Best and worst quality Contemporary brands?

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#46
Shelby33 said:
I have older bags from Botkier, Kooba, and Hayden Harnett and Linea Pelle and the quality is excellent, I just don't see the same quality or detail in the bags I see lately.
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I agree Botkier and Kooba used to be much better. RM I think is not as good as it used to be but kind of mixed - some better than others. I think Coach are decent (the leather ones IMO, not the fabric logo bags - those are all over the place too).
MK - IDK so much about quality I'm just put off that I see SO many of them around where I live.

Two of my more recent purchases are brands that aren't that popular here but I think they're very nice quality - Frye and Cole Haan.
 
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#47
Matt and Nat (a vegan leather bag company) has horrendous quality for the price tag, IMHO. I got one of their bags for my birthday and was surprised at how cheap it felt. I realize it is vegan leather but that isn't really my complaint. The bag feels like it is made of flimsy cardboard and covered with thin vegan leather. The hardware on the bag is made of painted plastic. Up close, the bag looks and feels totally cheap which is sad for a bag that cost over $150. The bag does have a nice shape (saddlebag shape) and a pretty color combo, but it certainly does not offset the overall cheap vibe of the bag. I have seen much better quality bags as Target for a fraction of the price.
 
#48
I love my Coach bag but I also really love my Cole Haan bag. I don't know why more people don't talk about Cole Haan bags because they are such good quality for the price! The leather is so buttery smooth but also wears very well.
 
#49
girlygirl26 said:
I love my Coach bag but I also really love my Cole Haan bag. I don't know why more people don't talk about Cole Haan bags because they are such good quality for the price! The leather is so buttery smooth but also wears very well.
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I have two( and couple still new, gave as a gift God knows how many as well) Cole Haan bags which I love, but Cole Haan quality is going down in a big hurry since they were sold to the other owner. Their shoes are becoming a joke with pvc lining, and my hobby and I wear Cole Haan shoes forever... Very frustrating.
 
#50
sdkitty said:
I agree Botkier and Kooba used to be much better. RM I think is not as good as it used to be but kind of mixed - some better than others. I think Coach are decent (the leather ones IMO, not the fabric logo bags - those are all over the place too).
MK - IDK so much about quality I'm just put off that I see SO many of them around where I live.

Two of my more recent purchases are brands that aren't that popular here but I think they're very nice quality - Frye and Cole Haan.
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Agree- Frye bags are as well-made as their boots. Like them, yet avoid for weight. Same for Dooney. Quality exceeds price point... can be heavy... Mostly not my style but the quality stands out & always prompts a second look (or touch, or sniff...).

Also agree w/ decline in quality for LP, RM, Cole Haan. Kate Spade have shifted some materials and their marque, yet materials & workmanship remain solid and her zippers always delight- they glide like butter (better than any of my Bals). Second only to delicious leather, a great zipper can seduce me (anyone else)?

Have (way) too many old school RMs - packed away- never use them, yet they won't sell now for close to what I paid in classic RM buying-frenzy.

Coach 1941 line is worth a new (or first) look. Strikingly different from the prior few years. Inventive yet functional designs and delicious materials. Beautiful suede linings, thick, chewy leathers, top quality hardware and finishes. Discovered these via Meg's piece about the new Coach Rogue bag in early 2016.

Agree about yummy leathers on many MBMJs (none in my collection- love petting them but they don't move me).

Madewell have wonderful bags at very accessible prices. Other standouts include Want les essentials, Sophie Hulme, some Rag & Bone, Alexander Wang, Roots, Longchamp, Furla, Anya Hindmarch, some Joy Gryson. Discovering Elizabeth & James... had an an SA remark ( unprompted) how their workmanship is exceptional for the price point. Deadly Ponies look spectacular online... Haven't seen one IRL.

Collection includes older Bals, Givenchy, St Laurent, Ferragamo, vintage LV, Jimmy Choo, Philip Lim, and some of the above.
 
#51
Cloudburst2000 said:
Matt and Nat (a vegan leather bag company) has horrendous quality for the price tag, IMHO. I got one of their bags for my birthday and was surprised at how cheap it felt. I realize it is vegan leather but that isn't really my complaint. The bag feels like it is made of flimsy cardboard and covered with thin vegan leather. The hardware on the bag is made of painted plastic. Up close, the bag looks and feels totally cheap which is sad for a bag that cost over $150. The bag does have a nice shape (saddlebag shape) and a pretty color combo, but it certainly does not offset the overall cheap vibe of the bag. I have seen much better quality bags as Target for a fraction of the price.
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Sad to hear this about Matt and Nat. I have an old bag from them - I can't even remember when I got it, probably close to ten years ago now, and it looks nothing like what's on their website now. It's got a metallic finish, zips, and chains and it put up with a lot of abuse, but it still looks just as it did 10 years ago. Too bad they didn't keep that quality up. I was thinking of getting a laptop backpack from them…

I have a Kate Spade that's maybe 3-5 years old and has held up so beautifully through the abuse I put it through! No signs of wear.

I have a 10 year old Coach that also shows no wear on its lovely leather or hardware, though the cloth on the strap has gotten discolored…I highly recommend old Coach. I have a newer Coach from the outlet that is decent, but the leather isn't nearly the same.

Now, if we're talking outlet prices, I highly recommend checking out the Brighton outlets. They're actually for high quality extra stock, not for low quality goods made specifically for outlet stores. I have three bags from Brighton: two from the outlet, one from the store and all three are a gorgeous leather that has stood normal use quite nicely.

I'm in love with the Henri Bendel looks, but the quality to me has been a little iffy. I have three nylon bags from them, and two are showing wear. To be fair, I traveled for six months through Europe with one and it is really not bad considering how careless I was with it. And the other one is showing wear only because I used it as a school bag and stuffed it with textbooks and my laptop. My happy healthy Henri Bendel I've only used as a normal purse and it is doing quite well.
 
#53
anthrosphere said:
Rebecca Minkoff = cheap leather, cheap looking knockoff designs of other designers. Cheap cheap.
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Anthrosphere, I can appreciate your disappointment with the brand but maybe it's time for you to move on to other brands when you have such unhappiness. I've seen you swear off RM a few times only to buy items again and get angry with their quality or CS. Life's too short for our shopping to be making us negative.
 
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#56
Gigi New York bags are great quality bags and most are made here in the US (in their Long Island workshop). I have several and freaking love them, plus their customer service is top notch. The only downside is that you'll most likely have to buy them online unless you live near one of the few retailers that carry the brand, or near their workshop. They have a popup shop in NYC right now through the end of the month.
 
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#58
Dooney and Bourke leather bags are really underrated, especially their Alto bags. I wish more people knew this and appreciated the brand more. They make pretty awesome leather items for a fraction of what higher end brands charge.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for their canvas lines, although I haven't bought anything canvas from them in years. They do look and feel different in quality, but after my experience with their original canvases, I just avoid them completely.
 
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#60
Hobbsy said:
Why does that seem ridiculous if you've never even owned one?!
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I think most people consider Coach to be a solid contemporary/mid-range bag designer. Bags costing over $1000 are usually in the high end designer range. I think she is simply saying that she would not pay $1000+ for a mid-tier bag. I don't think that I would either. If I was going to spend that type of money, it would have to be for a high-end bag, and Coach is not high-end. Any yes, I own both Coach and other contemporary bags as well as high end bags (Fendi, Dior, Gucci, Balenciaga, etc) so I have experience with both markets.
 
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