My first luxury handbag – Enclothed Cognition

Hi everyone. Today I’m going to write about my first luxury handbag purchase – a vintage Chanel Classic Medium Flap!

Why I Chose Chanel

I have wanted a Chanel handbag since I was a 13-year-old teenager – and almost 17 years later, I finally took the plunge. It’s funny – my college self made firm resolutions to purchase a luxury handbag with my first-ever paycheck from my real job, as a “congratulations to joining society!” reward. Of course, things never go according to plan. When you work hard to earn your own money, it becomes much harder to part with it, not forgetting the bills and commitments that come with adulting.

But I decided that I was in a good enough place in life to finally treat myself to one, and if I waited until I had a mortgage or kids I would probably never buy one. So after weeks of scrolling and “should-I-shouldn’t-I”, I bit the bullet.

I felt immensely guilty for a while, because there is so much privilege in being able to afford luxury, and splurging on something like this when there are people suffering in the world felt wrong in a way. I realized after though that just because I finally did something to treat myself, it didn’t mean I was selfish or bad.

The History of the Chanel Classic Flap and Why It Is So Expensive

A Chanel bag is rich in history. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel first designed the Chanel Flap Bag in 1955, and it revolutionized how women went about their day – as it was the first shoulder bag that could allow women to be hands-free. This was further redesigned in 1983 by Karl Lagerfeld, into the Classic Flap we see today.

Prices have increased exponentially over the past many years, and the bag has more than DOUBLED in price since 2012, way more than inflation rates! Over the past 2 years Chanel have increased their bag prices more than 20%, with 2 price increases per year. Hence I thought the best time to buy was probably now.

Current Chanel bag prices (in AUD) – prices just increased on 2/11/22.

Chanel WOC: $4400 -> $4750

Small Classic Flap: $12960 -> $13600

Medium Classic Flap: $13850 -> $14470

Jumbo Classic Flap: $14910 -> $15610

My Buying Process

I opted to buy a preloved bag due to the price point, and because I wanted to be more sustainable in my fashion choices. However, some rare models can fetch more than retail price on the preloved market just due to how hard they are to find! I also like the 24k gold plated hardware on older Chanel bags, which Chanel stopped producing in 2008, opting for gold-toned hardware.

I bought mine off a preloved luxury Facebook group based in Australia – and after doing a lot of research and seller reviews, I bought my bag for really quite a good price. It can be nerve-wracking to spend such a large amount of money in this manner, but there are other options such as luxury resellers (Fashionphile, TheRealReal, and even eBay, which has an Authenticity Guarantee where luxury items are sent to an authenticator before arriving to you). My bag was authenticated by the seller, but I authenticated it again when I received it for peace of mind.

Finally – meet my Chanel bag!

My beautiful vintage Chanel Classic Medium Flap measures 25.5cm x 15.5cm X 6.5cm, and is made from lambskin leather. Chanel also make their bags in caviar leather (a tougher, more durable grained leather) which is ridiculously expensive on the preloved market. I personally like how luxurious lambskin looks, but it is a little harder to take care of.

My bag dates to 1984-1986 based on the serial code, which means it is older than I am. I see myself as more as a custodian of this bag than its owner, and often wonder about the history behind her. Who used to own her? Where has she been and what has she seen? What special memories have been made by the previous owners while using this bag?

It comes with a double flap, a chain which can be worn doubled up on the arm or shoulder, or extended as a single long strap on the shoulder. The strap is too short to use it as a crossbody, unless you’re shorter and tinier than I am.

Here are some shots of myself wearing my Chanel bag:

Crossbody – I feel it’s a little too big and awkward to use as a crossbody, and the bag hits above my hip.

I initially really wanted a Small Classic Flap, which measures 23cm across, so a tad smaller than the Medium Flap. I was afraid of it looking too big for my frame, but in the end I went with a Medium simply because I could not find a Small with the price point and condition I was looking for. I am glad that I got the Medium because it doesn’t look big on my frame at all, and I stand at 150cm.

What fits in my Chanel bag

Just a rough guide of what was in my bag today – my tiny wallet, my iPhone, gum, eyeliner and 2 lip products, and my sunglasses (which I couldn’t find and substituted with my regular glasses).

Final thoughts

I am now a proud owner of a beautiful bag steeped in history, impeccable in quality, which is a beacon of femineity and timeless elegance. The hard part comes next – how to baby my bag, yet use it regularly, and how to keep it looking as good as it is. Stay tuned on this blog for a post about how I care for my bag!