Back in the day, when I was a 20 something (oh so long ago!), Coach was THE bag to own (Come on, I know you remember those days too!).
Back then, being able to sling one of those sober, clean lined bags with it's iconic but discrete Coach keychain tag daggling off it over your shoulder, was making a statement that you were firmly on the grownup side of style.
I remember my breathless delight when I finally invested in a small version of the City Bag. It remained the most expensive bag I owned and my absolute go to bag for everything from dinners out to funerals to those weekend days when I didn't want to carry a big bag - just enough bag for what I needed to run errands.
With so many bags these days (oh good God, I can't believe I'm saying "these days"!) practically blinging their way off the shelf with more metal, chains and locks than a super max prison, it's hard to believe that understated elegance was once the mark of the "it" bag for young and old alike. (Okay, okay, there's the Kelly and the Birkin - but I'm talkin' bags accessible to us mere mortals.)
Over the years Coach's reputation faded a bit as the brand apparently began to look just a bit too much like "your mom's" bag. To compensate, the bags got blingier (is that a word?) with patterns just plain out of control and an affection for loopy designs that basically left me cold.
Except for the thief of my beloved Coach (no I won't go into the details - suffice it to say I was heartbroken. I'd owned and loved that bag for at least 20 years), I might never have gone back into a Coach store. But go back I did, looking to replace it. Sadly my stolen bag is no longer sold and so I settled for a classic Station Bag as a replacement (a decision I have since regretted - not because there is anything wrong with the bag, but it simply doesn't fit the style of bag that fits the life I live today). And I started to check-out Coach bags again.
Once again, I wasn't initially impressed. But over the last few years, Coach has seemed to find a middle ground between keeping pace with the handbag arms race while incorporating a more classic style.
And this fall I think they have really hit their stride! The bags I would add to my closet?.....
Gray is a hot color this fall and I would gladly bring some of it into my wardrobe via this lovely bag!
What a great work bag this would make! (I actually saw this one in the wild just the other day - and yes it looked great on the lady's arm!)
Normally, I despise (yes that's right despise!) bags that have that logo thing going on all over them - I figure I spent enough for the bag, I shouldn't have to act as moving advertisement for the maker!
But I'm willing to put my despite aside for this one! The shape and color are just perfect and even the C design looks like it actually belongs on the bag!
If I had it to do all over again this is the bag I would have purchased to replace my stolen one - it's much more who I am today!
I could go on and on - but I won't. But I think another Coach bag is waiting in my future!
And may I have the chance to love it for another 20 years! ; - )
No comments:
Post a Comment