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If you’re a fellow fashionista you’ve probably wondered about Karl Lagerfeld’s purses. Are they Chanel knockoffs? Are they good quality? Are they worth it? Is it a good alternative? Those might be some of the questions you’ve asked and I’m going to answer them in this Karl Lagerfeld bag review! But first, a story…
Karl Lagerfeld Paris Agyness Shoulder Bag in “shell”
Karl Lagerfeld Paris Agyness Shoulder Bag in “natural/black” (same one currently unavailable
For those that don’t want my long story, I’ll just let you know now that my review is going to be favorable. LOVE these bags and I think you’ll love them too! But if you want to know more, keep reading…
I appreciate quality, luxury, and designers, with the top designer brand, Chanel, being my favorite, but I have a very hard time justifying the price.
A little bit of background: I grew up in a single-family household. My mother made the brave decision to leave a bad marriage and raise 6 kids on her own when I was just a young toddler. She worked 3 jobs and guess what? We were just fine. All in all, you could say I had a happy childhood. But luxurious it was not! I remember my first brand new outfit I got when I was 11 or 12 for school pictures because most of my older siblings had left the house for college or had gotten jobs by then. Up to that point, it was hand-me-downs and thrift store finds. “Problems” of being the baby of the family! We didn’t do road trips or go to Florida every summer as my friends did. Our family vacations were going to our state park. We lived very frugally and we didn’t have much. That frugal mindset has carried with me into my adult years.
Now, what does this have to do about a purse?
I’m getting there…
Anyway, a Chanel bag to me was always the sign that “I made it”. It was something I couldn’t afford and something I dreamed about, even more so as I got deeper and deeper into fashion. Once I was able to afford it, my question switched from “can I?” to “should I?”
But still, I wanted it. So I told myself that once I hit this specific business goal I set for myself I would get myself one as a reward. Totally justifiable right? Well, I made that goal earlier this year and still had a rough time spending the money.
But then “randomly” (i.e through tailored online ads), I saw a decent deal and decided to take the plunge! Eek!
Red flags started popping up immediately after buying and it turns out this purchase was a big fat SCAM! It was a nightmare trying to get my money back. But I did, thank goodness.
But after all of this ended, something happened…
I didn’t even want the bag anymore!
Now, it doesn’t mean I don’t daydream about Chanel and still occasionally window shop/online browse, but I have no plans to buy a designer purse right now. For many personal reasons.
We’re saving to build our dream home.
In my current stage of life, I have young kids and would hate having something so expensive around that they could mess up.
Also, I could think of so many more things I could do for that amount of money! Like take my family to Europe and live it up in Paris!
I’m getting to the review. I promise…
Point is, once I decided I didn’t want to spend so much money on a purse, I realized I still love the style and it got me looking for alternatives.
That’s where these Karl Lagerfeld bags come in.
Karl Lagerfeld Brand Bag Review
When I was looking for purses and thinking about what I liked about luxury brands, specifically Chanel, once you take the logo out of it, I came to these 3 things:
I liked the leather and gold chain the most.
I liked the tweed and/or leather.
I liked the shoulder handbag style.
Karl’s bags had all of these so I narrowed down my selection to two and ordered. I have the Karl Lagerfeld Paris Agyness Shoulder Bag in “shell” and the Karl Lagerfeld Paris Agyness Shoulder Bag in “natural/black” (same one currently unavailable).
When they arrived I was instantly impressed by the quality and presentation of both bags. They were well protected in dust bags and upon close examination, no scuffs, scratches, or stray fabric pieces either!
You know how with some bags like this they feel like plastic- from the “leather” to the chain? This was the exact opposite. The chains were heavy! It felt real. The bag in “shell” is genuine lamb leather and so pretty. The quilted detail looks well done and is a really great detail.
The locks are secure and the bags are pretty roomy without being oversized. I can fit my wallet, keys, phone, chapstick, face mask, lotion, and disinfectant wipes, with room to spare.
One of the things I love most about these bags is that you can wear them as a messenger bag or a shoulder handbag by easily adjusting the chain. Love that versatility!
I’ve had these for a couple of months now and they’ve been my go-to bag pretty much the whole time. I can’t think of a con to them yet! *update- I have started to notice some slight markings around the lock from opening and closing the bag. However, it is very slight and you need the right light to see it. Also, I can’t help but wonder if it’s from when my toddler got his hands on my bag haha*
No, they’re not Chanel, but these bags are from Mr. Chanel and I can’t think of a better alternative…
After all, Karl Lagerfeld was (may he rest in peace) the chief designer/creative director for Chanel. He introduced the interlocking CC logo, updated the tweed and gold, and basically made Chanel even more famous.
So while the bags will never be Chanel, for under $200 you can get a quality purse with the same features of what you love about Chanel. And if you order from Amazon as I did, you can get free two-day shipping as well.
What I really like about this style is that they are not dupes or worse, knockoffs. There are similarities to Chanel, but it’s not fake or a bad copy.
And if you want the quality and style without the 5k price tag, then you’ll love these bags!
And if nothing will replace Chanel for you, then you should look on Fashionphile. I’ve heard good things about them! They sell used designer items and can guarantee authentic purchases. In a dream world, this is the bag I would get. This one is cool too though. This one is newer but I really like it!
I don’t think you can go wrong with the chicness of these bags. And if you love reviews, then check out what I think about the Good American jeans!
