7 Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Designer Bag

Even though I always admired the beautiful creations of Prada, Céline, or Louis Vuitton, owning a 3.1 Phillip Lim bag was what I daydreamed about. At first sight, the 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Backpack was just perfect. Its structured shape looked so luxe and edgy. I imagined the backpack would be so practical to carry all my day-to-day essentials, especially while commuting to the city. The almost $1,000 price tag certainly didn't feel like pocket change, but I figured I could save up to own it eventually.

Soon I would see the bag everywhere: in the pages of magazines and on the arms of übercool street style stars. Even though I saw many fast-fashion replicas, they didn't compare to the quality and overall look of the original. And I was on a mission to make it mine. Here's everything you need to know to make the dream of owning your favorite designer bag come true.