My thoughts on Louis Vuitton discontinuing the Toiletry pouches

Last week came the news that Louis Vuitton had suddenly discontinued all three sizes of their Toiletry pouches and they were no longer available to purchase on their website.

Discussions on all types of online forums immediately took off, people obviously being upset about this, as the Toiletry pouches are some of the most sold items by LV. WHY would the company do this?

A few years ago, Louis Vuitton announced that they were going to focus more on pushing their leather bags and not produce as much canvas pieces, as they wanted to be more exclusive and luxurious. Maybe they felt that the market was so saturated with canvas bags, they simply wanted to slow down production on those items.

Many people feel that this strategy by LV is nothing more than a way for the company to make more money. They obviously are not interested in attracting more customers by selling more canvas items, but rather the opposite. They want to keep their exclusivity by not attracting too many customers. And considering that Louis Vuitton is the big, well known brand that it is BECAUSE OF their world famous canvas… Well, it does not really make any sense.

So during the past few years, Louis Vuitton has been releasing a lot more leather bags. The Neverfull leather version is one example – that bag has been extremely popular. It seems that more and more classic bags are being introduced in leather.

At the same time, items are being discontinued. Like the Toiletry pouches, the other week. It is an obvious strategy from the company’s side. They know that people love these items, they know that by removing them from the market they will create hysteria. And sooner or later, a new version of the Toiletry pouches will be released. Maybe they will be leather, maybe they will come with a deteachable strap (as many are saying LV is discontinuing the Toiletry pouch because people are using them as handbags, instead of buying actual bags), maybe they will release them only in special collectors editions from now on… But one thing is certain, and that is that when they bring it back, it will come with a 200% higher price tag.

I was lucky enough to get a Toiletry 26 in store in Helsinki a year and a half ago. I have not used it a lot, not going to lie, and I was actually at one point contemplating selling it… But after hearing that it’s been discontinued, I will definitely keep it. And use it. Both as a toiletry bag, a clutch and a bag with an attached strap. Because in my opinion, a customer who has purchased an item themselves should be able to use it however they wish. That is none of the company’s business.

My 2021 wishlist

I usually start each year off with making a luxury wishlist for the upcoming year. These are things I would like to add to my collection, but I am going to be honest with you and say that I am going to be really picky about what I buy this year…

2020 was not a good year to get the wear out of my luxury items, and so hopefully this year will be the year that I actually get to use all of my new and old items. So if I don’t get anything on my wishlist, I’ll be just fine.

Jaquemus Le Chiquito

The Jaquemus Le Chiquito bag has really become an iconic piece, and I am going to be honest : I might have watch too many videos by Cassie Thorpe, because I am now convinced that I need a baby blue Le Chiquito bag. If there will be a guaranteed bag purcgase this year, it will be this.

I know, I know… I might be crazy, but I really like it. Don’t judge, ok..?

A light coloured card holder

I have had this on my wishlist before, and I really don’t know why I still haven’t gotten a light coloured card holder… I keep buying black or dark colour ones, so I have banned myself from buying any more card holders unless it’s in a light colour. I would really like a Chanel 19 card holder, to be honest…

YSL Rive Gauche bag

I’ve had my eyes on this bag for a while and think it looks like an awesome summer tote. I also really like the Chanel Deauville, but I really am not ready to pay Chanel money for a canvas bag… The Rive Gauche, however, is fairly priced and in my opinion a very stylish and timeless tote.

Not sure if I would get it in the black or beige, though… I prefer the beige, but I know the black would be more practical.

Louis Vuitton Mini Boîte Chapeau in the reverse monogram

I really, really, really wish to add a reverse monogram piece this year and I am just head over heels in love with the Mini Boîte Chapeau. The necklace version is also soooo cute, but let’s be real – you can’t fit anything in that bag, so it’s purely decorative…

The mini version will at least fit your keys and a cardholder + a lipstick.

I would really like to add this to my collection, I am not going to lie. It is on top of my wishlist…

A vanity case/bag

Now, this one is a bit of a “maybe” on my wishlist, because I am still not sure what I feel about the trend of wearing a vanity case as a bag.

The issue for me is I think the vanity cases are SO beautiful, but I just don’t know how I feel about wearing them as bags… It just looks very “box:y” and unoractical, yet I still like the look. So confusing, I know!!

At the same time, I don’t know if I can justify buying a vanity case just to use it for storing makeup/travelling. I just don’t know it I feel it is worth the money (says the girl who wants to get the Jaquemus bag…)

I have thought about getting one of the vintage Chanel vanity cases and buy a separate strap for it, to get the best of both worlds, but I think the vanity case trend is just that – a trend. I don’t think it’s going to be a timeless piece, and I have decided lately that I really am going to focus more on timeless pieces in the future.

How I cleaned colour transfer off of my Chanel lambskin bag.

As alwas, I need to put out a disclaimer! I am not a proffessional handbag restorer, I just use my common sense, try to read and do my research before attempting anything and even though this worked for me, I cannot guarantee it will work for you.

With that said…

Here is how I got rid of colour transfer on my new, pre-loved Chanel lambskin bag.

I will start off by saying that due to the eternal darkness we have here in Finland between the months of October to February, the lighting in my pictures is aweful. I apologize for that. The thing is that if I use flash photograpghy to take pictures, then it washes out the colours and you won’t be able to see any details. So I have to rely on the small amount of natural lighting + the lighting in my bedroom, and that really isn’t enough to show all details, either. Anyway, I will try to provide as much detailed information as I can despite this issue and then maybe I can add some better pictures in the spring!

This is the “before” picture, taken by the previous owner. The colour transfer on the back of the bag wasn’t the worst I have seen, but it was noticable. The lower part of the back pocket and the very edge of the bag had the most colour transfer.

The strap also had colour transfer, some parts were quite dirty, too.

I wasn’t able to take good before-pictures myself, which is a shame, but you could definitely see darkness on the back of the bag when it arrived to me.

Now, when you google “how to get colour transfer off a Chanel bag” you will find that pretty much everyone tells you to send the bag off to a “bag spa” and to NOT try to remove the colour transfer yourself. However, I felt like it was worth a shot, doing it myself.

From my research, I found that in order to clean Chanel lambskin, you need to avoid all types of leather cleaners that contains oils, as they might stain the bag permanently. I looked high and low for a good quality water based leather cleaner, but with no luck. I have previously used a soap called “galltvål” to clean leather, as it is mild but effective on all types of stains.

So when I found a liquid, organic version, I decided to give it a go. I also bought microfiber cloths, soft and gentle enough not to damage the leathe, and I had babywipes from before, which I always use to clean my bags. They are non-alcoholic and scent-free.

I started off by cleaning the whole bag using baby wipes only, to make sure that any superficial dirt was removed. I then soaked the microfiber cloth in warm water, and added a drop of soap. I then proceeded to rub the cloth against a small area of the bag, to check how the leather reacted.

I don’t recommend doing this. As soon as the wet cloth hit the leather, the leather turned really dark, as the leather started to soak up the water. For a second I panicked, but I simply used a dry cloth to immediately try and dry up the small patch.

After that, I decided that it would be best to use the soap on a dry cloth. So I added a small amount of soap to my cloth, rubbed it into the cloth, and then gently started to rub the cloth against the leather. This worked a lot better, and I was able to remove a significant amount of dirt and colour transfer from the back of the bag and from the corners.

After rubbing the leather with my soapy cloth, I used baby wipes to remove any soap residue from the bag.

I then did the same thing when cleaning the strap – I added a small amount of soap to the cloth, worked the soap into the cloth with my fingers and then gently rubbed the cloth on the leather. Afterwards, I used babywipes to wipe the leather clean

Here you can see that there is a tiny bit of colour transfer left, but it is very faint, and not something that you notice immediately.

I got so much dirt off the chain, it looks so clean and nice now!

The corners were the trickiest, as they were already a bit dry, and I did not want to risk drying out the leather even more with the soap. I very gently cleaned them, but decided that the darkness doesn’t bother me so I’ll not risk the leather cracking!

The front of the bag had very little dirt on it, so I very lightly cleaned that, as well. The flap edges had the most dirt, and that came off very easily.

I have thought of maybe doing one more round ofcleaning the bag, but I want to let the leather dry properly inbetween. Also, the stains are so faint now, that I don’t know if it is even worth it…

I am very, very happy with how it turned out, but whenever you decide to restore or clean a bag yourself, it is always a risk! This worked for me and that’s why I wanted to share it.

I also have a blogpost on how I cleaned and restored my Damier Azur Neverfull MM. Check that out, too!

Louis Vuitton cles (key pouch/ pochette). My most used SLG and why I sold my old one!

In Februari 2019, I bought the Louis Vuitton Cles (or key pouch) in Damier Ebene. I bought it pre-loved, from Vestiaire Collective. It was listed as being in “fair” condition, which means it was worn, loved, had some wear but still was very much useable. I wore that thing every singel day for a year and a half. I kid you not. I absolutely loved it!

And then I decided to sell it.

Why? You’re about to find out…

This was my Clés, that I loved and used nonstop for 18 months. I used it to carry keys and my cards mostly. Such a wonderful slg, I highly recommend it!

This item is notoriously difficult to get in store. Ever since I got mine and realized how much I loved it, I knew I wanted to get a new one at some point. It has, however, always been sold out whenever I have been in an LV store. In the Facebook groups I am part of, participants always give each other a heads up on when this item is available on the website, but I had always missed out.

I did realize, however, that early Saturday mornings seemed to be a good time to snatch the hard to get items (clés, mini pochette accessorie etc), so one Saturday morning I had to get up at 5:30 and decided to check the availability on the site. I was in luck, the monogram version was in stock and I quickly placed my order!

As soon as I ordered the new clés, I knew I would sell my old one. For one, it was getting pretty worn and even though there was nothing wrong with the canvas, the hardware was pretty tarnished and it just looked very bashed up. Second of all, I knew that it would be completely unnecessary for me to own two clés. I like switching out bags and wallets and pouches, but my key pouch needs to remain the same. I can’t be bothered switching out key pouches, the only thing it is going to do is make me lose my damn keys…

So I posted my Damier Ebene clés in the Facebook group for pre-loved Louis Vuitton in Finland, and it ended up selling for more than I expected. I actually got all of my money back that I paid for it, 18 months ago. I sent the package off to the buyer and she was very happy with her purchase.

A week after purchasing the new clés arrived. I have to say that I am very pleased with how easy it is to order from the Louis Vuitton website, and my items have always arrived in immaculate condition.

Now, I love the Damier Ebene print, I think it is gorgeous and understated. But on small leather goods, I actually prefer the monogram. That was why I opted for the monogram canvas this time around.

It’s stunning and the hardware is so shiny, compaired to my old one.

Now, I do have to say one thing, though… I think that there definitely is a difference in the thickness of the canvas between my old clés and my new one. My older one was thicker and sturdier, this one feels thinner and slightly more delicate. I truly hope that it won’t be an issue, and that the canvas will wear just fine. This is, in my opinion, one of the benefits of buying older, pre-loved items: the quality was a lot better only 5-6 years ago…

Anyway, I am very happy to have a brand new clés, and I am looking forward to several more years of using it every singel day.

The perfect wedding bag: YSL wallet on chain

This past weekend we went to a wedding (some dear friends of mine got married) and I wore my Saint Laurent wallet on chain. I actually wore a dark navy dress and you might not have thought that the light coloured bag went with the dress, but since I wore beige shoes, it actually ended up matching perfectly.

The bag has a detachable strap, but for weddings I prefer to use it as a clutch. It is a small bag, but fits all essentials for an event like this.

My sister also got married this past summer, and she asked me if I had a bag that she could wear for the wedding. I obviously told her that she could pick any bag from my closet that she wanted, and she went with this one.

This really is such a classic, chic and timeless bag. You can dress it up or dress it down, and it literally goes with everything. Highly re!

Displaying your handbags: tips, ideas and inspiration for a beautiful handbag closet

Ever since I started collecting designer goods, I’ve always tried to find a good way to display them, while at the same time keeping them in good condition. When my collection was still quite small, it was easier to organize and display. I used to change it up a lot, moving my bags and items around my book case almost every week. Nowadays, it’s a bit more challenging… A big collection in a small space means that I need to really think about which items I wish to display. So I thought I would give my tips and ideas on how to orhanize a bag closet, along with some things I don’t recommend you do when it comes to storing handbags.

Obviously there are no rules when it comes to this topic, I just wish to share my experience with you and hopefully you get something out of it!

As you can see in these videos, I store my bags and slg’s in a closet with doors. I find this very useful, for two reasons: The bags do not collect dust as much as if I had a closet with open shelves, and my room does not feel cluttered. I like to keep my home quite minimalistic, so closed closet doors are what I prefer. (Maybe somewhere along the line, if I ever move into a house where I can have a walk-in-closet, then I will display some of my items on open shelves or behind glass doors.)

I think that the way you organize and display your collection really all depends on the size of your collection. So I want to show you how I used to store my bags, to give you a better idea of the different ways you can make a pretty display.

One thing I wish to point out, is that when I hade open shelves like this, I always stored my bags inside their dustbags. I only took them out of the dustbags when I was going to use them, or for pictures. This meant that the actual display wasn’t really that pretty to look at. All you saw were dustbags and boxes…

Don’t get me wrong, dustbags are great for storing handbags, but I so much prefer keeping my bags behind closed doors. That way, they are protected from direct sunlight, dust and dirt, but as soon as I open the closet doors, the bags are on display.

Using boxes and shopping bags for displaying items is another thing I really like doing. Nowadays, some of my boxes and shopping bags are on top of my closet, because they no longer fit inside the closet. The rest are kept stored aways in drawers. However, with a smaller collection I think it is really pretty to mix in some boxes or other items with your bags.

One thing I don’t recommend, though, is storing bags inside their boxes. I have never had any bad experiences with this, but I’ve heard that it can potentially dry out the leather, since the leather does need to “breathe.”

Something I recently got, are these plastic plate holders. I was looking online for ideas on how to best display slg’s and clutches, and I came across this idea.

These I found in a departement store where I live, they were 2,50€ each for the small and about 4€ for the bigger size.

I initially thought I would buy some black metal ones online, but then I got scared that the black metal would rub off onto my items, so I much more prefer these clear plastic ones.

On this shelf, I used one of the stands to display my favourite clutch bag, by Kenzo. I have not been able to display it at all, up until now.

Other tips and ideas for a functional and pretty display of luxury items:

• I stuff all my bags with air paper or bubblewrap. It helps keep their shape. I also have bag organizers in some of my bags, which helps prevent sagging.
• I avoid putting items too close to each other. I don’t want my bags to touch, as I am worried about potential colour transfer
• I don’t necessarily orhanize bags according to brand or colour, I just see what works together. Sometimes it means I mix brands, other times not.

• I keep my jewellery in plexi boxes in my bag closet. I also keep some smaller slg’s in there.
• There are obviously bags I use more often, some I use less. I try to make sure that the bags that are in heavier rotation are also easy to reach for.
• Store your bags in an upright position if possible.
• Keep items away from sunlight, as that will change the colour of leather over time.
• If a bag has a detachable strap, I usually store the strap inside the bag.
• For bags that have chain straps, I try to make sure the chain doesn’t rub on the leather when stored. I’m not the type of person who puts felt fabric around the chain straps to prevent any indentation on the leather, I am not that extreme.

The boxes I use for storing slg’s and jewellery.

For me, having a beautiful display of my bags and accessories really makes my heart skip a beat. It’s one of those things that probably only luxury addicts understand… But to me, it’s no different than having a nice car and wanting to look after it. Or planting flowers in your garden bed, because you like looking at them.

I hope I gave you some inspiration, some ideas or at least provided you with some Sunday eye candy!

Pochette Voyage MM in Reverse Monogram Eclipse and comparison to the Toiletry 26.

Last autumn (october 2019) I purchased the Toiletry 26 from Louis Vuitton, whilst on a trip to Helsinki. I was actually looking to get the Pochette Voyage from the men’s line by that time, but it was sold out and as the Toiletry 26 is pretty similar, I opted for that instead.

Then Louis Vuitton introduced the Pochette Voyage MM in Reverse Monogram Eclipse this spring. And I saw my chance…

I actually was browsing the LV website and accidentally came across the Reverse Monogram Eclipse pre-launch. I didn’t even hesitate. I snagged the Pochette Voyage immediately! And I am so glad I did!

The Pochette Voyage MM in Reverse Monogram Eclipse.

This was my first time ever ordering from the website and it went really smoothly. It arrived 5 days later by UPS and I couldn’t be happier with it!

Sizewise, they are the same: the Toiletry 26 and the Pochette Voyage.

The biggest difference between the two is that the Pochette Voyage has treated leather (Toiletry 26 has vachetta leather), it is a bit more structured and it has card slots inside the bag, which the Toiletry 26 does not. Other than that, they are the same. Yet, in my opinion, the look is very different.

Now, I don’t wear clutches too often, but I feel like I am wearing them more often now than before. I really like using these bags/slg’s as clutches, I think it looks really stylish.

And as always, I need to point out that just because something is in the “men’s line” it doesn’t mean that you can’t wear it if you identify as a woman. Wear what you like!

Bag closet facelift

I have been pretty happy with my bagcloset, since moving to my current apartment a year ago, but a couple of weeks ago I realized that I was running out of space to display my bags. Even though my bags are kept behind closed closet doors, I still want them to look nice and not be crammed, or rubbing up against each other.

As my boyfriend heard me complaining about the lack of space, he offered to revamp my wardrobe and put in some more shelves for me. Who can say no to that, right!..!?

This is what my bag closet looked like before. All of my small leather goods were in drawers under the closet, so they weren’t really on display at all.

Here you see the finished result! So much more space, I can even display some of my accessories and small leather goods, too. I still keep belts and a few other items hidden in drawers, though.

I am so happy with my new storage! I was thinking of adding some lighting inside the closet, too, but I don’t know if I find that necessary. At least not for now.

My bag closet feels so much more spacious and put together now. It’s a lot easier to see everything, which will make me use the items even more.

I get this huge smile on my face when I open the doors to my bag closet. And I think you will all agree that right now, we need silly things in life to make us smile.

Choosing a handbag according to weather, occasion or outfit

I got a request to write about how I choose what handbag to wear. Do I pick an outfit first and then add a bag, or vice versa? And how about picking a bag according to weather or season? I happen to live in a country where we get to experience all 4 seasons, and it does affect what type or style of handbag I can wear. Not all of my bags are necessarily practical during winter or autumn, and I ‘ll tell you more about why… I am obviously not going to go through every single bag I own, how I wear it and style it… These are just a few suggestions and thoughts.

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I want to start off by saying that I think you can wear any type of bag for any type of occasion as long as you want to. There are no written rules about how or when to use a certain type of handbag. These are just my personal thoughts and advice on how I use my bags.

Bags I wear out of practicality (when I don’t want to worry)

Let’s start off with the Louis Vuitton Palm Springs Mini backpack. This is one of my favourite bags when I want to be hands free and not worry about if it’s going to rain or snow. The leather is treated so it doesn’t get marked by water and the coated canvas withstands rain and snow. I just wipe it off with a towel if I happen to get caught in bad weather with it. It’s a small bag but it honestly fits so much stuff so it is a fantastic bag for every day use.

Another great practical vag is my LV Neverfull in Damier Ebene. I have the MM size and it is one of my most used bags. Again, the leather is treated so I don’t need to worry about water stains and as you all know, you can fit a ton of stuff in this bag!

The Neverfull MM in Damier Ebene was my very first LV bag and I am still in love with it.

Another bag that is so care free is my PVC bag, inspired by the Hermes Kelly. Obviously, it being PVC, I can wear it no matter the weather.

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Bags I wear when I want to feel like a badass B.

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Two bags that I always use when I am wearing a very edgy outfit is my navy Chanel Boy bag and my shiny Givenchy Antigona. I think these bags give so much attitude and I just LOVE wearing them. However, I will not wear them if there is a risk of me getting caught in rain or snow. Because I love them so much, I don’t want to ruin them by getting water stains. I have used a water guard spray on the Antigona and I have accidentally been caught in the rain with it twice. It’s been just fine bith times, but still… The Antigona is my all time favourite handbag and it means so much to me that I don’t want to risk damaging it.

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Bags that I only wear for special occasions

I do have a couple of bags that I only wear for date nights, going out to dinner or special occasions. My YSL wallet on a chain is one of those bags.

I think it has to do with the colour, the fact that it is a very light coloured bag. To me, it’s a very dressy bag and I do not use it on a regular basis. I mostly use it during the summer, I think it looks really cute with summer dresses.

Another bag that I pretty much only use on date nights is my Chanel Classic Flap in lambskin.

Now, this bag has seen a few dancefloors, believe me, but nowadays I mostly use it when I want to feel really put together and dressed up. I love everything about this bag and it’s another one that I don’t want to risk damaging.

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Bags that I wear to the club

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Two bags are my go-to choices for going out: My Chanel WOC and my Kenzo Kalifornia clutch. Both are care free and so practical for going out clubbing. I have now also added a black WOC to my collection, because the diwnside to the Kalifornia clutch is the lack of shoulder strap, so I know that the black WOC is going to be very useful for going out, as well.

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Bags that I will not wear if there is any risk of rain or snow

I only have two bags that I absolutely will not use if I know that I might get caught in the rain, even for a second.

The first one is my LV Neverfull MM in Damier Azur. I love using this bag in the winter, I think it looks so good with a wool coat – however, the vachetta leather will stain if water gets on it, so I will not wear this in the rain or snow.

The second bag is my Gucci Marmont in velvet. Obviously, velvet and water do not mix well, and so I will not wear this bag out if it is snowing or even the slightest chance of rain. It does mean that I am limited in wearing it, but it is worth it to me. It is absolutely one of my prettiest bags.

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As far as styling tips go, I usually dress quite casually and I love to use my bags as accents to a plain and simple outfit. Sometimes I think: “I definitely want to wear THIS bag today, so what kind of outfit would go with it..?” and sometimes I already have an outfit picked out and then I just choose the bag that goes best with it.

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Remember to follow me on Instagram @buythegoddamnbag to see more outfit ideas and styling!

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In all honesty, I don’t have a particularly exciting life. I work a lot, and so during weekends I need to recharge and relax. I also need to point out that I don’t use my luxury bags at work, I do not feel comfortable doing that. So weekends are usually the time when I pull out my bags and wear them. Me and my boyfriend do enjoy going out to dinner during the weekends, so that is when I get a chance to dress up and put together an outfit with a nice bag.

I hope this was of some use to you! If not, please leave a comment explaining wht and let me know what you would like me to talk about next.

Sunday eye candy

Three of my favourite purchases this year: silver Valentino Rockspike, the Chanel classic mini pouch (at least that is what I think it is called?) and the black Chanel card holder.