Summer Handbags Under $50| 2021 Edit

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In this blog post I selected a few Summer Handbags Under $50, while also discussing a perspective that does not seem very mainstream or normalized (even though it’s very normal); that it’s actually okay for people to skip designer handbag purchases altogether if it’s not in your financial best interest.

I also talk about how skipping designer labels actually may help you to curate your own style, save money and like what you like without liking what everyone else seemingly also “likes.”

Summer Handbags Under $50- 2021 Edit

(To skip to the summer handbags, click here)…

Summer is in full swing, and the patio’s, pools and parties have finally opened back up (YAY! How long this lasts, we don’t know, but I will be optimistic).

Speaking of summer, do you find yourself wanting to switch in and out of bags more frequently in the warmer months, when compared to the cooler months?…….

Personally, I normally stick to one bag for the entire winter season (very boring grandma energy, I know).

Usually, it’s a mid-size to large bag that I can stuff my life in and out of in a hurry (all about that simple pack and go life…because Grandma energy is LIFE).

With the seasons change, I began to think about how accessories play into our everyday lifestyle in the summer and I wanted to focus on one accessory in particular.

The handbag.

Handbags are one of my favorite ways to express my personal style; and I wonder what your personal favorite accessory is in the summer months?……. (leave a comment below)

Being Cost Effective & Stylish Over Broke & Trendy

I have been obsessed with handbags since high school (well, even as a kid really) and I loved finding handbags that were; fun, unique, colorful and chic (and they were never designer….

(Sorry not sorry).

People love to justify the push for designer or higher end a lot because they say it’s quality (and sometimes it is), but sometimes just because something is designer, does not actually mean it is actually better.

Shopping Trends

Weird little tangent section of the blog here, but hear me out…..because I feel like talking about “not shopping” a certain way will annoy people; I have a point in what I am saying, I promise.

Shopping on-line and shopping in general is a personal experience….

No one way of shopping is something I will shame.

But outside of shopping designer labels, other options are; sustainable, vintage and fast fashion.

The industry in general is part of a larger issue and that is; commerce, the working force, inflation and what statistics will tell you is “supply and demand” even though minimalism and capsule wardrobes are now more normalized than ever before…..but one thing remains, shopping 24-7 (online) is the world we now live in.

Check out this post that talks about retail trends in 2021. https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/retail-trends

Consumer markets want us to shop like they want us on our social apps.

All the time.

Sustainable Fashion & Vintage In Fashion

When you’re shopping vintage, especially in smaller cities and towns, you’re rarely, if ever going to find designer brands………

However, you will ALWAYS find vintage clothing that reflects that decade a specific item of clothing is from, which is the entire point of vintage shopping.

Right now, it is truly a unique time to be alive, as buying top designer brands are being pushed onto consumers, but so is sustainable fashion and both are actually really important ideas…….. because top fashion houses are feeding the fashion eco-system that trickles down to us normal folk, and sustainability trickles into designer brands and seeps into the lives of consumers from all walks of life.

Designers are really trying to incorporate more of that sustainability into their work, and we have to applaud them, but the reality is, just because we love the idea of designer, does not mean we, as appreciators of their work have to break the bank to participate in a club, that more or less can survive without our need to have the latest and greatest.

With that said, check out these ten sustainable fashion labels in the article listed below.

10 Sustainable Fashion Brands To Know Now

Shopping For Everyday People

The push to make everyday middle class people spend on designer clothes was something I noticed in 2004, and it has not let up since.

Growing up, you could always tell who the seemingly wealthy were by how they dressed (lots of labels on display, lots of suits, lots of things that screamed “I wear expensive shit”), but in all honesty, I never thought they looked better or more expensive than any other normal person on the street…….

As I got older, I was very aware that spending a lot of money on items does not mean you’re gifted with style.

If you look at someone like Audrey Hepburn, for example, she actually shopped second hand a lot as she grew up, and as she became a household name she worked closely with Givenchy.

Not because Givenchy had all the answers, but because she knew her own personal style and they worked well together.

Look at any film of Audrey Hepburn from 1954, to the 1960’s era, and you’ll find Givenchy in the credits alongside with her.

Spend For Your Lifestyle

If you have the means to spend how you want, I think purchasing power in designer brands is a must if you want to keep fashion houses alive…

But the toting (no pun intended), does not have to be a means of shaming other people into feeling they also have to spend like you do.

I think as adults we understand this and don’t feel as much pressure to participate in the excess, but because so many people have young adults on their social media feeds seeing all of this excess…….

They begin to think this kind of spending is normal……. and it IS VERY MUCH NOT.

What matters is that when you spend money, you’re spending your money on items you like or NEED, even if it’s not what everyone else likes.

Half of the excess you see nowadays is not real and I think it is really easy to forget that.

Most of the products you see being pushed are “gifted” and I think it helps a lot when people state what items are “gifted” so their audience see’s that the influencer didn’t buy it………..

They can see that the influencer did not spend x amount of money to get it; they stashed that cash elsewhere (heck yes).

Handbags Under $50

Now that I feel I’ve made my case; that shaming people for how much they do or don’t spend can be done away with forever……… I can go ahead and share the fun handbags I found for under $50.

This first bag is a really fun and simple purse that I think adds a really classic polish to accompany your outfits to; summer markets, park dates, bar hopping and running errands.

It’s a very simple envelope shaped bag and it just sits really well for the warmer months and its activities, plus it’s great as a transition piece from summer to fall.

This straw handbag from target is awesome.

As is this quilted satchel, also from Target.

A cute little Chanel dupe from Kholes. If you want a patent and quilted look with a gold and black chain. This is for you.

For the more quirky minded women or for the summer mermaid types, this bag is super loud, functional and actually pretty great as a reflective piece (safe for nights when needing reflective gear) without trying too hard and I love it.

A crossbody that screams 80’s with the tassels and shape, but make it current in cream please.

Absolutely obsessed with the color and shape of this next bag.

Kind of out of the box……Or in the box….but still kind of crazy and fun to look at.

This bag is literally giving me life and giving me all the vacation vibes.

I love it.

My final, fun in the sun pick for summer…….is this really fun summer backpack that is beach ready.

Thus concludes my absolute favorite affordable handbag pieces that anyone from any budget can incorporate into their wardrobe.

Let me know what your favorite summer bags are this year in the comments.

Talk to you soon.

-Nikita