help me buy a bag

For style and quality, the real thing is virtually always best. No fakes. ...If you can't afford real leather, get real canvas. If you can't afford real gold, get real silver. If you can't afford real silk, get real cotton....

Just because something's leather doesn't mean it's better than something "fake", but in order to find out you have to take other things into account. For instance, the stitching, the choice of closures, etc. For instance, after reading positive reviews of http://www.billykirk.com/page.cfm?id_product=54166260&type=1&product_group=21844278&xid=53753800 by Billykirk (canvas and real leather), I purchased it. It seemed pretty great... until I used it. The first time I brought it through an airport, the zipper broke when I was opening it and it was a nightmare getting it to reclose (I almost missed my flight). It was extremely frustrating being at the check in counter and having my stuff hanging out of the bag while being rushed to get to the boarding area. Keep in mind this is a respected leather worker that simply did not research the parts they outsourced (the zipper). When I returned from my trip, I emailed them and they simply offered to send me another zipper. I told them that I didn't want another zipper as I didn't want to be in the same situation again--I couldn't trust the product; I didn't trust their judgment of zippers. They weren't particularly sympathetic and told me to take it up with the shop I purchased it from. I did, and managed to get my money back. Of course, I would never buy another Billykirk item again. Doing research on leather bags, I came across http://www.saddlebackleather.com/, which also has an explanation of what the different http://www.saddlebackleather.com/18-why-saddleback-leather-is-better available are. I've since purchased two Saddleback bags (http://www.saddlebackleather.com/categories/86-Duffles-Overnight-Bags/products/1676-Leather-Duffel-Overnight-Dark-Coffee-Brown-Leather-Bag and http://www.saddlebackleather.com/categories/79-Briefcases/products/1646-Leather-Briefcase-Dark-Coffee-Brown) and am delighted with them. It's impossible to leave the house with them and not be complimented on them. They're much more expensive than the bag you're looking at but they also come with a 100 year warranty and don't use closures that break (so, no zippers or clasps). And they're full grain leather (read the leather link for explanation.) My point is that it's possible a leather bag company will fuck something up, besides the leather, which will make the bag less durable than the "fake" bag. However, if the life expectancy of the bag is an issue for you, make sure you research the bag and its company. A high price does not mean quality (as my Billykirk example proves); and simply because something is leather does not mean it will last. However, all things considered, if the same company was making both a real and faux leather bag, I'd probably go with the real.

The leather bag will feel nicer and last longer. Do you plan on using the bag for years? If so, get the leather. If you think you'll be bored with it or it'll be out of style by next fall, get the cheaper one. (Overall, for anything that you'll be using often, it's better for your wallet and closet to get durable, high-quality stuff in classic styles and hang on to them for years.)

I'm in the minority on this one, but I'll cast a vote for getting the fake. I'm *real* hard on my stuff, and I'd rather replace a purse than carry one around that looks banged up and frayed. I'd feel miserable if i got a scratch or a stain on an expensive item. I'd buy the cheaper purse because, i know I'd bang it up sooner, and I'd replace it with something different. I could buy THREE of your fake purses for the price of the one real leather purse you suggested. How long did your last purse last, and what was it made of? What did it cost, and how much did you like it? I'm also capricious in my tastes, so I can't imagine using the same purse for years & years...although I have taken a couple of of my favorite things in for a repair instead of trashing them outright. I just bought a cute real-leather purse for $4.00 from the "out of the closet" resale store in Los Angeles. It works to carry stuff, and when it gets ugly (it inevitably will) i can let go of it guilt free. The only place i spend money for clothing/accessories is shoes. crappy, cheap shoes can mess up your feet badly. I speak from experience and I'm paying the price now.

Since you are on a limited budget, get the cheap bag. If, next summer, you still love it and carry it every day, go back and get the more expensive one. Because the style is pretty trendy, I suspect you won't want to stick with the same style for more than a year or two.

I think people get caught up in the romance of an aged leather bag, and the reality is that a fairly cheap retail bag doesn't always live up to that. Scuffs aren't that charming on cheap dyed leather, and poor stitching is poor stitching.

After a lot of experience with fake synthetic shoes and bags, I now wholeheartedly believe that it's worth the extra cost to buy real leather. It looks better and wears better, and (in the case of shoes) feels better. If you take care of it, you'll have it for a long time and it's worth it to keep it around instead of spending money on something that will ultimately be disposable.

Whats going to be going in this bag? Laptop, notebooks, pencils and a bus ride every day? Stepped on in lecture halls? Sitting next to you (and lots of greasy food) in cafeterias? You're probably going to be putting quite a bit of wear on to this. Expect any bag used daily with heavy items in it to look beat up in a year or two. The leather bag you're considering is 4.25 times more expensive than the plastic one. Do you think you'll get 4.25 times more use out of it? In my experience Fossil doesn't have super great quality. I've had stitching come apart. Where the edges of leather are exposed, they use a kinda cheap sealant (that's basically just plastic the same color as your leather) and it'll peel off eventually. I vote for cheap, or a more expensive, but less stylish commuter type bag.

Absolutely buy the leather -- and I say this as someone who bought and replaced fakes for years. Just to nth what everyone else has said, it will look nicer and last far longer than a dozen or more faux-leather bags, which means it's actually more affordable over the (not-so)long run. As for Fossil: I think their products give you very good value for the money. My Fossil satchel -- which I bought last year after finally having had enough of cheap faux-leather -- has held up to a good amount of daily abuse and looks just as great as ever; in the same time I've had it, I would have gone through at least two or three cheaper bags.