<p>Agree, wear the pearls! I buy expensive purses and cheap wallets. I have a great sense of loss when my wallets "go"and have to be replaced…funny that I never spend any money on them when I use my wallet every day. I never gave it much thought.</p>
<p>I’m late to this thread and haven’t had the time to digest all of it. I thought I was the only one who loved the old Coach and hates the new! I have an old bone Coach bag which I would like to get refinished–any ideas? I had a burgundy Etienne Aigner 25 years ago (which was stolen–boo hoo).</p>
<p>I just bought some Atienne Aigner shoes yesterday. On sale. Cheap.</p>
<p>I have been using the Lodis Opera Wallet for years:</p>
<p>[Lodis</a> Framed Wallets](<a href=“http://www.lodis.com/leather/shop-womens/shop-by-style/framed-wallets/onyx-opera-wallet/2713]Lodis”>http://www.lodis.com/leather/shop-womens/shop-by-style/framed-wallets/onyx-opera-wallet/2713)</p>
<p>long before this style became available in every color and material. I like red because it’s easy to find in a black bag. Also, for those who love the old Coach bags, I ordered my Legacy and Willis bags from the catalog…I was told they are always available to order. My next bag is a Tignanello (it’s my birthday present from my twin!). I love the crossbody idea, I have one from Ann Taylor, which I bought years ago for travel. It seems that my neck gets sore halfway through shopping nowadays so I hope the crossbody bag is better for my neck. We’re celebrating our birthday at Epcot’s Wine and Food Festival (free admission on your birthday!!!) and I’ll use the crossbody bag. Fun!</p>
<p>If you want a lighter and cheaper wallet option, Vera Bradley (all the prints) makes some nice ones that zip up and have lots of slots, etc. I used one all summer and it was great.</p>
<p>I’ve only had one husband. He has lasted me 27 years. For all the money I have saved on the husband front, I figure I could afford a few bags.</p>
<p>Bags, wallets, shoes–that’s where to spend the money. I am cheap about everything else. I can afford to spend $$ on my leather goods because some of my things last 20 years and counting, no lie. Comes out to pennies a day!</p>
<p>Wow–mousegray, how do you get shoes to last 20 years! That would never happen to me. On the other hand, the blouse I wore to work today is 20+ years old (and still looks great).</p>
<p>I’ve had shoes resoled which isn’t that cheap (about $40). I’m just not that hard on shoes. My H, on the other hand, can barely make shoes last a season. He actually wears through the soles.</p>
<p>My husband walks on the side of his feet, especially shince he broke his ankle a year ago, and wears down his shoes in a funny way, making it hard to resole them.</p>
<p>My wallet is a beautiful Ralph Lauren all leather wallet, with lots of compartments, which I love. I just happened to buy it at Syms, for not a lot of money. I am bummed that I messed up the zipper on the change part (it works, but the nylon teeth of the zipper separate a little bit and some change occasionally falls into my cheap knockoff purse). The wallet originally probably cost a lot of money-- far more than I would ever pay for a wallet. But it was a deal at Syms, and the zipper worked fine for quite a while. I suppose I could take it to a shoe repair or luggage repair place and have the zipper replaced. Just haven’t bothered.</p>
<p>I love all leather wallets-- I don’t like the nylon or fabric inside compartments, and I tend to stuff a lot into my wallets (maybe thats what caused the outside zipper to separate… hmmm…). So I keep my eye out for a deal on a wallet. If something comes along that looks like a good replacement for my balck and red Ralph Lauren, I’m there. For now I just dont keep a lot of change in the change compartment. Every now and then I find some change in the bottom of my purse. Its a nice surprise! </p>
<p>I was in a Brighton store the other day (bought $170 sandals for $49). Didn’t see any wallet that I particularly liked. And they were overpriced for what they were. But the sandals were a great deal!</p>
<p>ellebud, here you go! It’s one of the songs from the commercials of my youth that spontaneously pop into my head when I least expect it: </p>
<p>[Look</a> for the Union Label](<a href=“http://unionsong.com/u103.html]Look”>Look for the Union Label)</p>
<p>I am all for supporting US made items-- and for keeping jobs from being outsourced offshore. If so many IT jobs hadn’t been outsourced overseas, maybe I wouldn’t have to buy the cheap knockoff purse :)</p>
<p>It’s interesting that Coach used to be one of those companies that made a point of being made in the US and having a skilled and well-paid workforce. I don’t know if that is still the case but it would be nice to think that even as its taste level transformed it held on to its other values. (Stuff was never inexpensive, but it felt like good value because of the quality and classicism of the styles.)</p>
<p>My old Coach bag is still in good shape but still ugly. I thought old Coach was frumpy and the new Coach is trying to hard to be trendy so they have never appealed to me. I do have a great Coach brief case that is probably 15 years old and I still love it.</p>
<p>I noticed the new Coach bags are made in China now. At least some. I like Kate Spade bags. My favorite bag to travel and everyday use was Prada. Then I switched to the Tokidoki bags - light weight, large, zip top with a lot of compartments. I would hesitate to use them for work but I am unemployed. I am one of those displaced IT workers that never found my place in the world. :(</p>
<p>I don’t think many of the well known manufacturers make their handbags in the US. LV makes some here I think. My Longchamp bag was made in France but I think they manufacture in China now too.</p>
<p>I think the style/quality of your purse/wallet is like anything else- it depends on what image you care to project. In a professional work setting, I prefer to not arrive with a nylon backpack-style purse. If I were staying home with kids or vacationing in Colorado, that might be just perfect. I’m not saying I need to show up with a $1000 purse at my business casual workplace, but I am a professional working downtown and the women in our company try to maintain a slight degree (not a huge degree) of professionalism.</p>
<p>I agree although I have expensive taste in general- if I could wear anything every day it would be silk t shirts, cashmere sweaters and handmade boots, but one of the reasons why I love doing environmental restoration work is that I can wear $80 timberland boots, $34 Levi jeans and (just bought at REI sale) $26 fleece jackets ( from the kids dept- they fit me better cause I have shortish arms). ( another reason is that I like playing in the mud- not so good for the Tony Lamas)</p>
<p>Ha! This thread reminds me one of DS’s buddies–He uses handbags as a ‘high-maintenance guage’ for prospective girlfriends. If they have expensive accessories, according to his theory, he can’t afford them!</p>
<p>masslou - He should rethink that - maybe she can afford him. If he’s trying to figure out whom he can afford, he’s doing them a favor.</p>
<p>^I agree with cartera45</p>