There’s no more in-your-face reminder of your lack of orange boxes than being outside of an Hermès show. It’s not subtle either. It’s bold. It’s every rarity, and then some, on one person.

It’s the idea that a waitlist and a subtle “we have nothing for you” are really meant specifically for you, not the next person. Because the VIPs, well, they have all the Hermès. The influencers, they have all the Hermès. The Sneyjo sisters, they have ALL THE HERMÈS.

And me? I have the images. I get to look at what everyone else has and share it with you. And I have the info. The info on every rare bag you see and the color, the hardware, the leather.

That is what I bring to the table, and while it isn’t quite the same as the stacks of orange boxes, it isn’t too shabby either.

Read more

Fashion Month is not quite halfway through, and while you may think it’s glamorous from the outside looking in, attending the shows is actually exhausting. It’s a logistical mess, with very little sleep and very much money spent, and while I loved attending for many years, I am actually happy to be sitting at home and tending to my regular day-to-day life.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not still very much intrigued and following along, from the runways to the streets. You know I always have a photographer grabbing photos for us, and while Fashion Week is a time of PR dressing and less “organic” outfits, I still love seeing what people are carrying and how they style it.

Here are some of my favorites from NYFW. I shared Part 1 on PurseBlog already and saved another batch for you here. Which is your favorite?

Read more

I wrote this year’s list before I went back to look at last year’s. I wanted to see how they compared. Funny enough, I have quite a few points that directly overlap or have the same sentiment.

But you know what I noticed most? Last year was more a list of things I had learned, while this year is a list of things I am still working toward. And it matches where I am in my life.

I keep learning that, obviously, life is changing, but so am I. And this year, I gave myself so much more space to learn. To be OK with making mistakes or deciding I would handle something differently. I’ve given myself more love. And this list reflects that.

I don’t always know how I am going to react, and I am learning to be OK with not having everything planned out.

So for my 43rd birthday, I sat on the couch and made this list. It is a gift to myself, and hopefully, a gift for you, too.

1. Buy yourself a new bra. You deserve it.

2. You can always make more money. You can’t make more time. I’m trying to remember that more often.

3. Every single person you meet is doing life for the first time.

4. It’s OK to say no. Try it more often.

5. Things don’t happen to me; they happen for me.

6. It’s OK not to speak. It’s OK not to get involved. Not every situation needs your opinion.

7. You don’t need to hold a grudge. You can, but you don’t need to.

8. Wear your nice things. Don’t wait for the right time.

9. You don’t always know how you’re going to react until you’re in the moment. Give yourself grace for that, too.

10. Not everyone deserves your attention. You can still be polite, but you don’t owe them more.

11. People change. That’s OK.

12. You can disagree with people, share your opinion, and still be friends. Don’t be afraid to speak up.

13. You will make mistakes. So many of them. Apologize.

14. Listen to your kids. Truly listen to them, and don’t take away that innocence and wonder from them.

15. Your kids won’t come to your bed in the middle of the night forever. One day, you will miss this.

16. Say yes to new things if you want. If you truly don’t, you don’t need to try everything.

17. Even when it feels like others aren’t, be nice anyway.

18. Have more photos taken of yourself. Candid moments, real-life moments, and don’t let them all slip away. (This one is for my fellow moms who feel like they don’t have enough photos of themselves. I am you!)

19. Stop caring so much about what other people are doing.

20. Allow yourself to feel every emotion, even the overwhelming ones.

21. Give yourself grace.

    Subscribe now

22. Have the willingness to be wrong.

23. Also, have the willingness to fail.

24. Truth without compassion is cruelty.

25. Read a book.

    

26. Carve out time with your friends. Laugh with them, be with them, and make this a priority.

27. Repeat this: I don’t make promises, I make agreements.

28. Don’t mix up kindness with enabling.

29. Find people who love the things you love, and revel in it! Talk about it! Shop together! Buy the bags!

30. Stop waiting to live. This is your life, right this very second.

31. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself.

32. Not all “friends” are looking out for you. Be careful of those “friends.”

33. If buying a bag makes you happy (and doesn’t send you into debt), buy it! Wear it, love it!

34. We all have our own trauma. You never know what the person you are talking to has been through.

    

35. Make time for your spouse/partner. That relationship came before the kids and needs attention and love.

36. While some of your best moments are behind you, there is so much to look forward to.

37. Be OK with not giving a f.

38. Your children have their very own paths and lives. You can think you know what is best while still letting them discover the life they want to create for themselves.

39. Social media is not real. Do not fall for the illusion.

40. Love the ones you love loudly and proudly.

41. When your body asks for rest, listen to it.

42. Don’t keep yourself from your favorite foods. It’s not worth it. Moderation is key.

43. Life isn’t easy and isn’t meant to be. But there are always great moments ahead.

It wasn’t just a bully or two. It wasn’t just a few comments here and there. I had full-blown hate sites. Not one, not even two, but three. I had my own dedicated hate forum. I’ve told you before that I am a dinosaur in this industry, and what I see happening on forums like Reddit now, I experienced nearly 15 years ago. I suppose I was even one of the first recipients of a hate site. Look at me, setting trends.

Except it was terrible.

I was a young wife, had just moved to NYC, was experiencing life-altering levels of anxiety, and then I had a few people who really decided they didn’t like us and our handbag website. And yes, I am simplifying and dumbing down our business to a handbag website, because in the scheme of things, that is precisely what we are. Vlad and I created a place on the internet where people could talk about handbags. We built a community around something we loved. It was supposed to be fun.

Because we didn’t let someone freely post advertisements for their business on our forum, which was against our forum rules, they became a hater. But I mean a real hater. The kind of person who has vengeance running through their veins. The kind of person who is so miserable they have to make you miserable, too, and will do so by any and all means.

They doxxed us…

Read more

I’ve talked a lot about sporting events becoming their own fashion scene. It’s something that has changed for the players, who have turned arrivals into pivotal personal branding moments, and it has always been something for the attendees, who love to show up dressed well and even on theme.

Tennis culture has always been more of a style moment. From the players on the court to those attending matches, there’s a specific appeal and look that most go for. Clean whites, pleated skirts, and bags!

Now, many people have been quite confused about the lack of bag size restrictions at the US Open so far, and potentially that may change from US Open Fan Week to the bigger matches.

But what it did mean is that we got a look at the bags! We covered part one on PurseBlog, and I kept a batch for you here as well. These are some of my favorites from the entire group, so I saved them for you.

Read more

Dior has been one of the hottest brands since Jonathan Anderson took the helm, and one bag that was simple but defining for Anderson this summer was the Dior Blooming Bag.

It was one of those bags that I loved from the get-go. I loved how huge it was, the raffia, the pale pink leather detail, and I LOVED the Médaillon detailing. This bag screams Dior in a way that feels current, but not trendy, and when I threw a Dior Ice Cream Cone bag charm on it (because Jonathan Anderson is nailing the bag charm game), it made my summer that much sweeter.

If you wanted to know anything and everything about this bag, I’ve got you covered… and yes, this is supposed to be a Tuesday review, but it’s Wednesday, and that pretty much sums up the state of my life right now.

So, let’s get purseonal!

Subscribe now

First Impressions: The Look and Feel

I already touched on this, but clearly, it’s what drew me in. It’s what made me say YES to yet another raffia tote. It’s what made me think it looked a little bit like a sophisticated Parisian chair meets a summer bag. I know, sounds silly, but it works for me.

I love a tote, mainly for my haul-all days or travel. The downside of any tote is that it’s a tote, and the upside is all the functionality and usability it offers.

The nice thing about the Dior Blooming Bag is that it feels more feminine and ladylike, and the shape even reminds me of a European vacation rather than a cross-country trek kind of bag. And maybe that’s exactly what I wanted. Maybe I’ve been looking for a tote that feels less utilitarian and is prettier, while still having ample room to carry anything and everything I may need.

As for the Médaillon detailing, it dates back to the refined 18th-century rococo aesthetic of Dior salons (and yes, starting with "refined," I copied and pasted what Dior shared, because there didn’t seem to be a better way to describe it in my own words).

You know me and my pouches? Yep, love them. Need them. Can’t live without them.

This bag looks and feels luxurious, ladylike, and sophisticated, all while giving a laid-back vibe. And it’s why I am obsessed. But does this translate to every other area…

Read more

And lately, my brain isn’t filled with its usual fodder… wondering/worrying over the kids, trying to remember every activity, party, school assignment, and sports event. Rather, it is in this weird flow state of I should be doing more with my work and my knowledge right now.

And you know what got me here? Social media. That hamster wheel that I know better than to hop on and get stuck on, but alas, here I am. I KNOW BETTER.

So why is this happening? I hit this from a different angle recently, sharing that the internet I built my career on is disappearing, and I think what is hitting me the most is how the “internet” (meaning the videos shown to me because I keep consuming them) is filled with get-rich-quick how-tos. SO MANY OF THEM. So, so, so many of them. To the point where I have questioned my actual brain power, as in, how am I not able to do the same as them 20 years in? And on the flip side, realizing that it is back to another point that I’ve shared before: we are constantly being sold to. And with the latter part, I unfortunately must say, probably misled.

I won’t call it a flat-out lie about what people are sharing, because I truly believe they feel so hopeful that the course they are sharing or the information they are divulging will earn them financial success, but I do think we are at a place where ‘everyone is doing it’.

Read more

It’s why I always love true NYC street style. Yes, I love seeing what people wear and carry during Fashion Week, but it’s nothing like the natural moments you see day-to-day.

For August, our photographer hung around SoHo, Nolita, and the Lower East Side to grab some snaps of what people were carrying.

The vibes were a mix of casual, grungy, and eclectic. If you spent the same amount of time on the same day in a different part of the City, the looks would be totally different.

The Classic Black Bags

New York has always integrated classic black into its style and will always do so. NYC style is directly associated with black, and while a black bag is nothing new or groundbreaking, it does feel very NYC-esque when you see it in context around the City.

There were a few vintage logo bags we spotted. I think we will continue to see more people shopping their own closet, bringing out older bags, and opting for smaller, non-name-brand bags as well.

Read more

These were the bags I saw on my feed, the bags people asked me about most, and, ultimately, the bags I was most intrigued by.

These were the bags that held the conversations, and I want to look into each… from why they were popular, my thoughts and skepticism, to what it says about the bag industry as a whole.

These are 6 of the bags I saw taking over this summer, and my honest thoughts on each!

The Row Cecily

The conversation:

The Row has always had a stronghold on the fashion industry. And more than one bag from the brand has taken off in a way that is hard to deny. But the question many people are asking about The Cecily is, “Is this the next Margaux?”

The bag has already received the seal approval from fashion editors, and the satin versions have been spotted in vacation content across my feed. One main reason people turn to The Row is that the brand really embraced quiet luxury. The Cecily is incredibly minimal, to the point where some (myself included) wonder if it’s almost too minimal for the price.

The skepticism:

While the design isn’t meant to be intricate, I am wondering if this is a forever bag or simply the latest thing everyone in fashion is carrying. While the satin is incredibly beautiful and immediately ups the elegance factor, it stains so easily and is hard to clean. A drip of olive oil from your bread? Big spot, immediate attention needed!

My take:

Worth watching, but I’d wait before declaring it a future classic. The degree of simplicity is lovely, and then on that same front, it feels like something you could find at a summer market. The full-leather version would be easier to wear and wouldn’t worry me like the satin would.

I also want to note that the design itself is more of the talking point here - where are we moving in the bag world? It is towards smaller, less ‘fussy’, a bit more casual, but still feeling elegant, and simple in design.

Where to buy:

This bag is hard to track down, but your best bet is to try at The Row or Net-A-Porter.

Loewe Basket Family

The conversation:

When it comes to luxury summer baskets/raffia bags, Loewe is the gold standard. Many brands offer similar bags, but Loewe carved out an entire niche corner of the market and expands on it seasonally. There are countless options, and I find more people debating whether the more classic Basket, Font, or Puzzle Fold is the best bag for summer 2026.

The skepticism:

As someone who owns quite a few raffia bags, I typically worry about how the bag will show wear over time. The natural fibers will fray and show a bit of wear; it is inevitable, but Loewe has cornered this market and really shown its skill.

My take:

One of the safest luxury purchases on this list.

Where to Buy:

Loewe.com has any and every option available!

Chanel Maxi Flap Bag

The conversation:

We are in a very, very, very strong Chanel era, thanks to Matthieu Blazy at the helm. It’s not that Chanel is ever not popular, but the level at which the brand has hit is at a fever pitch. And one of the bags garnering all that attention is the Chanel Maxi Flap Bag. There are multiple sizes, and this overall very simple bag has people going nuts trying to track it down!

The skepticism:

Some worry this bag is over-hyped. I must say that there aren’t many “it” bags, just a product of the hype market. A collective “we” hype it up, and then it becomes the must-have. Typically, the conversation centers on the price of the bag (just under $10,000) and how simple it is.

My take:

Love it or leave it, this bag has taken over the market and has quickly become the bag to have. The nice thing is that nothing about it screams super seasonal or overly specific (that is unless you opt for a more seasonal color/material), so it feels timeless; its simplicity makes it a truly classic bag. This bag isn’t going anywhere.

Where to Buy:

Try your luck at your local Chanel boutique, or check sites like Fashionphile.com to see which bags are being resold. That's what I would do to make my life much easier: track it down!

Miu Miu Arcadie

The conversation:

Miu Miu has completely owned a certain corner of the fashion conversation this year. The Miu Miu girl is everywhere across my feed, and I have to admit, I am very much here for it. There is something about the whole look that feels playful, a little nostalgic, and very of the moment without trying too hard.

Subscribe now

The Arcadie has become one of the bags at the center of that conversation. It has that slightly structured, almost ladylike shape that feels familiar, but the proportions and details make it feel very Miu Miu. It reminds me of bags I wanted years ago, but with enough of a modern feel that it doesn’t come across as a straight throwback.

The skepticism:

The biggest question with any Miu Miu bag right now is whether you are buying into the bag itself or buying into the Miu Miu girl aesthetic. The brand has such a strong visual identity at the moment that it can be hard to separate the two.

And while the Arcadie has definitely benefited from the Miu Miu effect, I don’t think it relies entirely on it. It is actually a very practical bag. It has structure without feeling overly precious, can be carried in a few different ways, and has enough room to function as an everyday bag.

My take:

I really, really like this bag. And honestly, I think it is one of the better buys on this list.

There is a nostalgia to the Arcadie that I really love. It reminds me of the kind of bags that felt very special when I was younger, but it doesn’t feel like Miu Miu simply pulled something from the archive and called it a day. It feels fresh again.

And while I love a beautiful bag that makes a statement, I always come back to how much I will actually use it. The Arcadie checks that box for me. It feels polished enough to dress up, but casual enough to carry all the time, and the shape gives it a little more personality than a basic everyday shoulder bag.

I also really like that it feels connected to the whole Miu Miu girl moment without being completely dependent on it. Trends come and go, but a good shape, good size, and a bag you can actually use go a long way.

Where to Buy:

MiuMiu.com is your best bet here, and they have all the options in stock - and there are so many good ones!

Prada Wish Bag

The conversation:

Ah, the drawstring bag! This was the unexpected hit of summer. Prada released the Wish Bag first, and then other brands, both large and mostly independent, followed suit. We saw a lot of this bag, and the opinions are drastically varied, from some appreciating this bag for its simplicity to others deciding that it’s simply a dustbag dressed up and overpriced.

The skepticism:

While the summer of 2026 proved that the more pared-down bag was, in many cases, the go-to, this style still has plenty of people unconvinced. I can understand wanting simplicity and then buying something just for the logo, and that is where the discussion continues to get heated.

At what point are we buying a bag because of the craftsmanship, versus for the name?

My take:

Upon first seeing the bag, I felt the same internal tug I described above. I actually thought it was a great, easy bag that would feel different and look interesting. But I am also highly aware that there is little ‘design ingenuity’.

Again, to me, this goes back to the larger conversation about where the bag world is headed, and it feels like there is a shift. Summer of 2026 bags felt like two extremes - super simple or highly intricate.

Where to Buy:

Prada has options including silk, leather, suede, and re-nylon! And so many colors, as well.

The Vin Fishy Bag

The conversation:

When I said bag trends were either inherently simple or ornate, this is what I mean. I believe it shows exactly what the consumer wants, and The Vin has generated a lot of buzz, starting with its Fishy Bag. This is the definition of a statement maker, a conversation starter, and what lured me in first.

The skepticism:

Usability and functionality are what come into play with a bag like this. But it is not intended to be your most usable bag, it is meant to make a statement.

My take:

I am totally down with this! I always say that after your practical bags, find a bag that makes you happy. That makes you smile when you carry it. That stands out. And this bag does precisely that, at a price I find accessible as well.

Where to Buy:

You can buy directly through The Vin Store.

Leave a comment

And while I know style outside of Fashion Week shows is typically rather “forced,” meaning many are dressed by the brand, and it lacks a bit of the extra flair, there’s something about Copenhagen that simply gets it right.

Subscribe now

The mood is fun, the show-goers are true style fans, and the fashion… well, it’s good. It’s actually great. It’s patterns, it’s colors, it’s combinations, it’s brands you don’t know or are just hearing about.

So, we have one more installment of the bags we spotted during Copenhagen Fashion Week, and they are as good as ever. Part I is on PurseBlog, and Part II is below!

There was a good amount of Chanel and Hermès, and then a sprinkling of everything else!

The Chanel Choices

There was a LOT of Chanel, and much of it was new Chanel.

Read more

For over 22 years, I have written about handbags. I wrote three sentences. I wrote paragraphs. I dissected every single detail of every major brand and its bags, doing so multiple times a day. I chatted on our forum with people about bags, style, fashion, shopping, and so much more.

I’ve spent over two decades behind a keyboard.

I believed in keeping our own website. When social media took off, we never abandoned our dot com. We didn’t want our business to depend entirely on someone else’s algorithm. I never wanted to create content simply because an algorithm rewarded it.

Sure, Google rolled out search updates that impacted us from time to time, but people still found us. We still had thousands of regular readers every day, which meant our dot com remained one of the handful of independent websites that had existed and succeeded for over two decades.

I’ve watched the internet reinvent itself more than once.

We watched every single shift. We stayed strong and steady, sharing our unique voice and perspective, and we still do (three times a day, Monday through Friday). No AI, no bots, just humans sharing our thoughts on bags and accessories.

The most recent shift is the move toward Substack and other paywall platforms. And I’ve seen followers and readers asking why. Wondering if every influencer is simply greedy and looking for the latest way to make a dollar.

Subscribe now

The truth is, yes, Substack gives creators another way to make money. But that isn’t the whole story.

The internet has changed.

Google no longer sends independent publishers the kind of organic search traffic it once did. More and more often, it answers questions before people ever click through to the websites that spent years creating that information.

That means fewer chances for someone to discover a voice they didn’t know they were looking for.

That unique little voice that has sat behind a keyboard for two decades, plugging along, carving out a place online. Building a business not just for myself and my family, but for the people on my team too.

And I’m not alone.

This shift is impacting websites in every niche imaginable. Large, well-funded publishers. Small independent websites. The person quietly sharing their expertise with the world. So many of us built businesses by simply showing up every day and doing the work.

There have been so many moments over the last 22 years when someone declared blogging was over. Then they said websites were over. Then they said forums were over. Then they said social media was the only thing that mattered. I’ve learned not to get too attached to any one platform. The platforms change. The writing doesn’t.

So where does that leave us?

We bob and weave. We adapt. Because that’s the only way to survive.

I’ve operated an entirely free website for over two decades. PurseBlog has never had a paywall. PurseForum has never had a paid membership. I believed in keeping things open and building a business around that.

I’m thankful for a platform like Substack because it gives people the opportunity to follow a person instead of an algorithm. To subscribe because they genuinely want to hear what that person has to say next.

When people ask me if I’m worried about AI, I’d say...a little.

But I also think back to Covid, when we were all at home and quickly realized the human desire to connect with one another. To find like-minded people. To have meaningful conversations. To hear from another person whose experiences aren’t exactly like our own.

AI can summarize information.

It can’t recreate the strange, imperfect, unpredictable way people think. It can’t replace lived experience or personality.

You could never guess what I’m going to say next.

So when you see a creator moving to a platform like Substack, maybe yes, they’re looking for another revenue stream. But maybe they’re also trying to protect the work they’ve spent years building. Maybe they’re simply trying to make sure the people who want to hear from them still can.

That’s a big part of why I’m here.

After more than 22 years in this industry, I have a perspective that only comes from living through every version of the internet. I want to share more of it. I want to do it in a space where people still value individual voices and thoughtful conversation.

If you’ve followed me for years, thank you. If you’re new here, welcome. And if you’d like to come along, I’d love to have you here.

I’m back, baby! I suppose I shouldn’t be celebrating the most delayed return to the bag reviews that I promised you all, but I need a little celebratory moment for feeling like I’m getting back at it.

The good news is that I have lined up a few current-season bags to review for you, and I’m kicking it off with the very summer-appropriate Saint Laurent ICARE crafted from wooden beads.

If you’re a bag lover, I bet you’ve seen this bag on your feed. I know I have. It’s one of those bags that stands out so much, you wouldn’t be able to miss identifying it as YSL, and it screams summer status symbol.

So now I’m going to share all the details of this bag with you: my honest thoughts, whether I would recommend buying it, and every other detail you may have wondered about.

Let’s get purseonal!

Read more

Even typing that feels a little strange because when I started, this wasn’t really an industry. There wasn’t a roadmap. There weren’t people teaching you how to build a personal brand or grow an online business. Most of us were just figuring it out as we went.

And the internet itself looked completely different.

When I started college in 2002, half the students didn’t have their own computers. Facebook was only available on certain college campuses, and you needed a .edu email address to join.

Instagram? Pfft. Not even a thought.

So when I say I’ve watched this entire world evolve, I mean I was actually there for it. I started a blog before people really understood what a blog was or why anyone would read one. I started a forum before most people understood what a forum was. I built a business out of my off-campus student housing without even realizing that’s what I was doing.

I was just creating something I loved and seeing where it went.

Back then, there wasn’t much acceptance. There were plenty of opinions — some said directly to my face, and some I heard through the grapevine. The fashion industry wasn’t exactly welcoming either. There was a lot of skepticism about blogs, about bloggers, and about what we meant for an industry that had always operated a certain way.

But the thing about being early is that there usually isn’t a playbook.

You learn by doing. You make mistakes. You try something, it works, it doesn’t work, and then you try again.

Looking back now, the irony is pretty amazing.

The very thing people questioned back then is now something millions of people want to be a part of. Blogging evolved into influencing. Influencing evolved into entrepreneurship. The terminology changed, but the desire behind it really hasn’t.

The difference is that influencers are much more accepted now, but at the same time, they are also much more judged.

Because when more people are doing something, more people have an opinion about it.

Lately, everywhere I look, someone is selling a course about building an online business or growing on social media. And at first, I found myself wondering: why are there suddenly so many?

Then I realized the courses aren’t actually the most interesting part.

The interesting part is that so many people want to build something of their own.

They want more flexibility. They want more ownership over their time. They want another income stream. They want to see if that idea they keep thinking about could actually become something real.

Social media has shown people that this is possible in a way we have never seen before.

Can social media be incredibly lucrative? Absolutely.

But I would also tell you it isn’t a magic formula, and it isn’t for everyone.

Subscribe now

A lot of the people who seem wildly successful today also started with advantages that are easy to overlook. Maybe they already had financial security, a beautiful home, access to certain brands, connections, a lifestyle that translated naturally online, or resources that allowed them to invest more time into growing.

That doesn’t take away from what they’ve built. It doesn’t mean they haven’t worked hard. But it also shouldn’t make you believe you’re already too late. It shouldn’t make you look at someone else’s starting point and decide that yours isn’t good enough.

Because this is the part I think is really incredible: Social media has created opportunities that never existed before.

Not everyone is trying to become the next million-dollar creator.

Sometimes someone is trying to make a little extra money. Sometimes they’re trying to build something that belongs to them. Sometimes they’re just curious if they can turn something they love into something more. And I will always encourage someone who wants to try.

If you’ve ever talked to me, you know this. I’ll answer questions, share advice, like posts, leave comments, cheer people on, and help however I can. Because I genuinely believe there is room for more people to succeed.

And I want to be very specific about this: social media has opened doors for women.

Women who want to stay home with their kids while still having something that belongs to them.

Women who work full-time and are building something after hours.

Women who simply want a creative outlet, a community, or a place where they can share something they love.

Women who want to bet on themselves.

That last one especially hits home for me.

For so long, women have been told there is a right way to build a life.

We’re told that being a working mom isn’t right.

We’re told that being a stay-at-home mom isn’t right.

And somehow, we’re also told that trying to build something online isn’t right either.

Why are we so quick to criticize people for trying? Why don’t we celebrate someone taking a chance on themselves? Why don’t we applaud someone willing to put themselves out there, knowing they might fail?

The part that makes me the saddest is that so often, the loudest criticism comes from other women.

Watching all of these courses pop up made me realize something I hadn’t fully put into words before. Of course, people want another income stream. Most of us would love to make more money doing something we enjoy. But I don’t think that’s the whole story.

I think a lot of people are looking for permission. Permission to believe they can build something. Permission to believe their voice matters. Permission to believe they haven’t missed their chance.

And after 22 years online, long enough that I think I can officially call myself an OG, I want to tell you something:

You haven’t missed it.

The hardest part is starting.

So start.

Pick your niche.

Post.

Don’t overthink every single thing.

Keep going, whether people like it or not.

See if it brings you joy.

And support other people doing similar work.

We’re often taught that everyone else is our competition. But the people doing similar things can also become the people who cheer us on, teach us something, and remind us why we started.

And if you’re wondering how to support someone, it’s actually really simple.

Like their content. Leave a comment. Share their work. It takes almost no effort, but it means more than you probably realize.

There is room for all of us here.

There is room for more creators, more businesses, more ideas, and more people willing to bet on themselves. You don’t have to follow everyone. You don’t have to connect with everyone. You just have to find the people who speak to you. And if you show up as yourself, there will be people looking for exactly what you have to offer. There always have been.

So if you’ve been waiting for permission to start, consider this yours.

Sure, we can all see a bag on an influencer. We know the lighting is perfect, the outfit is meticulously planned, and many times the bag has been gifted. That’s fun in its own way, but I’ve always been far more interested in seeing what people choose to carry when they’re simply...living their lives.

What does someone spend their money on? Not what is someone gifted or contratually obligated to photograph, but what does someone decide to do with their own money when making a bag purchase? That’s entirely different, and those are the bags that tell the real story.

So this month, we sent our photographer to the Upper East Side of New York City, one of my favorite places to people-watch, especially when it comes to handbags. The neighborhood delivered exactly what I hoped it would: plenty of Hermès (naturally), timeless Chanel, a little vintage Prada, and a few others to make it a well-rounded day of bag spotting.

The Upper East Side has always had its own handbag language. Luxury is everywhere, but it rarely feels loud like Sex and the City would make you think. The women carrying these bags aren’t trying to convince you they own something special, they just do. More often than not, they’re ducking into one of the townhouses off Madison or Fifth Avenue without a second thought, reminding me that true luxury is usually a lot quieter than the internet would have you believe.

These were my favorite pics from this week, what do you think?

Read more

The short version? I’ve been building something.

The longer version is that I’ve spent most of the past year plus doing something I honestly never imagined I would do: starting a brand of my own.

Even typing that sentence still feels a little strange. Because if you’ve talked to me in person, I’ve told you, “I don’t want to start a handbag brand”. And I meant it.

For more than twenty years, I’ve somehow gotten to call handbags my career. Doesn’t sound like something that would create not just one job, but multiple full-time jobs, but it does! I’ve spent two decades writing about the designers, the craftsmanship, the trends, the history, and the brands that have shaped this industry.

I have become very comfortable telling everyone else’s story. I can easily judge a bag from a major fashion house. I can go into specifics about every single detail. I can say what works and what doesn’t.

But the idea of turning that same lens on myself, well, it’s totally different.

The funny thing is that M + V didn’t begin because I thought the world needed another luxury leather accessory. It started because of a habit I didn’t even realize I had. Every bag I own has a pouch inside it. Every single one. And if it doesn’t, it is probably because I am carrying the pouch as a standalone item.

When I change bags, the pouch is the first thing that moves over. The handbag changes depending on the day, but the pouch never does.

It holds the things I can’t afford to forget, as well as the things that make me feel safe. I’ve shared that I live with anxiety (at times, debilitating), so many of the items in my pouch are my safe items.

Over the years, what’s inside has changed. Lip balm has always been there (obviously). These days, there are chargers, medication, and, because life looks a little different when you’re a parent, the emergency allergy medications that go everywhere with Millie.

Somewhere along the way, without really realizing it, that pouch became my safe place inside my bag.

That probably sounds dramatic if you’re not someone who switches handbags as often as I do, but it’s true.

The bag changes. The pouch doesn’t.

Subscribe now

I started wondering why something I used every single day always felt like an afterthought. I wanted one that felt as special as the handbag carrying it. One made with beautiful leather, extreme attention to detail, and the kind of craftsmanship I spend my career admiring.

That tiny idea eventually became M + V Accessories.

And then came the part I didn’t expect to be so difficult. Launching it. I don’t even know how many launch dates I came up with. I have diagnosed myself with ADHD during this process, which only allowed me to further push things off, with this new self-diagnosis.

“Next Monday.”

“Once we finish the website.”

“After we take a few more photos.”

“When the Instagram feed looks better.”

There was always one more thing. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. Looking back, none of those things was actually the reason. I was scared.

I think part of it was that I’ve spent twenty years looking at products through a very critical lens. It’s literally my job. I notice stitching, leather, hardware, proportions, functionality, all the little details most people probably never think about.

So, of course, I assumed everyone else would look at mine the same way. Suddenly, I wasn’t the one evaluating someone else’s work. I was putting my own out into the world. And that is a very vulnerable place to be.

I’ve spent more than two decades building PurseBlog, writing about handbags, and sharing my thoughts on products from brands all over the world. But creating something with my own name attached to it is a completely different feeling. How will this be accepted? What will the reception be like? Will people think I’m just another influencer trying to sling product?

Watching someone else launch something and actually living through a launch are two very different things.

Last week, I finally realized there wasn’t going to be a magical moment where I suddenly felt ready. There wasn’t going to be one more photo, one more edit, or one more tweak that made the fear disappear.

So I did something very unlike me. I stopped waiting. I grabbed one of the photos we had taken, wrote the post, looked at it for probably longer than I should have, and finally thought, “It’s time.”

Then I hit publish before I could change my mind. No major fanfare. No big buildup. No perfectly orchestrated rollout. No messaging endless influencers to gift and hopefully promote. Just me finally deciding that it was time to let M + V exist outside of my head.

The response over the last week has been incredibly meaningful. Every order. Every message. Every person who has taken a moment to tell me they believe in what I’m building. It has honestly meant more than I expected.

One thing I’ve had to remind myself over the last week is that social media has completely changed the way we think about launching a business. Every story seems to be about selling out in minutes. A website crashing. Thousands of people waiting for the next drop. Hundreds of thousands of dollars made in the first minutes.

Subscribe now

That hasn’t been my story. And I’m okay with that.

The first day was wonderful. Orders came in strong. Then more came in. They’ve continued coming in every day since.

No website crashes. No overnight sellout. Just real people finding something I poured my heart into. And I’ve had to remind myself that this is success too.

I know M + V won’t be for everyone, and that’s okay. I didn’t create it because I thought the world needed another pouch. I created it because I needed this pouch, and I believe I have the knowledge and creativity to carve out a space for myself and my ideas in the world of accessories. I wanted something that felt beautiful enough to carry every day while quietly protecting the things I care about most.

It feels fitting that my first product isn’t a handbag. It’s what goes inside the handbag.

Thank you for giving me a little grace while I disappeared into leather swatches, zipper samples, production calls, packaging decisions, and all of the little details that somehow take ten times longer than you think they will.

The good news is that M + V Accessories is finally out in the world.

The other good news is that I’m finding my rhythm again, which means the bag reviews you’ve been patiently waiting for are coming back. I’ve been whatever the opposite of the most consistent Substack writer, especially for my paid subs, and I truly apologize. I will come back with a lot for you.

If you’d like to follow along as M + V grows, I’d love to have you over on Instagram. I’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes, the design process, what I’m working on next, and, of course, plenty of beautiful leather.

And if you’ve already ordered one, I would genuinely love to know what ends up inside your pouch.

Because after spending more than twenty years talking about handbags, I think I’ve realized the most interesting part was never really the bag.

It’s the life happening around it. And this little pouch has become part of mine.

Thank you for being here… for the bag reviews, for the conversations, and now, for this new chapter too.

It means more than you know!!

Discover M + V accessories here.

When the industry started covering male celebrities and athletes with designer bags, the comments often followed a familiar script. People questioned why a man would carry what they called a “purse,” joked that pockets should be enough, or dismissed luxury bags as something inherently feminine. The bag itself wasn’t really the issue. It was who was carrying it.

Watching this year’s World Cup unfold, I realized just how much that conversation has shifted.

Subscribe now

Yes, I was captivated by the endless parade of Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Dior, Goyard, Bottega Veneta, Loewe, and more as they made their way through the stadium tunnels. That’s hardly surprising, as I notice bags everywhere. What struck me far more was how mainstream the conversation became, beyond a site like PurseBlog. Sports outlets were talking about them. Fashion publications were talking about them. Lifestyle sites picked up the story, social media accounts devoted entirely to football were identifying bags, and suddenly, people who would never have clicked on a handbag story were obsessing as well.

The conversation wasn’t "Why are these men carrying bags?"

It was, “What bag is that?”

That feels like a meaningful shift.

Read more

A handbag aficionado being shocked by bag prices seems almost trite because, at this point, we should all expect it. Prices are high—higher than ever—and they just keep increasing.

Chanel and its pricing are talked about so often that, honestly, even I’m tired of the conversation. So when I saw the Chanel Métiers d’Art 2026 collection, shown in a New York City subway station, a few bags immediately caught my attention: the novelty bags.

Subscribe now

They were all so good. It felt like Chanel was getting back to its best, tiptoeing the line between fashion and fun and reminding us that if you’re going to create a seasonal novelty piece, you do it in a way that captures every bit of attention and refuses to let it go.

Chanel did exactly that. With nods to New York City throughout the collection, I was completely smitten. I waited for the bags to arrive in boutiques, wanting to believe that maybe—just maybe—one of them could be mine. But for so many reasons, they simply can’t.

And yes, the prices led me to one of these...

I shouldn’t have been shocked. In fact, I wasn’t really shocked. These are collector’s pieces. They’re the kinds of bags that, if you’re offered one and decide to buy it, every fashion lover will immediately recognize—and probably envy. I’d even go so far as to say that someone who owns one could turn it into an art installation in their home.

Because they’re that special.

So yes, you can look at the price and let out a little gasp. But more importantly, can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of each of these bags? The incredible craftsmanship. The intricate details. The sense of playfulness that luxury so often forgets.

And while we’re at it, let’s also appreciate the brilliant collaboration between Chanel and The New Yorker.

Without further ado, here are the bags I wish I could own, namely the Squirrel and the Acorn, along with the prices I absolutely can’t afford.

Subscribe now

If this is any indication of what’s to come, Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel is turning the entire fashion-obsessed world back into the brand’s biggest fans.

You did not open the app to compare, but you do. A quiet calculation begins. Where they are, where you are, what they have, what you might not. It is subtle, but it is there every single time.

We do not just scroll anymore. We measure.

Everyone is an influencer now

There was a time when this space felt small, when a handful of people were sharing their lives and figuring things out as they went. It felt new, a little unpolished, and largely organic. Now it feels like everyone is building a personal brand, whether they set out to or not.

Subscribe now

Everyone has a link, a code, a strategy, or at the very least, an awareness that what they are sharing can be monetized. With that shift, the dynamic has changed. It is no longer just about participating or observing; it is about presenting. About shaping how your life looks to other people, even in small ways.

Somewhere along the way, we stopped simply living and started thinking about how our lives appear.

What it looks like vs what it is

From the outside, it looks like everyone is doing incredibly well. The trips, the gifts, the brand deals, the access, the constant stream of moments that feel both aspirational and strangely casual. It reads as success, and in some cases, it absolutely is.

At the very top, there are people who are building real wealth and real businesses. This industry has created legitimate careers and meaningful opportunity, and I know that firsthand because I am part of it.

But I also know that what you are seeing is very often not the full picture. There are people building the appearance of a lifestyle that is not fully supported by the business behind it. There are people saying yes to things for access or visibility, prioritizing perception over sustainability. There are people earning far less than you would assume based on what they share.

And from the outside, there is no clear way to tell the difference.

The quiet damage of constant comparison

The issue is not that influencers exist or that people are building businesses in this way. The issue is what happens when we consume all of it without context. We start comparing ourselves to curated, partial truths and filling in the gaps with our own assumptions.

We assume they are happier, more successful, more financially secure, more certain about their lives. And with every scroll, we shift our own position slightly lower, often without even realizing we are doing it.

It is quiet, but it builds over time. You start to feel behind in a life you were not even measuring before, simply because you have been exposed to so many versions of what “ahead” is supposed to look like.

I am part of this

It is important for me to say this clearly. I am not outside of this industry looking in, I built my career inside of it. I am an influencer, one of the early ones, and I have spent more than twenty years turning this into a real business that supports my family.

I love what I do, and I am incredibly aware of what this space has made possible. It gave me a career that did not exist when I started, along with flexibility, creativity, and the ability to build something on my own terms.

But it is still a job. It is strategy, consistency, relationships, deadlines, negotiations, and a level of effort that is rarely visible. It is not passive, and it is not effortless, even when it appears that way from the outside.

Why I don’t share everything

Maybe this is also why I have never fully leaned into performing a version of my life that is not actually mine. I do not feel the need to document everything or to create a lifestyle that looks aspirational but feels disconnected from reality.

My life is family first, and that comes with routines that are not always visually compelling. School drop-offs, sports schedules, work layered in between everything else, dinners at home, and the kind of normal that does not always translate into something worth posting.

Subscribe now

There are incredible moments within that, and opportunities that come with this job that I am genuinely grateful for. But those moments are not the whole story, and I have never felt comfortable presenting them as if they are.

More opportunity, more pressure

This industry has opened doors, especially for women. It has created a path to earn, to build something independently, and to have ownership over your time and your work in a way that did not exist before. That is something I will always support.

At the same time, that accessibility has introduced a different kind of pressure. The pressure to keep up, to post consistently, to present a certain level of success even when it is still in progress. What used to be an opportunity for a small group now feels like an expectation for a much larger one.

And that shift changes how people show up, whether they realize it or not.

What we are not seeing

We are not seeing the inconsistencies. The slow months, the negotiations that do not go through, the deals that fall apart, or the time it actually takes to turn content into real income. What looks steady from the outside is often anything but behind the scenes, and that gap between perception and reality is easy to miss when everything is presented as seamless.

We are also not seeing how much of what feels organic is, in fact, intentional. The questions in captions that seem casual but are meant to drive engagement. The “should I share more of this?” when the answer is already decided. The polls, the prompts, the carefully timed posts that are designed to signal growth, demand, and momentum. It can start to feel like everyone is bigger than they are, more in demand, more booked, more successful, simply because of how it is being presented.

And unless you understand how this works behind the scenes, it is very easy to take it at face value. It is designed that way. The more natural it feels, the more believable it becomes, and the more likely you are to fill in the blanks with your own assumptions about what that person’s life or business looks like.

Then there is the affiliate side of this, which has quietly reshaped everything. It is no longer just influencers linking products, it is everyone. Friends, acquaintances, people you went to school with, people you follow casually. Everyone now has access to links that can generate income, which means almost anything you see can become a transaction point.

A recommendation is no longer always just a recommendation. Sometimes it is a commission, and most of the time, you do not even pause to consider the difference. The lines between sharing and selling have become so blurred that it all feels the same, even when it is not.

None of this is inherently bad. It is smart, it is accessible, and it gives more people the ability to earn in ways that did not exist before. But it also means that what you are consuming is often more strategic than it feels and more intentional than it looks. And when you take that in over and over again without context, it inevitably starts to shape how you see yourself in comparison.

So what do we do with that

The comparison culture is not going anywhere, and if anything, it is only becoming more ingrained in how we interact with each other. The volume, the access, the constant exposure to other people’s lives is not slowing down.

So the shift is not about avoiding it entirely; it is about understanding it more clearly. Not everything is as effortless as it looks, not every lifestyle is fully funded, and not every version of success is what it seems to be.

When you start to see that, even slightly, it changes how much weight you give to what you are consuming.

A little more honesty, a little less illusion

I still believe in this industry and in what it has created. I believe in women building businesses, in people finding ways to earn and create on their own terms, and in the opportunities that continue to come from this space.

But I also think we owe ourselves a more honest understanding of what we are looking at. Because the clearer we are about the difference between perception and reality, the less power it has to make us feel like we are somehow falling short.

And maybe that is the part worth holding onto the next time you find yourself scrolling.

Or at least, I thought I did.

You build a relationship. You show loyalty. You spend - consistently, strategically, sometimes irrationally. And eventually, you’re “offered” the bag.

Not guaranteed. Not promised. Offered.

Somewhere along the way, though, the rules changed, or maybe I just started seeing them more …

Read more

So much goes into making a bag a success, and honestly, a lot of it has very little to do with the bag itself.

Its placement. It’s timing. And most of all, it’s visibility.

If a bag is suddenly everywhere, on the right people, styled the right way, flooding your feed, it creates that very specific kind of fashion FOMO that’s hard to ignore.

And here’s the part most people don’t say out loud.

A lot of that visibility is orchestrated.

I’ve told you before how much of this industry runs on the business of influencing, but what’s interesting right now is that we’re seeing a shift. The same editors and influencers who are usually gifted these bags are actually lining up and buying them. And that changes the conversation.

So let’s talk about it.

With 21 years in the handbag industry, I’m breaking down some of the most talked about bags of the moment: what’s worth it, what isn’t, what feels special, and what might just be really good marketing.

Let’s get purseonal!

Read more