Milan on Trend on YouTube
If you watch any of the street-style YouTube videos of women in Milan and Rome (I’ve been binge-watching them) you’ll notice that they all seem to splurge on high-end, high-quality accessories. It’s almost a religious dictum: “Thou shalt only carry genuine designer handbags.”
It seems to be true for the women of all ages there, at least in the larger cities. So, they didn’t show any of the nonnas, donned head-to-toe in black, sitting outside on chairs, chatting with their friends. (Frankly I love those images, not for the clothing, but because they demonstrate the beauty of a simpler life.)
But alas, we live in the material world. If advertisers didn’t make us feel insecure about how we dress and how we look, they’d never sell us anything. And frankly, there is a lot of artistry involved in the fashion choices of those lovely Italian women.
The Lure of High End Accessories
What is the allure of an expensive designer bag? Well, they just make any outfit – including shredded jeans – look expensive. It’s part of that “high-low” look I’ve written about: “My bag is from Hermes but my jeans are from Costco.” (I actually just heard a guy interviewed on the streets of New York about what he was wearing. His outfit included a very elegant tailored Italian blazer, Italian waistcoat, and Italian shirt and he added exactly that: “My jeans are from Costco.”)
Now, how do you add a touch of high-end allure? Well, you can do it by simply examining the details of the iconic designer accessories that have stood the test of time, many of them for decades now. That will help you to recognize what defines quality. But designer items come with a hefty price tag.
But I thought it would be fun to hunt around for some similar items at more affordable prices. Unless you are surrounded by snobs, these lookalike bags also make perfectly elegant statements. Keep in mind that many of these are Classic in style and classic fashions never go out of style. If you pony up for an original it will very likely be re-saleable at a good price sometime down the road.
Are They Considered Real of Fake?
A very fashionable friend who lived in New York used to shop for knock-off handbags from street vendors as she felt that designer bags were ridiculously overpriced. There’s some truth to that as you’re often paying a premium for the label.
As it turns out, design elements in fashion cannot be copywritten. A manufacturer can can make a nearly exact copy of a couture piece as long as it isn’t purporting to be the original. Knock-offs – items that have similar style and features – are legal, unlike counterfeits that bear exact logos and claim to be the original.
So, I found some less expensive bags that looked similar to the real deal in their style elements. Will they last as long? Well, the leather ones very likely will. The faux ones will never develop that “old money” patina that leather bags do. But as long as they still look fashionable and aren’t produced in un-monitored sweatshops by child laborers, who cares what the label is? I just avoided including the ridiculously cheap direct knockoffs here. Those likely meet the criteria of “unmonitored sweatshops…”
I’m going to start with an old classic.
“Chanel” Quilted Bag
First up, Chanel. The symmetrical quilting on the original “Double C” Chanel bag is very much a Classic style element. The puffiness of the quilting makes it a bit more “yin.” That implies a bit of Youthful style, and because of the softness of the lambskin, just a touch of Romantic. Those three style elements permeate the entire Chanel line. You won’t see high Drama or anything very Natural or slouchy-looking in the structure of a Chanel bag or any of their clothing for that matter.
An original Chanel Double C insignia flap bag in the smallest size costs about $4000. But you can find them pre-owned on several websites. Some good deals are available on Premium Outlets, etsy or eBay starting at around $1200. Just be sure to always check for the guarantee that they are authentic.
The lookalikes for this type of bag abound. Depending on your budget there is something for everyone.
Rebecca Minkoff Edie leather top handle bag Bloomingdale’s $278
This one is from Karl Lagerfeld Paris. Lagerfeld, Chanel’s late designer – who was handed the reins of the Chanel label – established a down-market eponymous brand. This one below is his version of the Double C bag.
Karl Lagerfeld Paris leather shoulder bag Macy’s $248
Tory Burch Kira chevron handbag Zappos $348
Kate Spade Cary small quilted shoulder bag Amazon on sale $180
Quince has an amazing range of Italian leather bags at terrific prices. Here’s their quilted bag. It also comes in black, tan, light taupe and dark taupe.
Quince Italian leather quilted convertible crossbody bag $119.90
Premium Outlets has an entire page on their website devoted to lookalikes. Here’s their version of this bag from Tiffany and Fred.
Tiffany and Fred Quilted Sheepskin quilted bag $279
Lastly, Mango, one of the “high street” brands, has a lot of hip-looking bags, but they are mostly faux leather. Still, it’s worth checking out their collection. There are some great bargains to be had there.
Mango quilted faux leather shoulder bag Nordstrom $59.99
The Row – Totes
Oh those tiny little Olsen twins, Ashley and Mary-Kate. They sure create some amazingly elegant clothing…for tall women! Their site is called The Row. Everything they offer is refined and simple, and their handbags are enviable. They are considered the “new” Classics: sleek, beautifully made, gorgeous leathers and textiles. No huge logos, no doo-dads.
Totes are wildly popular right now. The Row’s version here, the Park Tote bag, is $1600 but it’s current out of stock. It’s pretty straight-forward. This is their extra large size.
Keep in mind your proportions when buying a tote bag. There are varying rules of thumb about this. Some say the width should be no bigger than your front-to back width. I never quite understood if they meant width or depth. Personally, I think you just need to eyeball it. The key is always: “is the item wearing you or are you wearing it?” Also, the size depends on what you’re using it for. You’re either carrying a lot of stuff or not. That make sit pretty easy to figure out what size tote bag you actually need.
Many of the Row’s popular styles are similar to the one above: rectangular in shape and with a light level of structure. That makes it pretty easy to find something similar. Here are a few other options, all in genuine leather.
Quince has a lot of Italian leather totes in a variety of styles. This is the one that comes closest to the Row bag. They offer it in black, olive, navy, and these two: dusk blue and cognac.
Quince Classic Italian Leather Tote $99.90
Quince Classic Italian leather tote $99.90
Patricia Nash leather tote Macy’s (on sale) $179.40
Bostanten leather tote Amazon $85.99
Radley London Furze Lane Extra Large Zip Tote Macy’s (on sale) $178.80
The Sak bags will always be a little less structured, but their leathers are lovely and hold up well over time.
The Sak Los Feliz Tall Tote in Mahogany $229
Puffy Drawstring Bags
Loewe Flamenco bag $2850
Another new “classic” is the puffy drawstring bag. Stylistically, it’s a pretty far cry from traditional designer handbags. It definitely reads as Youthful, Romantic and a little High Spirited. Loewe’s Flamenco bag here on the left is the most coveted version and it comes in many colors. I just liked the joyfulness of this one in the bright chartreuse. They are versatile because you can wear them crossbody, or tuck them under your arm as a clutch for a dressier occasion.
This (below) is how The Row interprets theirs.
The Row Angy drawstring bag Nordstrom $1990
Teddy Blake is a NY based company that manufactures their bags in Italy. They are all high quality, but annoyingly they list their items as “on sale” when what they are actually showing is their price vs. the high end similar styles. Still, really nicely made. This is their “Stella Vitelo. It comes in nine colors.
Teddy Blake Stella Vitelo $485
Quince has a version in dark tan, black, taupe, and the cream color shown here.
Quince drawstring pouch bag $129.90
Braided leathers are another signature of some of the designer bags. This one from Tiffany and Fred offers one in braided leather on the Premium Outlets site alongside a lot of “pre-loved” designer bags.
Tiffany and Fred leather braided drawstring bag $179 Premium Outlets
And Other Stories is a site that overall caters to a more Youthful style. But the green one here can also appeal to Natural types because of the rope drawstring.
And Other Stories small leather drawstring tote $139
Madewell’s drawstring bag is very versatile as it also has both a cross body strap and a handle.
Madewell mini crossbody bag Zappos $92.04
The “Old Money” Handbags
Gucci original Horsebit 1955 Shoulder bag: $2950
Gnocci tee on Etsy $11.90
Then there are the old staples of fashion that you will see carried by a lot of those Italian women in the videos. Yes, they can be a little staid looking, but they still have a lot of cache.
The original 1955 Gucci “Horsebit” feature (a play on the GG emblem) along with the GG textile is an iconic bag, albeit a walking advertisement. It has a kind of “preppy” quality to it now. You can find a lot of them on the resale market. But because of the signature textile you won’t find similar items unless they are counterfeits. (I loved this ironic t-shirt on the right from Etsy…I may have to buy it)
Coach has its own cache. It still qualifies “designer” brand because of the high quality of all the products in their label. But it’s a more as a “down market” label. This is their Morgan flap bag.
Coach Morgan Shoulder Bag Premium Outlets $199
Fossil bags are usually well made but the leathers can be a little bit heavy, although that makes them very sturdy.
Fossil Harwell Crosssbody Wallet bag Amazon $150
I included this one from Rebecca Minkoff because of the size and similar locking feature.
Rebecca Minkoff Mini Julian Leather Crossbody bag Nordstrom Rack $119.97
Hermes Birkin Bag
Lastly, I wanted to include the Hermes Birkin bag, named after the woman who inspired it, Jane Birkin. Ironically, she stopped using it because it was just too heavy. Still, to this day, many women love it and it is coveted worldwide.
It holds the distinction as being the most expensive designer bag around. Some of them (similar to this one in alligator) can run into the high six figures. But you can find a used Birkin bag on the resale market starting around $9200.
So naturally, there have to be a bunch of lookalikes. And here they are.
About five years ago I succumbed and bought this one (below) in taupe from Teddy Blake. I love it. I love looking at it in the closet. And I have used it exactly twice. That qualifies under the category of “fantasy life” as in “shop for your aspirational life, not your fantasy life” (wise words spoken by blogger Alyssa Beltempo.) Still, it’s beautifully crafted and it will outlive me. So I think I’ll start using it more. It comes in 20 colors and three sizes.
Teddy Blake “Kim” in Stampato leather $450 (on sale) $410
You can always count on finding something similar on Amazon. These next ones are listed as “leather” but when you look through the specs you discover that they are “vegan leather.” Still, they serve the purpose and look well made. I can see a lot of women enjoying either of these and they both seem to get good reviews.
Evve Women’s Top Handle Satchel $48.52 Available in eight colors.
This one has a pebbled finish, also “vegan” leather.
Pebbled top handle crossbody satchel Amazon $60.99 (Comes in four finishes.)
Brahmin is a brand that rivals some high end brands and echoes of the “look” of the Birkin bag: top handle, “alligator” leathers, similar shape. This is one of the ones featured on their Amazon page and comes in nine interesting and unique colors and finishes.
Brahmin Melbourne Caroline Satchel $345 on sale for $310.50
These next two riff on the theme in that they are top handle and crossbody flap bags. Both are from Macy’s, created specifically for Macy’s. They are also faux but look pretty well-made.
Tandii Top Handle bag $89.50 (on sale for $53.70) (Comes in five colors)
INC Emilee Medium Satchel faux lether created for Macy’s $99.50 ($34.83 with code “Friend”)
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little exploration into designer bags. Let me know if you’d like to learn about lookalikes for designer watches and belts. I have a lot of information on those as well.
(BTW – I’ve turned off “comments” on this site because of the spam, but I read all your emails: andrea@shoppingfortherealyou.com
Happy Spring!
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