Would You Rather: One Designer Handbag or Three Pairs of Designer Shoes?

Life is all about hard decisions, and lately we've been pondering either/or dilemmas like this one: If you had $1,250 to spend on accessories, would you drop it on a versatile royal purple Mulberry bag big enough to carry every single day, or take the cash and get three new pairs of designer shoes?

The price tag is just about the same, but the choice is yours. What would you do?

The Mulberry bag?

Or a pair of Marc Jacobs ankle boots, Valentino sandals and these edgy Giuseppe Zanotti pumps?

Looking to spend less than $1,250 on your handbag purchase? Shop from our calendar of online sample sales, or browse our daily deal finds.

 

Follow Michelle Madhok on Twitter: www.twitter.com/shefinds

Comments

[Kathleen Shimp]

06:54 PM on 01/03/2010

If we were speaking in general terms, not this specific bag or these specific shoes, I'd easily pick shoes, but with about 2-inch heels instead of 4. I carry a bag, but shoes have to carry me. I'd been wearing cheap shoes a lot the past few years, and they really don't last as well as higher quality ones, nor are they as comfortable. They don't need to be $400, but it turns out one pair of $100 shoes really can be a better purchase than 5 pairs of $20 shoes.
Unfortunately for me, though, the choices end up depending on whoever makes shoes smaller than size 6, and the mid-priced lines are the ones that seem to be limiting size selection more than either the high or low end of the price spectrum.
Which means I end up with a LOT of kids' shoes, but that's another topic.

[AmandaRuth]

02:35 PM on 01/02/2010

of course spending that kind of money on shoes and a bad is outrageous. However, I do agree with the others that said if you have it, why not spend it.

In my fantasy world, I would go for the shoes. I love them all, they are absolutely beautiful. All of them.

[fireincarmation]

04:14 AM on 12/30/2009

I cannot imagine spending that kind of money on shoes or a handbag. I also cannot imagine what would make anyone want to spend that kind of money on shoes or a handbag.

[April Kling]

11:29 AM on 12/28/2009

With $1250, I'd pay off some debt I've racked up by buying too many designer handbags and shoes...

[Maria Losch Rohloff]

06:27 PM on 12/27/2009

I would definitely buy 3 pairs of shoes instead of the bag. I'm all about accessorizing, so the more choices to liven up an outfit, the better. I must say, the Mulberry bag you posted is beautiful and purple is this season's hot color!

[mlaiuppa]

10:12 PM on 12/26/2009

I'd keep the cash and so neither.

The bag is too big and would give me shoulder pain problems.

The shoes are too high and would hurt my feet and aggravate the herniated discs in my lower back.

I'll take the money, please.

[mamacat]

06:12 AM on 12/25/2009

I choose neither, thank you very much.

[lee4713]

01:36 AM on 12/25/2009

I'm all for quality (and things that last). But seriously, $400 for any of those shoes? I'm trying very hard to think of anyone who could justify one, let alone three, pair of shoes as non-essential as those. Oh well. Guess I live in flyover land.

[tb92]

03:39 PM on 12/23/2009

What a childish question. I would take $100 to the local thrift store and buy shoes and bags for my whole family. Then I would give to rest to a charity that could buy food or blankets for people in need. I can't even imagine wasting so much money on baubles when there are people suffering around us. It's time to grow up.

[Blues02]

07:58 PM on 12/23/2009

Hey some people work really hard for their money and if they want to spend it on designer accessories or "baubles" more power to them. Don't tell me you have never splurged on something.

[Jencherrie84]

10:08 PM on 12/23/2009

Yeah, my damn condo

[tb92]

01:45 AM on 12/24/2009

I can think of one thing on which I splurged. My husband and I bought a lovely piece of glass artwork. It was all of a hundred dollars, which was a great deal for the starving college kids we were at the time. But you know what? My country was not in a recession. We didn't have double-digit unemployment and millions of hungry kids. When things are good and people are being cared for, things are different. But to waste more than a thousand dollars on ONE bag while people are suffering, is immature. I don't care how hard you work for your money. It's still wrong.