Handbags at dawn: Fiorelli vs Radley

What certain age? I'm 23 and I adore my Radley bag, it's gorgeous, I love it.

This is the thing, Pheebs, I know loads of Hitchers have Radley bags and they're everywhere - I can even buy them in the gift shop on my local High St, but I just don't "get" them. I don't know why but for some reason I don't see what everybody else does. Ho-hum!

'women of a certain age' how rooooood ?

i also adore my radley bag. i especially love the fact it only cost 1000 rupees from a bloke on the beach in goa ?

what's so special about fiorelli bags?

I've not seen many around but then I do live near Swindon, haha. I feel like an old lady now, mind you, ex's Mum had one and she was late 50s and her friends had them as well.

I just think the Radley ones look quite samey. The Fiorelli ones come in a lot of different textures as well as sizes and colours whereas the Radley ones seem less "design-led" and more practical. Does that make sense? I am put off by the dog motif in the same way as I don't like the monkey motif on Kipling bags.

I know it's horses for courses but I was surprised that the Fiorelli store had been closed and the Radley one was there in its place. I guess Radley bags are more popular - which again would make me prefer Fiorelli as I don't like to have the same as everyone else.

I do like fiorelli bags - i especially like that you can get about 5 of them for the same price as a radley

i have a very pretty radley bag - but resisted for a long time as there is a touch of the permatan plastic fingernails about them

i just turn the little doggy inwards ?

I have quite a few of both types of bags - my larger bags are radleys and smaller ones fiorelli - I like both ?

? I have a Kipling bag - the first thing I did was to loose the monkey keyring thing. Mind you, I don't think I get the designer thing - I was in the supermarket and the woman on the till said I must like Kipling. I was completely baffled as I hadn't bought any Mr Kipling cakes until she pointed at my bag <embaressed icon>

I have a Fiorelli purse - I've only realised tonight when I went to look at what they were......

I haaaaate Radley bags. Those little dogs argh. You don't want a bag with a blo0dy dog on it.

I've got a couple of the "novelty" Radley bags - I've got the first one (didn't realise it was the first when bought) and one a couple of seasons later. I bought them in my early twenties. I'm a complete baggy, and I loved their quality and quirkiness.

They've not seen light of day for quite a few years now. I traded up, and now have 2 Mulberry bags that I interchange. I don't even want any other make than Mulberry now, and I expect them to last me a lifetime (and as my daughter appears to have inherited my baggy tendancies, hopefully she'll have them one day too).

OH. MY. GOD. I've just seen what my 2 Radley bags are going for on e*bay, apparently they're very rare...Hmmm, might have to dig them out.

[whisper]and with my spoils hit Mulberry....

OH. MY. GOD. I've just seen what my 2 Radley bags are going for on e*bay, apparently they're very rare...Hmmm, might have to dig them out.

[whisper]and with my spoils hit Mulberry....

you dont like them because youre a pretentious git and they have no cachet ?

Ideal plan. Flog them and get a lovely bag instead.

why...you're trying to say they're twee or something? ?

A twee ticker is one thing, but wearing something twee is taking tweeness to it's limit. ?

You poor soul can you not see how wearing a small doggy is twee. It's the first step towards holding a childs bag that actually looks toy dog. My simple choice of pink and blue is tasteful i have you know. You hater! ;-)

Calm down dear? I'm all for animal rights. It's a bit like being a Disney fan and not going for a big bag with a full size picture of erm say..minnie mouse but having a plain bag with a twee little minniw mouse key ring or dangly thing attached to the bag. Now i'm a Disney fan, but i wouldn't be seen dead or alive wearing any Disney tweeness. A small scotty dog tag is twee or do i need to point you in the direction of a local Speaksavers?

youre saying she talks too much? ?

i quite like that. its pink. what's to dislike? ? <cowers anticipating scorn from all sides>

having said that my goan rip off real radley bag is just a plain black one. i bought it because i needed a plain black bag, it was just the right size, and it was nice leather. oh and because it was about thirteen quid

the ickle woof-woof was neither here nor there in the buying decision making process ?

I have two Radley bags. A black one and a tan one. I like them very much.

Any Fiorelli bags I've seen have been a bit, well, Per Una / middle age woman trying a bit too hard, for my liking. And expensive for something that appears so cheap - not in a good Dolly Parton way either.

I must admit, i m not keen on either of the two brands. they just look very..."high street" to me, and i think a womans handbag says a lot about her. mind you, i am a terrible snob with things like this.

I have two radley bags and I love them ?

gosh. really? that amazes me ?

so what bag should i be buying then? bearing in mind my clothing is usually a) a hideous uniform or b) jeans

can't see the latest muberry making much difference tbh. you can't polish a turd ?

Well, i think in the case of a nice handbag, it can act a little like a turd-polishing cloth. i think it depends on your size, shape, build, hair, all kinds of things. if you were a chunky monkey, then a dainty fendi would look ridiculous. however, if you were tall and very slim, a huge mulberry might look equally daft.

You? No. ?

I'd love a really nice handbag, but unfortunately have currently neither the finesse nor the financial werewithal to carry it off. It'd only get covered in milk, nappy creamor other such crud.

I thought they were the same company anyway - I'm sure they share a discount shop at one of our Outlet places.

i don't like either. at all.

i would rather save up and go for a mulberry or go to topshop, reiss or zara. all of whom have great bags imo. although topshop seem a bit hit and miss at the moment.

although the coolest bag du jour has to be the oioi hobo, of course ?

WSS. I got a lovely real leather bag in River island a couple of weeks back. Twill have to do until I graduate and can afford that Prada satchel I've been dreaming of.

I buy msot of my bags from matalan. or accessorize. ?

i used to buy expensive bags. i have three mulberries in the loft. but they don't fit a lot in them...

i must get round to ebaying them...

I bought madam a gucci bag in the bahamas in about 1998, and it s the same, almost looks new. anyone watching naked parents on fiver? too funny ?

I understand the principle of spending more on a quality item. I get that, but can't justify the spend atm, even by breaking it down into cost per use or whatever you're meant to do. My Radley bags are I think 5 yrs old and whilst the lining in the black one has died, the far more used tan one still looks really well, so there's clearly some level of quality there.

However, I genuinely don't see how, for example, either of my two plain satchel style should bags could be so offensive as CBH seems to find the Radley brand. Especially as she seems to put Fiorelli on some sort of design-led pedastal.

Jess, a baybeh sicked on my last Accessorize bag. Itsmells funny.

FIS, I've got an OiOI, am I a yummy mummy then? <snort>

Ooo yes i found three lovely clutch bags in accessorize the other day. and a fab bikini. and the coolest pair of sunglasses for hazel but she wasn't having any of it despite my protestations that she looked faaaaabulous ?

i don't dare look at fiver, it sounds scarring.