work bag.
When it comes to the priciest brands, let’s say Prada, Chanel, Gucci, etc., some of the best ways to score a deal are through impulse-buy websites like Beyond the Rack and Gilt. Or you can even try buying off eBay, Craigslist, or Shop My Clothes. Also, make sure to get on the mailing list of your favourite brands and department stores, including The Bay and Holts in Canada, but even places like Saks and Nordstrom in the U.S. A great deal can definitely be worth the drive, and if you are really nice to the border crossing agents, sometimes they will let you off without paying duty even when you are honest about the purchase price! (There is also the website Bag Borrow or Steal, made popular by the first Sex and the City movie. However, if you are going to put, say, $100 a month toward a bag, why not put that money in your savings account and then buy the damn thing? I suppose this option is best for those who really cannot commit to a purse.)
Still pretty expensive but slightly less so are brands such as Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors. They can be found on some of the websites mentioned above but, sadly, it’s harder to find deals for bags at their price point — maybe because these are more realistic to begin with. This is especially true for my favourite brand, Kate Spade; the best way to find a deal is just to wait for the website price to be reduced, but you always risk missing the item completely this way! For example, this one by Kate Spade is still a pretty good deal, even at full price ($295, katespade.com) [Ed. Note: No longer available].
Finally, there are always nice bags to be had at Town Shoes and Nine West, like this very reasonably priced one from Nine West ($48.30 at ninewest.com) [Ed. Note: No longer available]. I also recommend a number of reasonable brands that are sold at The Bay, such as DKNY and Steve Madden. Ivanka Trump’s new line of handbags are reasonably priced and absolutely cute as well. Sometimes it takes a while to find one that suits you perfectly, but I find if you keep a close eye out for a few weeks or even months, you will find something you love.
I would like to end by saying that this is my final edition of Style Counsel. I have recently switched from commercial to criminal litigation, and I guess it’s fair to say I don’t have the mental energy to think about fashion so much anymore. Plus, I no longer have the opportunity to buy my own suggestions (though, it’s not like I could afford most of them before; I am only a 2nd year associate and law school costs more than haute couture these days). Also, a tough criminal defence lawyer just doesn’t write a fashion column, does she?
Donna Wilson is a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer. Her style and beauty column appeared every second Wednesday.
Chanel store photo by UggBoy♥UggGirl