Shopping Guides Online

Purses and Handbags

Shopping for a Purse Online Answers by Kitsch Purses

Also see: The High Price of a Fake, about counterfeit handbags.

Question and answer session with Kitsch Purses, a company who sells purses online.

Why is it important for a girl to have a designer purse over a regular purse?

There are certain characteristics that come with a designer purse that you don’t necessarily get with a purse that you find in the mall. The designer purses are more exclusive. The production line run on the designer purses is smaller so you’re less likely to see that handbag sold in multiple places. The quality of a designer purse is better because they use finer leather then those found in department stores. Attention to detail and quality is better in the lining, hardware, zippers and handles. You pay more for a designer brand but you get a higher quality purse than you will find at most department stores.

On the average how many designer handbags do people have?

The majority of people don’t have designer handbags because of their cost. A price of a true designer handbag runs from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. The majority of people may have one designer handbag in their whole collection.

Why is there a big counterfeit market?

Most people can’t afford to spend several thousand dollars on a purse. The designs that come out of the fashion houses tend to be quite unique and people like the style, but the price is prohibitive for most people. What’s happening now at a great speed is manufacturers overseas will see the latest “it” bag and then duplicate the bag. Within weeks the same bag could be sold on the streets or in a department store. Price is primarily why people would buy a knock-off purse as opposed to the real thing.

What is wrong with replica purses?

The fashion industry claims that replica purses cost them millions of dollars a year. Some people would argue with that claim by saying that the person who bought the replica would never have bought the original purse to begin with because of the high price so it really didn’t cost the industry a sale. But one way that it clearly hurts the fashion houses is that it dilutes the brand—in other words it makes it less special to have the real thing because there are so many imitations floating around. And the qualities of the purses are not even close to what the real ones are. It depends on how important a quality bag is to you because the replicas are never going to match the real deal. Now, not all replicas are bad. In fact, there are varying degrees of a purse being knocked off. In fashion there are no real copyrights. It’s not against the law to be “inspired” by a Fendi purse. Look around the major department stores and you’ll see all sorts of “inspired” handbags whose inspiration was derived from very expensive designer bags. Now, it’s a different story if someone puts in a Fendi name tag, uses the Fendi logo as part of the purse design and is marketing the bag as an original—all of those things are illegal because at that point you are encroaching on what is copyrighted—logos, company names, etc.

What kind of purse selections of purses do women like to have?

Women definitely like to have a large selection of purses. Selecting a purse isn’t like clothing because you don’t have to worry if the purse is going to fit. The majority of purses are affordable to the point that you can have several for color-coding outfits without breaking the bank. Women love purses and shoes.

What type of a purse do women look for—big, small?

Women look for all kind of purses. Women select their purse of choice according to whether they’re traveling, working or going out on the town. Women love purses because they come in all sizes and you can tailor them to the outfit you want to wear. Women do not discriminate when it comes to handbags…they love small, medium and large purses.

What about renting a purse?

Renting a purse is a unique concept that allows women to carry an expensive purse without purchasing it. Renting a purse allows others to think that it’s truly your purse when in fact it’s a rental. I don’t think many people know that it’s even an option to rent a purse but it’s an interesting business model. Kind of like renting that expensive car to take to your high-school reunion—who’s going to know that it’s not yours?

What are the brands everybody’s talking about?

What usually starts making a purse famous is by a celebrity wearing it on their arm. Any big design house such as Chloe, Fendi, Chanel and Mark Jacobs are going to have a handbag and accessories division which is a multi-million dollar business for these companies. If you name a popular designer they’re going to have a handbag line.

What about evening bags?

Evening bags are such a great area. A true evening bag is usually fancier—maybe decorated with jewels, crystal or precious stones. Special occasion bags can really run the gamut in what they look like. I like to spend a little more on my evening purses because they add such zip to an outfit. And that’s the great thing about a handbag—it’s a true accessory so even if you can’t afford to spend a lot on a new outfit, just buy a fancy little evening bag and it adds style and a touch of richness to your outfit.

What is a good recommendation for shopping on the Internet for purses?

You don’t have to go to an upscale department store to get a high quality purse. There are many places on the web that have the real thing and because they are strictly Internet based they don’t have the overhead so their mark up isn’t as much as a specialty store. Oftentimes you can get the same purse online cheaper then you can at a specialty store. Like any shopping that you do, you should use caution when shopping online to make sure that the company is reputable and has secure transmission of your credit card data. But the beauty of the web is you have the ability to comparison shop like never before.

How much do celebrities influence women?

Celebrities influence us in a huge way. We tend to look at stars like royalty to guide us in determining what is popular or of great quality. The design houses send purses to celebrities for free in hope of them being photographed carrying the purse—it’s free publicity for the designer. For instance, if Gucci sends their latest designer purse to Angelina Jolie and she’s seen carrying the purse it would be written in multiple articles making it the purse to have.

How can you be careful while shopping for a purse on the Internet?

Look at the website of the company selling the handbag. Try to find a customer-rating area that allows customers to offer their comments on the website’s service. Also, look to see if the website says that it has a secure server so that your credit card information is secure when it is being transferred. When it comes to what you are purchasing, I live by the motto, “if it smells like a fish, it’s a fish.” Meaning, if you’re looking for a designer handbag and the price seems extremely cheap, it’s probably not the real item. Move on.

Are purses easy to ship?

Purses are generally easy to ship because they are usually lightweight. A reputable place will wrap the purse if there is a delicate nature to it for protection. Even if the purse isn’t of a delicate nature, I always like to buy purses that have dust covers so that it’s somewhat protected when you store it between carrying.

What if you find a flaw in the purse?

Try to find a store that will accept refunds. Now, the consumer also has to be honest. If they’ve carried the purse out and something happened to it, they have to be honest and not try and return the handbag by saying there was a defect.

What is a vintage purse?

A vintage purse is generally a bag with a that features a different style then what our current style is. Vintage can be as early as the 1980’s or as far back as the 1800’s. There are certain things a consumer needs to understand and accept when buying a vintage handbag. Like of all of us as we age, things tend to sag and break. The biggest thing when buying vintage is to except the different conditions of the purses and know what to look for. Most people that sell vintage will give you a rating whether it’s mint, excellent, fair, good or damaged. You definitely want to look for the ratings to tell the quality and nature of the purse. Some people may say “excellent vintage”, now what that means is it’s in good condition considering it’s vintage. That’s the key phrase “considering it’s vintage” as there’s a difference in that rating and the purse being mint which means its condition is as good as the day it was made. You have to be cautious when buying vintage, be sure it’s from a reputable source. Sometimes vintage can be pricey. Vintage bags appreciate; they tend to gain in value. When buying vintage you may spend a little more money then what a normal purse today would cost but you can look at it like an investment.

Can you buy wholesale on the web?

A lot of companies will sell you wholesale if you’re buying multiple pieces. Depending on the price and amount of items you’re buying you could inquire to the company about a wholesale price. It never hurts to ask! If you live in New York or Los Angeles you can purchase wholesale in the fashion districts of the city.

How do women and teenage girls differ in their purse purchases?

The teenage market wants what’s in right now and they will buy a replica of that purse. Older woman with a more established fashion sense may tend to buy what suits their individual style. The difference is pre-teens and teens are going for the latest trend and older women are looking for what fits their personality more then what’s in right now. An older woman may look for something she likes with a designer name or she may be someone who doesn’t care about the designer world and purchase only on a “need” basis. She may decide that a large leather purse is what she needs for her day-to-day style and a fancy purse is what she needs for her evening.

Is there a certain country that’s the most popular for a purse?

Italy is known for its incredibly high quality of leather from shoes, coats, purses and gloves. It’s amazing to walk down the street there and see how people are dressed. You are never going to beat Italy for leather. Of course, for design sense, the French are incredible. When you look at a designer such as Chanel you are never disappointed when they come out with a handbag. If you invested in one of Chanel’s purses today in twenty years it would still be beautiful and relevant to the day. The French and the Italians really have style down when it comes to purses and fashion in general.

If you make a purchase on line and it’s not what you ordered and they will not refund it what do you do?

A lot of times the individual is left with no recourse. If it’s clearly stated on their website that they do not except refunds or returns you will be stuck with that purse. It is important before purchasing anything to look at the website and see what their exchange and return policy is. If you don’t feel confident in that web site you should shop elsewhere. Particularly when it comes to expensive items as you want to make sure it’s what was shown in the picture and that it’s the item that you ordered.

What should you look for in a bridal handbag?

You want a purse that’s going to compliment your gown and is the right size. A wedding day is a special occasion that allows you to really indulge in something special and maybe spend a little more than you normally would. A bridal handbag is something that can really add to and compliment the dress. The sky is the limit when it comes to bridal bags. Many are made by hand with crystals or gems making it extra special. I say indulge in a bridal bag and make it an extra special purse for an extra special day!

Is there a popular wedding purse?

A lot of designers don’t do wedding handbags because of the amount of work that can be involved. When you go to shop for a gown you can inquire at the store. There are some great web sites that feature bridal handbags as well. You should take extra caution when looking for a web site to make sure they do exchanges or refunds in case the handbag doesn’t go with your dress.

Does it matter if you love the purse but is not easy to carry?

It is up to the individual and how much they are willing to sacrifice in the name of fashion. I once had a handbag in the shape of a Chinese take-out box. I could hardly fit anything inside because of its odd shape. But to this day I still think of that purse as one of the most stylish I ever owned. Stylish but highly impractical.

What's the benefit of coming to kitschpurses.com as opposed to any other purse web site?

At Kitsch Purses we have a nice selection of all different styles to choose from. We have purses for every occasion and price point. We have a wonderful selection of day-to-day bags and I’m also extremely proud of our special occasion and bridal handbags. We’re also really picky about quality. When you buy a purse at Kitsch Purses you can expect a certain level of quality. We not only look for the big names but also the smaller designers that you may never have heard of before. There are some amazing artists that are doing some incredible things and they just haven’t had much exposure yet; at Kitsch Purses you will be able to discover them. At Kitsch Purses we like to expose some of those artists and have the general public come to know and love them.

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