Am I Part of the Overconsumption Problem?
After 20 years of writing about bags, I’m asking myself hard questions and sharing why I want you to feel informed, not pressured, when it comes to what you buy.
Twenty years ago, from our off-campus college apartment, with fake wood-paneled walls and a very questionable (as the kids would now say sus) hot tub in the basement, Vlad and I started PurseBlog.
I loved bags, and he understood how to build and monetize a website. We were the perfect combination: young and in love and building something together.
At the time, I didn’t have a collection of bags, actually far from it. I had just a few: a Coach bag I begged my parents for until they finally gave in, a Prada Nylon Messenger that marked my first step into the designer world, and a Juicy Couture Bowler Bag I bought with my dad’s credit card… which quickly prompted an email from him: “What did I buy from Shopbop.com for $350 and do I even like it?”
I was enamored. I wanted to own more bags. I wanted to belong to this fashion world. And honestly, I wanted to feel better about myself by carrying a bag that I believed could somehow give me that confidence.
“Loving fashion doesn’t have to mean overconsumption.”
And so PurseBlog began. For two decades, I’ve written about bags—reviewing them, sharing what I love, pointing you to where you can buy them. Over on PurseForum, a whole community formed around the same thing: sharing, giving advice, and cheering one another on. I still remember when bag unboxings felt like long, slow, real-time stripteases (and yes, it was exactly as fun as it sounds).
But after twenty years in this industry, with life and perspective shifting along the way, I’ve had to ask myself: am I part of the overconsumption problem?
More than once, members of PurseForum have emailed asking us to ban them so they wouldn’t be tempted to shop. Shopping addiction—formally called compulsive buying disorder—is real and affects an estimated 5–8% of the population (per the NIH). While I don’t believe most of my readers fall into that category, I still wrestle with the fact that my platform could be seen as actively promoting consumerism.
And here’s the truth: I do believe in buying what makes you happy. Bags and accessories can bring joy, add a spark to your day, and make life feel a little more fun. There’s nothing wrong with that. But when the message becomes “you need this,” I want to be careful.
“I write bag reviews so you can make decisions that work for you, not me.”
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably noticed a shift. I still love beautiful things. I still want them! But now, I take time to decide whether something really works for me. That’s why I write the in-depth, nitty-gritty reviews—to give you all the information you need to decide if a big purchase is right for you. And when you ask me about a bag, I’ll often ask you questions right back, to help you get to the answer that fits your life.
I also don’t buy everything I share. Vlad and I are pretty disciplined with our finances (thanks, Dad, for instilling that early on). We save, prioritize what matters most, including education, food, family experiences, and try to teach our kids that memories are worth more than things. Plus, brands send me samples of bags to review, and then I ship them back. This gives me time with the bag while also preventing me from sinking money into yet another bag purchase.
That doesn’t mean I don’t still get tempted. I’ll see an over-the-top bag or jewelry item (my next weakness) and immediately think, I deserve this! But I also know I don’t “deserve” any item. Eventually, I come back to myself, take a breath, and remember the life we’ve chosen, one that’s comfortable, full, and secure without needing every shiny new thing.
So here’s what I want you to hear: even though I’ve spent two decades sharing bags (with links and plenty of exclamation points), you should never feel pressured to buy just because I, or any influencer or celebrity, tell you to.
“Influencers, including me, earn money from your consumption. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend; it means it should be on your terms.”
Take a pause. Think it through. Decide if it really fits your life right now. For one person, a cup of coffee is the same degree of a splurge as a Hermès Birkin is for the next person. There’s no right or wrong: it’s about your circumstances, not anyone else’s.
And always remember: you’re being sold to. Don’t fall into the trap of believing you need everything in your feed. Influencers, including me, earn money from your consumption. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend; it just means it should be on your terms.
At the end of the day, I’m here to help you make informed decisions. Sometimes that means carefully planning; sometimes it’s more on the whim, but the choice is yours. And that power? That’s the most important accessory of all.
“The best accessory you can carry is the power to choose.”
I loved this article and found myself nodding about the reminder of being sold to. I know that it's the goal of SA's and mostly have had ones in stores that haven't been too pushy. However, I was in NYC for my birthday weekend and I stopped in the LV store. One of the SAs approached me like a magnet and followed me around the store (uninvited). She relentlessly did the hard sales push, convincing me that an item would go quickly and that I should buy a winter coat on the spot because there were few of them and it would be "cold" that evening. This was early September. The coup de grace was when I asked about the cafe and she told me that it was closed and I couldn't go up to the top floor to see it. Well, I did after she (finally) left me alone. And while it was closed at that moment, the very nice hostess said there was an opening later that evening that unfortunately coincided with our theatre tickets. Anyway, that 'hard' sell really turned me off and the strategy of being helpful is far more effective than being sold to. I know this story is a bit off topic from the message in your article, but just to say that I've experienced that pressure to buy IRL and your articles never make me feel that way. They are very helpful. Appreciate what you do.
It is a great question, applaud you for asking it.
You don’t pressure anyone to buy, but the blog does create great temptation. What I most enjoy about your blog are the pros and cons readers write in about each bag. This I find helpful.