<p>Hi parents! Everyone here has always been super helpful so I figured someone might be able to answer this for me.</p>
<p>I’ve been shopping for a good handbag to take with me to job interviews and to carry me into my first “real” job. I’m not very trendy/fashion-conscious naturally, but after doing some looking around I decided on Fossil. It’s good quality without being outrageously expensive and it was a “I’m graduating from grad school in less than two months/I’m job searching and need to look nice” treat for myself.</p>
<p>I purchased a bag on Amazon for a REALLY good price, but upon looking at the same bag on the Fossil web site, found out that it’s PVC instead of the Leather that Amazon stated! I don’t want to send it back when it gets here because I really need it for a conference I’m going to at the end of the month, but I’m a little disappointed since I was really excited to get a leather bag that would last me decades.</p>
<p>Is PVC even worth having? Will it last me a long time or did I make a bad investment and need to just chock it up to a good looking bag and a learning experience?</p>
<p>TIA!</p>
<p>(And don’t worry, you all will know when I get a job )</p>
<p>I have 4 crossbody Fossil bags. They are my go to bag for casual everyday use. I do not have any of their leather bags though. The bags I have seen in their stores have looked like real leather to me. My bags are all well made and I think your bag will last a long time. If your ever near a Fossil outlet they have great prices and a large selection of bags.
As far as longevity I have a beautiful soft brown leather bag that retails for almost $800. It is beautiful but it needs care with use. On the other hand I have a black Coach classic hard leather bag that is sturdy and will last a long time with minimum care.
Show us a link.
Good luck on the job search!</p>
<p>First question: Is your purse with pvc available for purchase on any of their sites? (including retailers like Macys or Bloomingdales for example). If you can’t find it anywhere contact Amazon and your seller about your doubts and or questions. </p>
<p>I don’t know your price range but, in general, a neutral color with room to you to carry what you need along with papers for your job search. Generally satchels or totes work the best for my daughters. </p>
<p>Adding- my D uses a Longchamps nylon tote for work. She walks to work most days or takes a bus. She puts her suit coat and work shoes inside. Longchamps bags are expensive but they last. Whatever you buy make sure it zips close if you will be using public transportation. Also make sure it doesn’t weigh a ton empty.</p>
<p>Just want to second the comment that Fossil Outlets often have REALLY good deals - TJ Maxx also has some Fossil bags most every time I go - its nice to be able to see it in person. </p>
<p>My daughter and I stumbled into Neiman Marcus Last Call where she purchased a pleather tote for $30 (extra 50% off). I believe it is their house brand but, besides it not being leather, very well made. She uses it for school and throws it around a bit, but it is in great shape. And for the bargain price of $30, she doesn’t need for it to last forever. Not sure you want to buy something else, but just wanted to share what worked beautifully for my daughter…</p>
<p>I ended up just not carrying a purse into interviews, I left it in my trunk and carried in a leather folder with copies of my resume and a notepad for notes inside. When I was hired, I bought one of the LL Bean zipper top canvas totes to use for work… I’m not carrying it into meetings with me so nobody cares that it’s casual. It carries breakfast, lunch, coffee, water, and shoes in the winter. I carry my regular everyday purse, which is Coach. I’m not going to buy a special purse just for work, I don’t want to have to change everything out depending on where I’m going. I guess if I WERE going to carry a bag into a meeting, I would probably just throw my pens or whatever into the coach bag and whip out the leather folder again for papers.</p>
<p>I picked the bag I did for work specifically because it worked for the needs I discovered I had once I started working. So personally, I’d be happy with the bag, use it for what you want, but if it doesn’t last forever I wouldn’t mind because your needs may change when you actually find a job anyway. I never imagined I’d have to fit two meals and a pair of shoes in my bag until I started working here-- thus the tote.</p>
<p>Please don’t take offense, but in the black and white, that handbag isn’t professional/serious looking enough for job interviews anyway. It looks trendy and loud. People are going to see your bag before they see you. Return it and look for something in a solid dark-ish leather-no bright colors, no patterns. But don’t expect any handbag to last for “decades” unless it’s one you only use on special occasions. Even expensive bags get beaten up and worn out, to say nothing of the fact that you’re just going to get sick of it after a couple of years, especially one with a pattern. Plus your taste will change as you get older. Fossil is not a high quality brand. The styles are cute, and I’ve bought some over the years (only on sale at Macys), but I wouldn’t expect to get more than a couple of years’ regular use out of one.</p>
<p>I love that first Neiman listing! I want it!!!</p>
<p>It is true that if a bag is going to get used heavily - lots of files, laptop, etc in it - it’s probably not going to last years. Its personal preference, but I’d rather get something new every couple of years and have a change of pace. </p>
<p>The problem with this is that I’ll be going to a lot of on-campus interviews/conferences/placement exchanges/etc. So I’ll need a bag that I can carry a lot of “stuff” in.</p>
<p>MommaJ-I don’t take offense, but I do think it’s worth mentioning that I’m in higher education, not business or finance. Many of the administrators in our field wear “trendy” stuff because we’re around students 24/7; it’s also not uncommon to see things which would be absolutely inappropriate in other fields (piercings, tattoos, etc.) And, frankly, if a school is going to choose not to hire me because of the bag I’m carrying, I don’t want to work there.</p>
<p>I think my plan for now is to buy another when I actually get a job and have a little more disposable income. I carry a tablet instead of a laptop so that helps, but working in ResLife we do carry a lot of keys, phones, etc.</p>
<p>I agree with MommaJ; you would be better off with a solid black/navy/brown leather bag. I like the one that bogibogi linked. I don’t think it matters whether it’s leather or PVC. There are so many good bags available. I’m sure that shopping the sales will turn up something appropriate that you love. </p>
<p>I mean while I appreciate the input, it’s a little late now, as the bag is on its way here and the conference I’m going to is next weekend…lol. I’m really not worried about how “loud” it is…I like it, it will show my personality and set me apart from the other hundreds of girls with black, brown, and navy bags. And it’s MUCH more muted than all of my neon Vera Bradley bags.</p>
<p>HGFM, I can see from the photo that the bag is definitely PVC without even touching it. The handles maybe made of leather - this is what LV does with their signature bags. If you like the patterned bags, that’s fine, here is just one thought: the bag might be too heavy for everyday carrying. I lug a lot of things with me, and I ditched my leather bags for nylon totes (Tumi from TJMaxx and a Longchamps that I got at Nordstrom Rack).</p>
<p>Thanks BunsenBurner! I’ve contacted the seller and notified them that their listing incorrectly states the bag as leather. </p>
<p>I just can’t love the nylon…something about the way it looks just doesn’t appeal to me. I will keep searching and see what I can find, but I should have the bag Monday and we will see how it goes! Live and learn, right? Right.</p>
I’m going to give you some advice because I’m an old fart who’s hired many people over the years. Don’t choose your attire with reference to what current employees wear. Your appearance for ANY job interview needs to be conservative and unremarkable. (You can drag out the trendy stuff after you’ve been hired.) You just don’t want your clothing and accessories to be a potential issue in a terrible job market like the one we have now. You never know how the person who interviews you will react to your appearance. You just might be interviewed by the one person in the organization who hates the way the current employees dress and gets a negative vibe–totally subconsciously–from your look. And when you’re being compared to another candidate with equivalent credentials, that could be the reason you don’t get a job you’d love.</p>
<p>The bag is not going to look like leather. I have a Fossil PVC bag that I use for traveling. I don’t mind the material for travel because it is lightweight. In your field the bag should be fine but I would not use it in a professional interview setting for most fields. Fossil has a line of bags they only carry in their stores that are higher quality but they come at a higher price.
I don’t love nylon bags but I think the Longchamp Le Pliage large tote looks very nice. If purchased in an appropriate color it can look professional. My D used it for interviews and carried her resume inside in a fake leather folder that she purchased from Staples.</p>
<p>While I’m sure this is true, to me it has always felt dishonest and I refuse to do it this way. If a school is really going to not hire me because of the bag I’m carrying or the clothes I’m wearing (or my nose piercing, or my tragus piercings, or…), I don’t want to work there. I’m also not going to be a totally different person in my interview than I will be on the job. It’s just as much me interviewing them as vice versa–and I want to know that I won’t be a total outcast in their department. </p>
<p>I will wear professional attire. I will be polite and congenial, because that’s who I am. But I have the experience I need to get the job, otherwise I wouldn’t have applied–and if they’re going to not hire me for such a ridiculous reason, that says something about the department that is important for me to know, and I don’t want to be a young professional in that type of department.</p>
<p>I love the bag! It’s modern and cute. Frankly I just don’t see your handbag mattering all that much as long as it isn’t a conversation piece. I’ve hired people one on one and sat in panel interviews and I never once noticed a handbag. </p>
<p>I don’t think the bag is a problem, and I think it’s cute, too. I remember when I was job hunting, I liked to paint my nails a different (normal) color every week, and I was sad when I was advised I wouldn’t be able to do that at work and should only wear a clear or sheer polish for interviews and then just light colors for the office. I didn’t listen and survived, I had red nails when I interviewed with our CEO. There are certainly clear lines not to cross but I think some common sense must apply here, I don’t believe you need to be /completely/ devoid of personality. There are some companies that really are that conservative, but if you know you’re not applying there I wouldn’t worry about it. </p>
<p>It is nice to have at least one neutral bag in your arsenal should the occasion arise. I have a more plain black one I don’t really like anymore that I’ve held onto just in case. My everyday purse is gold. </p>
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