A black smooth leather bucket tote with a single strap. It has four pockets round the outside – two of which are real and two of which are just for show.

The leather looks lush and the bag looks lovely on. It holds A4 and is nice and light.

This week I am using my most expensive handbag ever – a large Proenza Schouler PS1 in Purple Rain. It is a rather well planned bag with heavy duty metal zips on every back panel.

As well as my usual accoutrements, I have today the following items:

• Greeen lizard Filofax
• Green crocodile Smythson manuscript book in the large size
• Cath Kidston toadstool keyring. The keys with the photos of my cats on them are for the apartment so I can see them easily
• Waterman Carene ballpoint pen in Royal Blue
• Purple scarf with sculls on it
• Full size iPad with Logitech keyboard (this allows me to type long documents when I am out in the field).
• Violet leather hair scrunchie from Rokit
• Skull and crossbones mirror

Johnny Loves Rosie tote

I have had my share of handbag failures over the years. Mainly because I try to be a small dainty bag person but I am not. Or because I did not try the bag out before I bought it.

If I am making an investment purchase I usually buy a cheap version of the same bag and test it for a few months. If it works I then sell the cheap version or donate it to my daughter or charity and buy the real thing. This has never failed.

If I cannot do that then I test the bag in the shop. Yes, it can garner you some disapproving glances but I am at the age now that I don’t care. I take everything I need to carry with me and I put it in the bag. I see how it fits, feel how heavy the bag is, try it on my shoulder/hand/arm. I walk around a bit to see if the straps slip or it bangs awkwardly against my hip. I take things out and put them back as I would if I were in shop or on the bus. I check for a dustbag and protective feet under the bag. I adjust the straps, see how high or low it hangs. I test the internal pockets. I see if things fall into a heap at the bottom or if the contents of my bag remain where I put them.  Can I find things easily with one hand and without putting the bag on the floor for a complete rummage? I also investigate the guarantee and if the shops will send the bag back for me if it needs repairs.

If you are quite hard on a bag avoid expensive bags in textiles or pale colours because they tend to show age and wear. If you would like a bag that is pale or of canvas or cotton, buy a cheap one. Light coloured lining will show dirt, pen marks and stains but it also makes it easier to find things. Also be aware that dark clothing and denim can cause transfer onto lighter coloured bags. If you are in doubt you can use a leather protector but this may alter the colour and texture of your bag so test on a small hidden area first.

Check that all all studs, buttons and zippers are firmly fastened and that they work as they should. Are they heavy duty? Pockets and flaps with real buckles are a huge pain to fasten and undo. Proenza Schouler bags are notorious for losing studs so if you have one, tighten and check the studs regularly.

Generally speaking if you are big avoid very small bags and vice versa.

For formal workplaces I think structured is bertter than pouchy but that is personal opinion.

Watch sales and specials online and in-store for those investment purchases that you would not otherwise be able to afford. Secondhand stores, charity stores and auction houses often have lovely handbags at very reasonable prices.

If you get a stain or mark on suede or an expensive handbag, don’t try to remove it yourself. Rather entrust it to a leather specialist. If you do manage to mark a light coloured bag you can have it dyed a darker colour but entrust this to a specialist.

Store your bags in their dust bags with acid-free tissue paper so that they keep their shape. This I used to do but don’t anymore because I have so many that they took up too much space.

If you have expensive handbags, make sure they are covered by your household insurance policy and keep copies of your receipts. Original receipt ink fades within a year or so so photocopy it.

Now this one is one of my favourite bags. It can do everything and has taken a beating and come up smiling. I have used it as a travel bag, an overnight bag, a work bag, a casual bag. It has a nice A5 sized pocket at the front for a planner or Filofax.

I used to love Orca bags. Somewhere along the line they changed their name from Orca to Tabitha and on Red Direct they sold out the old Orca ones. I bought a tan one and a brown one. I got two for the price of one. I have written about the tan one before but this one is the brown one.

Description

Soft squarish bag with metal zipper and two adjustable straps. Has one unlined outside pocket in A5 size. Inside it is lined in cotton with a zippered pocket and a pouch pocket.

Pros

It is square but not hard so everything sits in place nicely without tumbling into a pile. Light, hardwearing and the wide soft straps are the most comfortable of any bag I own. They are just perfect for carrying via both hand and shoulder. This bag doesn’t look big but fits enormous amounts. A4 slides in with ease. The metal zip is really heavy duty and slides smooth as a dream.

Cons:

Absolutely none. This is one of my absolute favorite bags

Find the online article here

Is that a blue Calipso I spy?

…will be on my wrist before long! The shorter ones are quite hard to find so I am pretty lucky to find these two nice ones (see Campomaggi’s photos of them below). Each one of these bracelets is one of a kind.

Like Campomaggi handbags, these bracelets are assembled and then put through the washing,dyeing and distressing process. The river stones are also unique to each bracelet and you can see exactly which one you will be getting. Because they are sewn in, they are not prone to falling out.

As Campomaggi says: Because each “skin” is unique in the way it absorbs color, stretches and shrinks, each finished item is distinct in its color, tonality, and texture. The resulting shape and size may also vary slightly. This means that each one ends up a different colour, shape and size.

In white

In blue. Isn’t this stone just perfect?

My green one. So many people have stopped and asked me where I got this cuff. And that is unusual because I wear cuffs every day and no one ever comments on any of them except this one (which has not left my wrist since I received it!)

My green one

How they are packaged – a box, cloth bag and large tag.

All my Campomaggi items apart from one have come from Marcopoloni.com – their service is excellent, their Facebook page is brilliant and their products are sublime! I can recommend them heartily. As an example, Emi models all the handbags, can hunt down hard to find models, has fitted bracelets I ordered on her own wrists to ensure they will fit me, answers questions no matter how small or silly they have seemed to me. Daniele is also a star! This kind of service really makes a difference in today’s increasingly soulless world. I think it is important we support companies like these which give an old-fashioned shopping experience in a new-fangled world. Thank you Emi and Daniele!

This coming week will be a heavy one, work-wise. I need a big bag, so this Woolworths Mitzy fits the bill. I do have a problem with everything falling to the bottom, so this bag contains more pouches and holders than usual.

I have:

• Lookfantastic foldable ballet flats which I got free from Lookfantastic.
• Inky purple receipt wallet by Balenciaga
• Gold Anya Hindmarch makeup bag
• Rayban sunglasses (Currency)
• My Zenok leather pencil case
• Longchamp Les Pliages in blue for all my work papers and folders
• Green Lizard Filofax which is my planner and wallet and has my keys in it
• Violet Akiko Filofax which is my journal and ‘me’ book
• iPhone

Not featured: iPad, umbrella, gum

At the moment I am using my Proenza Schouler Large PS1 in Purple Rain. So many people comment on it because of the colour. It is very hard to take a truly representative photo of this colour as it is on the blue side of violet and tends to look blue in my amateur photographs.

I bought it purely for the colour. I saw one, fell in love and hunted for any bag in the same colour but could not find one that was even close. I put off buying this bag for ages because of the price but in the end I got one on a seasonal sale in December 2012.

It is designed very well for several reasons:

• lots of zippered pockets
• metal zips (I hate nylon zips)
• thick coarse almost canvas lining (I hate satin or thin cotton)
• not plastered with logos
• fits A4
• light
• shoulder strap and briefcase-like handle
• big but does not look it
• works with smart and casual outfits
• very professional shape that can also be dressed down for off-duty wear

The only downside of these bags is that the studs sometimes work loose and the leather on the purple is not as thick and tough as the black for example.

Still, I love it, so here is an orgy of stock photographs which show it in all its glory and depict the correct colour.

This is another colour I was really attracted to – Lagoon. Though teals and turquoises are easier to find than really good purples.

Wouldn’t that Lagoon on the bottom left go really nicely with an Aqua Malden! The colour top right is not purple rain but veruca salt.

Veruca salt is, as you can see, on the red side of purple. I much prefer the blue side.

This is one of three small bags I own. I tend to use it at parties where I need a few things with me but the bags I usually carry would be totally out of place. The strap can be attached or removed.

The greyish turquoise is a nice almost-neutral colour that gives a pop of colour to an outfit. The skull is edgy but not blingy.

This is another bag that I use to carry my papers. It is a bucket shape which means it stands up and can hold A4 pages both lying down and standing up. It is especially nice for carrying bottles of water, because they stand up all the time and there is no danger that they will fall over and leak.

It can be carried in my hand and over my arm which means I don’t sling it over my shoulder like I do most of my other bags. The shoulder strap can be removed so I usually carry it without the strap, though I keep the strap in my bag in case I need it.

I have a horrible habit of always slinging my heavy bags over my right shoulder. It splits my hair and, over the years, has really damaged my right hand shoulder and arm. So this one helps me not fall into that trap with heavy papers and books.

This is a black P.A.P. briefcase containing:

• Medium Gillio Mia Cara in Epoca Gold
• Stimorol gum
• Keys on Gianni ladybird keyring
• Vasuma glasses
• Vasuma sunglasses
• iPhone with white case
• Black Fulton mini-umbrella
• ID card for Parliament
• Harrods Makeup case
• Tissue holder
• Mirror
• Frixion pens

I love this one to bits. Probably the most professional and smart bag I own. It is make of very thick very tough leather and I have only ever seen one of them.

Very well designed with three internal compartments and a detachable shoulder strap. Cannot express how much I love this bag.

This is one of my canvas totes – it was on half price sale at our nearest Marc Jacobs retailer and I had some vouchers so I got it for almost nothing – about £8. I use it with my PS1 in Purple Rain as I often have lots of heavy books to carry and it eases the weight on my shoulder. Aren’t they are perfect match?

View from the bottom. Looks a weird colour in this one.

Thought I would try to combine two of my passions in one post and decide which bag matched each Filofax the best:

Aqua Malden Filofax and Jade Secret Love Francesco Biasia Handbag

Orange Vanilla Paris Handbag and Tangerine Finchley Filofax

Gold Francesco Biasia Secret Love Handbag and Gold Mulberry Agenda Planner

Mulberry Roxanne Handbag in Oak and Mulberry Agenda Planner in Oak

Mulberry Luella Giselle Handbag and Tan Belmont Filofax

Green Zara Bag and Green Dundee, Tejus and Gillio Binders

Navy Lush Wangalike Bag and Navy Cavendish Filofax

Cobalt Blue Kris Ana Tote with Blue Calipso Filofax (I don’t own this one but I think I should!)

P.A.P. Leather briefcase and Shark Winchester Filofax

Brown Zara Mock Croc Bag and A5 Brown Amazon Filofax (I no longer have this one but I thought I would feature it anyway!)

Red Birkinalike Handbag and Red Filofax Flex and Lizard

Purple Ostrich Vanilla Paris Bag and Violet Akiko Binder

I sometimes wonder if business owners and shop staff who deal with the public realise how important good customer service actually is. Or after-sales service for that matter.

If I receive bad service or bad after-sales service I never shop there again. I vote with my feet and my wallet.

In Shops

My pet peeves are staff who:

• follow you around the shop as though you are going to steal something
• follow you around the shop trying to get you to buy certain products
• ignore you totally to chat to other staff even though you are hovering next to them clearly wanting help
• don’t greet you or make eye contact when you pay
• tell you how awful whatever product it is you are using now, even if you are very happy with it
• try to sell you an entire range of something when you just want one item
• show no interest in the product you are interested in buying
• don’t know anything about the products they are selling
• don’t take no for an answer if you say you are just looking or are not interested
• refuse to check the stockroom or look on the computer to see if an item is available at other branches
• regard the relationship with you as over once you leave the store. Should something go wrong they are not interested.

I fully accept that in a pound shop or Primark you can’t have your own personal shopping assistant. I also accept that anyone can have a bad day for all kinds of reasons (not feeling well, personal problems etc). But constant bad service really gets on my nerves!

Online

my pet peeves are:

• not being able to find products, product information, shopping carts and shipping costs quickly upon entering the site.
• no response to emails
• slow postage
• bad product information such as bad or undetailed photographs, no measurements, no detailed product specifications
• no communication about the process of your order. Has it been dispatched? How has it been sent?

BUT my biggest hate of all is snobby shop assistants in expensive stores. The ‘big mistake’ scene in Pretty Woman resonates so much with so many people because it is true. And I can never understand why assistants in designer stores are often so snooty. Do they feel that because they work in Gucci rather than H and M it makes them better?

I had a student once who loved Louis Vuitton shoes. She saved all her money for nearly a year to be able to afford a pair. When the big day came she was nervous about even entering the shop. She wore her best clothes and did her hair and makeup all nicely. When she got to the shop they were rude to her before she could even tell them what she wanted. Then they told her (I kid you not) that LV shoes were for model feet only. She left in tears. In our class the following week we read about the same store asking someone to leave because she was an immigrant, poorly dressed and ‘obviously not there to shop’. In fact, she had money to buy something but that seemed beside the point to them.

Anyhoo, at the end of the term the group the ‘shoe lady’ belonged to usually went on a field trip with me – shopping! They would speak English in all the shops and restaurants we visited. This is amazingly good training in real-life small talk, polite chat, making transactions and ordering from a menu. BUT this time we made Louis Vuitton our first port of call. We all spoke only English so he didn’t recognize his former customer who didn’t have model feet. I know my bags inside out so I made him take all the bags off the shelves, and interrogated him about all the previous LV collaborations – my favourite is the Julie Verhoeven one which he had never even heard of. Then I made him take all the drawers out of the travel trunk and swanned off to the other side of the shop leaving him to put them back in. When he spoke in English he had a fake French accent. What a prat. My students really enjoyed that. And about a month after that I organised some LV shoes for my student who wore them specially to the next lesson to show me her thanks and how pretty they were on her ‘non-model’ feet.

This bag has been a long time coming. I have a Mulberry Roxanne which is the oldest of the ‘Roxanne family’. The others are the Rosemary (a smaller version of the Roxanne) and  the Blenheim (the smallest version). All a little easier to find than my Holy Grail – the Romilly. The largest version of the Roxanne family and the counterpart in size to the Piccadilly, the largest Bayswater.

Today on my way to the bank (to deposit money I had made from selling off some of my bags, ironically) I spotted an oak Piccadilly on someone. She was fairly tall like me and so she could carry off the large size Bayswater. I had a pang of regret that I sold mine and wistfully wondered ‘I wonder if I will ever find a Romilly?’ I have been hunting for years but you seldom find an Oak one, and Oak is my Mulberry colour of choice.

In the bank there was a queue so I got out my iPad and looked on my favourite sites for a Romilly. And there was one – added on Saturday to Labels Most Wanted. The site was down but I messaged the seller on their Facebook page. Despite the site being down all day, the lovely Louise manually put the sale through for me. Courier to Sweden was only £10 and I received shipping notification the same evening. Despite it being her birthday and 10pm at night. I was totally blown away!

I used to buy from Louise when she was on eBay and love her site. Though, like Naughtipidginsnest, I have to ration my visits because there is always something to love on there.

At the moment there is a lovely Oak Bayswater for sale so if you are looking for one – this may be your lucky day.

Louise’s description of the Romilly:

• It shows signs of ageing/wear to the hardware, corners and handles, has some general light marks to the leather and marks to the base which I have endeavoured to show in the photos. However, this bag is still in really nice condition for this increasingly hard to find model
• It is made from oak darwin leather with brass hardware
• Mulberry’s darwin leather is vegetable tanned which brings out the natural characteristics of the leather. It is designed to age naturally and become more characteristic with use
• Size – approx 44cm wide x 24.5cm high x 23.5cm deep plus handles and strap
• Top handles have approx 26cm drop
• Detachable shoulder strap with comforter has approx 71cm drop
• Top flap with central strap and two side straps with, buckle and concealed magnetic fastener
• Two front pockets with strap, buckle and magnetic fastener
• Four feet on base
• Inside is self-lined with canvas base
• Mulberry leather label with round disc and serial number
• Black Made in Turkey label inside bag (Mulberry make bags in Spain, Turkey, China, Italy and England)
• Mulberry branding stamped into studs and buckles
• Comes with dustbag, sorry no care card

And her photographs (thanks Louise for letting me us them!)

Naturally – the universe, for once, seeming to work WITH me today, the money I had made from selling my bags covered everything. And I finally finally have a Romilly in Oak Darwin.

Louise you made my day! I hope you enjoy the rest of your birthday!

Janet

Above is my sterling silver handbag charm bracelet. I used to have a gold one too but it ended up with about 50 charms on it so I sold the bracelet and all of the charms except a few favorites (pictured below)

Below is my favourite one of all time. My husband had it made for me as a surprise. The charm is in the shape of a handbag with proper handbag details on the front and on the back ‘älskar dig mycket’ which means ‘I love you loads’ in English. When I sold my bracelet  I wore this as a pendant for many years. Sorry I don’t have a better camera but you get the idea, I hope.

I am so so happy to have been able to do this interview. I adore Shian from Naughtipidgins Nest. She loves bags, knows so much about them, is always happy to chat about them and treats you like her very best friend. Her site is gorgeous, her descriptions are the best, and her multiple photographs of each and every item are epic. Just what you want from a purchasing experience, and a friend. If you let her know what you are looking for, she will let you know if one comes in. At the moment she has her eyes out for a Mulberry Annie and Phoebe in Oak for me.

How did Naughtipidgins Nest start and why the name?

I’ve always loved bags, but moving from London to Lancashire in 2005, it became very evident I’d amassed far too many for rural life! So, I started to downsize by selling on eBay, and both buyers and sellers seemed to like the way I took lots of photos and described things very honestly. It wasn’t long before people were contacting me to ask if I could sell their bags for them and it really went from there. In May 2011 I decided eBay had served its time for the ‘Nest’ and set up my own website which has been incredible fun and I’m loving every minute of it.The name of the business reflects my eBay ID which was fairly well known by the time I set up the site…..even though its a bit of a nightmare to type as a URL!

How many bags do you own and which one is your favourite?

Currently about 25, which is very much diminished from my collection’s peak, but it is true ….I really don’t need two different bags a day, every day of the week, each month of the year, any more! (At least thats what I try to keep telling myself when my collection creeps up in size. An occupational hazard of the job, so I’m not too hard on myself). I now tend to keep a core of classics that I rarely stray from and a varied collection of Mulberry (mainly older styles as it seems to take me a while to ‘warm up’ to newer ones). As long as they all still fit in my designated ‘personal-bag-space’ then I know I’m in control! My favourite bag still has to be a Chanel Classic Flap. Whether lambskin or Cavier, it just goes with everything and will never, ever date.

What are the most popular bags currently?

Definitely the most desired bag is the Chanel Flap 10″ in black lambskin. Ones with silver hardware seem particularly sought after and this bag could sell 100 times over, without a shadow of a doubt! Next, I’d say the Mulberry Bayswater is still a very popular bag and also the Alexa. Personally I do love the older Mulberry styles as the design and quality is unsurpassed, in my view, but these bags are becoming harder and harder to find in good condition.

What advice can you give people on how to store and care for their bags?

It depends on the bag, leather and finish because you’d treat a lambskin leather differently to an LV canvas, but generally the golden rules are:

1. ensure you know how to care for your finish, (read its Care Card and / or Google the leather type)
2. make sure you have the right products, such as Collonil, Lord Sheraton, etc
3. remember to clean and care for them regularly (which again will depend upon finish and usage) and
4. store with stuffing inside their dustbags to maintain their shape and air regularly to prevent any mustiness.

How do people sell their bags on your site?

It’s a very easy process to consign an item at the Nest. The seller just sends in photos and details of the bag, from which I provide a provisional resale price and the amount the seller will receive when its sold. The return will vary on a number of factors but most sellers receive between 70% and 80% of the sale price. Then, the items posted in to the Nest and I photograph, list on the site and market the bag to anyone relevent on the ‘Wish List’ (now over 2,000 Wishes long!) as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Once the bag is sold and the buyer is happy, the Seller will receive their payment just 14 days later, (which is the Distance Selling Regulations required timescale for Returns). Simple as that :-)

How do you decide the prices ?

It depends on a number of factors but the main driver is condition. An item in barely used condition will always command a higher price than one in a more Used condition. Market influences such as designers’ price increases and inflation will also affect prices, as well as desirability, availability and demand. My aim is to achieve the maximum return for a seller that I can, whilst ensuring the buyer receives the most competitive price possible.

How do you authenticate items that come into the Nest ?

Authentication is a time-served skill and takes a great deal of experience, observation and research. You have to have reviewed, handled and examined a lot of bags, both genuine and fake, over a long period of time, in order to be able to discern the authentic from the counterfeit. Yes, some fakes are really rubbish and anyone can ‘tell’ but many are incredibly close to the real thing and those who haven’t the knowledge or skill to indentify the indicators can be very easily taken in. Its ALWAYS a complete waste of money to buy fake, whether knowingly or unwittingly as they will never match up to the longevity, quality and ultimately, beauty and craftmanship of a genuine item.

If anyone is ever in any doubt about any item then I’d always recommend consulting an Authentication Service. There are some excellent ones here in the UK and also overseas who, for a small fee, will let you know whether something is real or fake. Its a MUST for anyone who is thinking of buying preloved.

What small accessories do you find most in demand? Matching purses/wallets are lovely to have when you buy a bag, so I do get lots of requests for specific finishes and Vuitton ones are always in demand. Bag charms are also popular, (especially Mulberry ones), particularly to give as little gifts as I find quite a lot of men seem to buy these! Agendas and Planners are also still sought after and though I guess many people now use their phone as a diary, I still prefer my little black congo pocketbook to anything else.

Do you have a Day Job as well as running the Nest?

Not any more, thankfully! I’m a qualified accountant and ran my own small business consultancy for a few years when we moved to the North, but found the travel too much with a young family. Once the Nest was established I was happily able to ‘put all my eggs in one nest’ and though there are never huge profits to be made in recycling preloved bags, its a true labour of love and I couldn’t be more content.

What is an NPNP? The Naughtipidgins Nest Passport is a document that accompanies all Nest purchases (that have a serial number) and identifies the origin, serial number, care instructions and history of the item. If the item has a receipt, a copy of this is scanned in also and any details of previous repairs and ownership included. Personal details aren’t documented, of course, but is always nice to know when and where your purchase was first bought, how many owners its had and how to look after it. Its also useful if you ever want to recycle your bag as it helps reassure potential buyers that the item you are selling is authentic…..and if you decide to sell it via the Nest, the NPNP automatically qualifies an 80% commission return.

Thank you so much Shian! I definitely share your love for the older Mulberry handbags. Here is an article on my favorite era of Mulberry. Should add here that Shian has sold well over 5000 handbags so she really really really knows her stuff! Coming up is another article that Shian and I will be working on together about the Bayswater and Roxanne ‘families’ of Mulberry handbags. These two styles had larger and smaller versions with different names and shapes. Find Naughtipidgins Nest on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Featured here are:

• Orange Lush Biker bag
• Orange Vanilla Paris bag
• A5 Tangerine Finsbury
• Personal sized Paul Smith Swirl organisers

These are my

• Mini Teal Baroque
• A5 Aqua Malden
• Market Stall Patent Bag
• Francesco Biasia Secret Love in Jade
• Turquoise Laptop Bag
• Manufactus Turquoise Notebooks

In real life all these items are similar in colour but in photographs the Teal/Aqua/Turquoise is shot off to either the blue or the green end of the spectrum and look quite different. Just as purple can photograph as either to the red or the blue end of the spectrum.