How Many Handbags Should You have in your Collection in 2024?

We’ve all see those massive walk in closets, you know the ones I’m talking about… they are filled with endless amounts of handbags and shoes. It got me thinking about a question I receive on a regular basis, which is how many handbags should I have in my collection or how many handbags is too many handbags? Well today I’m going to answer these questions and more.

red michael kors flower dress and lancaster beige bag how many handbags — Diane is wearing a Red Michael Kors Flower Dress and a Lancaster bag

How Many handbags Should you have in your Collection

Handbag collection walk in closet — Designer handbag Walk in Closet © sshoppstylee

It’s time for the question you have been eagerly awaiting to be answered, how many handbags should the average woman have in her collection? After hours upon hours of research and debate, I finally have a number that I feel comfortable sharing with you.

According to Mintel Research the average woman owns 9 handbags.

However, I’m a firm believer in investing in high quality handbags that will last a lifetime. Because of this belief, there is often a steep price tag that is associated with a designer handbag.

I highly recommend having 5 high quality handbags in your collection. The 5 types of bags I recommend adding to your collection are the following:

An Evening Bag
A Tote B ag
An Everyday Bag
A Midsize Bag
A Crossbody Bag

If you are a minimalist or live in a small space, you could easily get away with having 3 handbags. One small evening handbag, one mid-size bag, and one tote bag. If you are going the route of having only 3 bags then I highly recommend that you purchase these bags in a neutral color: Black, beige, taupe, Grey or white. Neutral colors are super easy to style.

In short, you should have no more than 9 bags in your collection. I highly recommend having 5 high quality handbags. And before you all “scream” at me through the computer, I know there will be some outliers who have a massive walk in closet, and love collecting handbags. This is only a rule of thumb, give or take a few is completely okay.

What to do if you have more than 9 bags?

Designer Handbag collection — Hermes Birkins and Chanel Bags © hermes_community

If you have over 9 bags, don’t fret. I totally get it, I love collecting handbags too. For me, I don’t wear a few of my handbags frequently, and they sit in my closet. It’s hard to let them go, there is a personal story behind it, you remember the joy you had when you bought it, and then there is always that lingering thought in the back of your mind which is what if I get rid of it and I want to wear it, or I regret it? So I totally get your hesitation of downsizing your handbag collection.

On the flip side, there is a huge preloved handbag marketplace where you can go and sell your handbags you aren't wearing anymore. I’m a big proponent of giving life to handbags you no longer wear, and making some money to either save or to put towards a new handbag that is more your style today.

Some of the most popular secondhand websites to resell your handbags include, Fashionphile, The Real Real and Tradsey.

What handbag brands should I have in my collection?

Dior Tote and Hermes Birkin — Hermes Birkin · Dior Tote Bag © community_dior

There are so many handbags and brands I adore. I even wrote an entire article about the best investment worthy handbags I highly recommend you read.

Some of my favorite designer handbag brands include Hermes, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Strathberry, YSL, and Celine.

My favorite affordable designer handbag brands include Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Coach, and Longchamp.

To be honest with you, I could probably find a handbag I adore with every brand. 🙂

What to look for in a bag when you are analyzing your collection?

Classic Chanel Bags — How Many Handbags should you have in your collection © chanel_addicted

The best rule of thumb to follow when it comes to what to look for when analyzing your handbag collection is quality vs quantity.

The most important questions to ask yourself when you are reviewing your handbag collection or expanding your handbag collection is the following: How is this handbag made, what type of leather is used, is it done by hand or a factory, and will the color fade.

For me, when buying a handbag, I want to ensure it lasts for year and has high quality. I don’t want to buy a bag and in a few months it’s falling apart.

Recap on how many handbags should you have in your collection

How Many handbags should you own? — How Many Handbags?

For me, this was such a fun article to write, I love talking about handbags. I’d love to open the discussion, how many handbags do you have in your collection?

Sincerely Petite in Paris,
Diane