Last updated on October 26th, 2021 at 10:00 pm

I have an undeniable love for bags.  I don’t recall when it started, but I also can’t recall a time when I wasn’t well, pretty much obsessed with them. One of the things that I love about bags is that you can buy and use them at any time.  They are never “too tight” or “too loose”; the weather is never “too hot” or “too cold”. You may have to find the one that’s “just right” (to quote Goldilocks) — right for the occasion, the outfit, the color, etc., but that’s what makes my love for bags so much fun.

As many of you know, I worked for the Detroit handbag company, K. Carroll Accessories for over 12 years.  That was kind of like putting a piece of chocolate cake in front of someone who’s dieting. And while it fed my habit, so to speak, I did learn so much about bags – the features to look for, quality cues, what is vegan leather and when to splurge and when to save.  

For this post, I am going to focus on affordable bags, which I don’t completely define by price. I define “affordable” more by value. Do you get good quality, a sense of style all for a good price? I think all these companies do that, even though they differ in price. So, let’s explore my love for bags.

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Mango

I learned about Mango only in the last year or two.  They remind me of when Zara first came to the U.S. Right now they only have few stores on the East Coast, but they have a great website. The prices on their bags can vary from $20 to $100, but most bags I like fall in the $30 – $50 range.  One of the things I like about Mango is that they are very on-trend each season.  You can purchase a trendy bag for not a lot of money.  But they are not so trendy, that they will last only one season.  I have a bag that I bought a couple of years ago that is still in style today. Here are my current picks from Mango.

JW Pei

In the last few months I have seen their Gabbi bag on just about every model/actress that you come across.  It made me curious so I had to check it out, thinking that it would not be affordable.  I was worried because it was so darn cute (and I have limited willpower when it comes to bags). 

The Gabbi bag is $89 and there is a discount available for signing up for their emails on their website.  I did purchase the Gabbi in “Nutella”.  It just arrived so I haven’t used it yet, but I really like how it looks.  It’s a little bit small, so it will be more of a going-out bag, not one for shopping and errands, but it has really unique styling.  The Gabbi Bag is available in 10 fun colors and it is also available on amazon.com. (It is a little cheaper on Amazon, but if you get a coupon on their site, it’s about the same. Not all colors are available on Amazon.

Their Eva shoulder bag is also one of their best sellers and I really like this Dark Green Croc for fall.  As with the Gabbi bag, the Eva is also available at a lower price on amazon.com, but again, not all colors are available.

H & M

H & M is another store I turn to when I am looking for something trendy and inexpensive.  This quilted bag may just be my “find” of the season.  At $24.99 it has everything: quilted on-trend styling, an adjustable/removable strap (can be used as a clutch) a great size and it’s also very well made.

They carried straw bags this summer and are now introducing some faux-fur bags for fall that are pretty darn fun! And, fringe is back too. If you just want to dip your toe in the water on fringe, then their fringed shopping bag is perfect at $34.99

Telfar

Jen and I have talked about our Telfar bags before – we both have them and we both love them.  They are considered a “designer bag” but they intentionally keep their prices affordable. They only sell one bag (the “shopping bag”, but in three different sizes:  the Small, $150, the Medium, $202 and the Large, $257.  The designer is Telfar Clemens and his tagline is “It’s not for you — it’s for everyone. 

Why do we like our Telfar bags?  For me, they are the perfect oversized tote and the vegan leather is so soft and looks very high quality.  It’s a bag that you can use for work with your laptop or tablet and it’s a great travel or shopping bag as well. I use it mostly when I have to carry a lot of stuff. It also have two attached long straps so you can use it as a crossbody. Having two straps gives the bag extra support, especially if you are carrying your laptop.

One of the things that make Telfar so “cool” is that they are incredibly hard to get.  You can’t just go online and purchase one.  They put select colors for sale on certain days and they sell out in minutes.  They do have an email distribution so you know when a color will be available on the website. 

When I got my bag, I had advance notice through email so I was prepared right when they went on sale – but 10 minutes later, they were gone. I liked the challenge of seeing if I could snag one, but I know that process might not be for everyone.

K. Carroll Accessories

You had to know that I would include K. Carroll Accessories in this list.  It’s not just because of my history there, it’s because I can truly speak to the thought that goes into designing each bag and the quality.  My experience there did add to my love for bags. I wouldn’t steer you wrong and neither would Tory Johnson from Good Morning America’s “Deals and Steals”. K. Carroll bags have been featured multiple times every year since 2016.  And 2016 was the first time one of their products was named Oprah’s Favorite Things.  The second time was 2018, when my namesake bag, the “Harper” was also named one of Oprah’s favorites. 

The bags have also been featured on General Hospital. I recently wrote about that experience and shared my interview the Head Costume Designer, Shawn Reeves, that you can read here.

Let me share with you some of their consistent best sellers that I think you would really like.  I selected all these bags in colors – this is one of the best features of K. Carroll bags. They all come in rich, vibrant colors as well as neutrals.

First up is the Harper Crossbody. It’s your go-to bag when you want to carry the essentials. But it’s bigger than it looks. It will carry your phone, sunglasses and more. There is a built-in carabiner in the back so it can also attach to your belt loop and be work as a belt bag. It’s also available on amazon.com.

The Nora bag has been a best seller for years. It’s a great bag that can be dressed up or dressed down. It’s a great day to night bag. The inner bag also has a crossbody strap, so you can use the large bag at work and then just grab the small crossbody at night.

The K. Carroll pink is one of the prettiest pinks you’ll see. The combo of the pink smooth vegan leather and the croc is simply gorgeous. It’s also another 2-n-1, another common feature in K. Carroll Accessories handbags.

Did you find anything you like? Did I miss your favorite affordable brand? Please let me know in the comments below.