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Think of any designer luxury bag you could buy right now. A few popular silhouettes might come to mind: The Dior Saddle; The Prada Cleo; Gucci’s latest iteration of their 1960s style, The Jackie. But what if we told you the expert-approved move might be to spend your money on lesser-known, mid-tier luxury brands? Recently, there seems to have been an uptick of people complaining about being fatigued by the designer luxury bag space — you know, those big Fashion Houses that come to mind when asked if you could have any bag, which one would you get? — and they have some pretty convincing points about why to invest in a lesser-known, but still up-to-par, name-brand bag.
It goes without saying that it’ll cost you if you’re looking to invest in a luxury designer bag. The price of some Chanel bags has risen by almost two-thirds since before the pandemic, while other brands, from Bottega to Hermès, have also raised prices. Take the revitalized Fendi Baguette, for example. Dubbed the “one of the first true It bags” by Vogue, it is still reminiscent of its iconic Y2K silhouette, but price tags are heftier than ever. We’re talking basically the same bag with a price increase that has more than doubled (the average cost in 2006 was $1,500 and now is around $3,800).
Owning a designer bag has become increasingly inaccessible. Even if you’re looking at resale sites like The Real Real and Vestiaire Collective, prices might not budge or only go for a not-so-noticeable difference from what they sell for in-store. So, we hear you if you have a hard time justifying spending so much on a bag you’re not totally in love with — or are just feeling generally unimpressed by this year’s styles.
Many Gen Z consumers turn to vintage or mid-tier luxury for their handbags. According to The Real Real, demand for the “collectible vintage” category is up by 439%. And if you’re not familiar with mid-range luxury, the tagline explainer goes like this: “Pricer than Zara, cheaper than Prada” — and it’s an uber-popular option, too.
Fashion Trend Forecaster and Editor Kendall Becker observed a notable spike in interest on Trendalytics in mid-priced luxury brands and average weekly searches. She shares why that might be: “With easy access to information from TikTok to publications, consumers are increasingly becoming interested in where their products are coming from and how they’re made––case in point, understanding that often a price-tag doesn’t necessarily correspond to quality,” Becker tells Teen Vogue.
Quality has been top-of-mind for buyers. One leather expert and TikToker, Tanner Leatherstein, is even going viral for cutting up popular styles (yes — you read that right. He’s literally taking scissors to a Prada. The pain!) to show whether or not the materials are worth the price tag. Not to mention, even Beyoncé might be feeling the fatigue. In her album, Renaissance, she name-checks Telfar— the much more affordable, Black-owned brand — as her go-to, while her Hermès Birkin stays “in storage.”
As it turns out, some might purchase with the same sentiment as that iconic Beyoncé song line. People might be swapping legacy bags for vegan leather totes because of the desired uniqueness. Carrying a bag more true to a carrier’s value might have more currency than a label. Gen-Z, statistically the most eco-conscious generation, has been embracing the vintage and second-hand clothing and accessory market and is also proudly adopting the; just because everyone has it, doesn’t mean I have to mindset.
And with marketing tactics like influencer seeding, expensive no longer means inherently exclusive. Prada, for example, sends out their “It-bag” each season to celebrities and influencers. And while luxury bands still seem incredibly targeted in who they send free things to maintain an air of exclusivity, social media has made the styles feel overdone due to them being algorithmically fed to us so often. Whether or not you find it a genius business plan, you must admit that you’ve probably seen the brand’s geometric triangle silhouette on the arm of someone you follow. Instead, now Gen-Z is equating personal style to their personality and as an act of rebellious autonomy; Fashion is no longer about status. It’s about ownership of oneself in a highly consumerist world. Purchasing a mid-their brand might give you room to buy something else daring — or more faithful to your personal style.
Mid-tier luxury can have a bit of everything: high-quality materials, fashion-forward aesthetics, achievable price points, and — arguably the most important —- a style that feels more your own. One that, ultimately, you can have fun with.
“Let’s say you’re saving up for a heritage designer bag that’ll cost as much as your rent; chances are you’ll want to stick to a neutral or timeless silhouette,” Kendall Becker tells Teen Vogue. “But, choosing between $200-700 options encourages consumers to try new brands and styles.”
We’ve got you covered if you need help figuring out where to start in your handbag journey. Here are some selects we’re currently crushing on, all $700 and below:
