So you want to change up your designer bag? If you don’t want to let go of your bag, or just want to brighten it up a little, customisation can go a long way. But, not all customisation is the same, and to make sure you don’t damage your precious bag, you need to know all the facts.
So, here’s all the information you ever need to know about customising your designer bag.
The Pro’s and Con’s
Table of Contents
Pro’s
The biggest and most clear benefit of customising your bag, is that it’s now a bag that’s unique to you. You could line up your bag and someone else’s designer Gucci bag side by side, and you’ll know which one is yours.
The other pro is that if you customise a bag in a reversible manner, you’re more likely to enjoy the bag for longer, and then your cost per wear goes up too.
Con’s
The biggest issue is that if you do any sort of permanent customisation, you are diminishing the overall resale value of the bag, unless you pay for costly repairs to be made, and still the bag will likely not sell for as much as you hoped.
The other thing to look out for is that customisation can go wrong, unless you are adding impermanent aspects to your bag, painting and glueing can go wrong, and do some serious damage to your bag. So be aware of the risks before you get started.
Things To Keep in Mind
Before you even start customising, it’s important to know that many designer brands offer great customisation options. These will be done by experts and retain the quality while also being all yours. These include things like Louis Vuitton’s Mon Monogram and Gucci’s DIY service. You can go one step beyond this and order a custom-made bag if you really want something uber luxurious, but if not, getting the brand to guarantee success is a safe bet.
Here are some things to remember if you want to customise the bag, keep the following in mind:
Don’t damage the integrity of the bag with the customisation: This means that you really shouldn’t take apart and restructure the bag unless you know what you’re doing. You should avoid taking a sewing machine to vintage leather too. Overall, these are things that you should avoid because you’ve put a lot of money into a luxury bag, so it should still function as a bag at the end of the process.
Try to respect the original design: No matter if you’ve thrifted, inherited or just bought. A new designer bag, it is considered a work of art. Often there is a history to the bag, a reason for the design, fabric and stitching. So, to avoid clashing and having a bag that goes out of style immediately after wearing, it’s smart to design your customisations to suit the bag and your needs for the bag.
With this in mind, we can start going over how to customise your bag, whether it be in a permanent or non-permanent manner.
Non-Permanent Customisations
Here are some options for how to customise your bag in a non-permanent manner, this means it can be reversed if needed.
Scarves and Ribbons
A luxury scarf suits a luxury bag. Simply wrap or pin your favourite scarf around the handle of your bag to match your outfit or give yourself a French riviera mood that all the European influencers are rocking. If you want to go one step further, you can even put the same ribbon in your hair for a preppy look.
Charms and Keyrings
Dressing up a handbag in a non-damaging way is as simple as finding a bag keyring you really love and putting it on your bag. Some luxury brands offer brand mascots, signature engravings and whimsical options to match their bags. So if you have a luxury handbag, grab a luxury keyring and you’ll have a look that is all you, and all luxury.
Permanent Customisations
Paint Your Bag
If you have painters’ tape, acrylic paint and artistic flair, you can paint your bag to make it more your own. This is quickly becoming a growing trend, so there are more options to work with professionals for something personalised that is guaranteed to be successful. Unfortunately, if you try to DIY this process, paint seeping, paint chipping and damaging the hardware of your bag are all things you can accidentally end up doing. So be sure to manage the risks accordingly.
Refurbishing
If you are in possession of a worn bag, a refurbishment may be the best way to give it new life. This is when an expert will take apart your bag, re-upholster it and make it more wearable overall. Some brands such as Louis Vuitton Australia offer complimentary repair for worn lining, split seams and sometimes even by the original manufacturer of the bag.
