Coach Originals vs Coach Classics vs Vintage

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#61
br350 said:
Katev -you seem so knowledgeable about Coach and the various bags/styles/leathers, etc that I wanted to ask you a question if you don't mind. I have both an old and new Madison Hailey (old in Walnut, new in black). I love the new Madison leather but I love the detailing on the old Hailey much better. My question: what type of leather was used on the old Madison Hailey? (if you know!) It seems much stiffer and has lots of natural striations or sort of lines in it. I have a Walnut/brass old Hailey and the leather is SO different from the new Hailey which I have in black.....any help?
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I don't have either Hailey so I can't help, but it sounds to me like the older Hailey is "Coach vintage leather". My Ergo is vintage leather and it is very soft and rich but has some natural markings and striations. I love it and I am carrying that bag today!

I suggest that you post a question in the I"D This Coach" thread on the first page of this forum. Include the full numbers on the creed patches inside the bags. If you have pictures of them it would also be helpful. The authentication ladies and other veteran TPFers monitor that thread and some of them may have your bags - or they may have access to catalog listings that may describe the type of leather used. Good luck!
 
#62
Katev - thank you so much! I wasn't sure how to post this as since I am only at 10 posts it said I could not start a new thread. I will post under the ID This Coach and see if anyone can help. Again, thank you for your help!! :smile1::smile1:
 
#63
I agree with other posters, I'm not paying FP for a bag made in China, I got a few from Ebay that I'm rehabing, The Stewardess Bag and I just got a crazy deal on 2 of the Lula drawstring bags! Seller obv didnt know what she had!:smile1:
 
#67
That is a gorgeous bag and a steal at that price! I am just now getting into the older, vintage coach bags. I got one for a friend on ebay and I was checking it out and realized that Coach is actually really classy and chic!

I always thought of the older saddle-leather Coach as more of a "luggage" type of bag, but these bags really have beautiful lines and are rugged without looking like something you'd see on a tool belt.

I am in love with the old stewardess bags that are not as tall and boxy as the new ones. They remind me of the Patricia's legacy bags but are a little bigger and have the brass feet and turn lock clasp that I adore.

My fall wardrobe is leaning a little more hippie/boho this year...I'm inspired by some of the Olsen girls' long skirts and (oddly enough) some of Lisa Bonet's wardrobe.

Maybe I'm just getting old, but I'm starting to feel a little less edgy and more earthy. I also think that my mood has been a little more down-to-earth lately because of the recent economic trends that have me really starting to look at the inherent value of buying things that have a timeless, classic and are built to really last.
 
#68
katev said:
I was at the boutique today and saw the new Coach Classics IRL for the first time. They had an entire display section for them right next to the entrance door! They are very lovely and the styling is quite true to the originals but they are lighter weight. The leather is very shiny and pretty but it is stiffer and I think it could scratch pretty easily.

I have to say that these simpler, quieter styles were quite capable of "holding their own" next to all the big, blingy, beautiful new bags! I mentioned to the SA that I have a stewardess bag in black (they had a british tan one on display) and she said "Hang on to it, they are great bags and never go out of style!"

I agree with her!
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As someone who carried the original classics, they could get very heavy and I was decades younger then. But they lasted forever and I carried the same purse every day for years. You did not hear about the quality issues we are experiencing today. i loved them so much that when I "returned" to Coach, the first bag I bought was the "new" Stewardess. It is lovely and I appreciate it is lighter. Works better for this old Coachie's shoulders.
 
#69
kdennis said:
As someone who carried the original classics, they could get very heavy and I was decades younger then. But they lasted forever and I carried the same purse every day for years. You did not hear about the quality issues we are experiencing today. i loved them so much that when I "returned" to Coach, the first bag I bought was the "new" Stewardess. It is lovely and I appreciate it is lighter. Works better for this old Coachie's shoulders.
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It's true, many of the the original classic bags were/are heavy bags and the updated versions are lighter-weight and beautiful too!
 
#70
SilviaLovesBags said:
Thanks Katev for starting this thread, I thought I would share my find, about a month or two ago I was at my local Outlet and I found this Stuwardess Bag in the Delete area. It was the only one that was there and I think it might of been a return from Coach.com. I compared it with my late 1980s bags and the feeling of the leather seems similar. This one is #09525, it was one of the ones made in China. I paid around $70 dollars for it which I thought was a good price.
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What a find! I would say 70$ is a great deal, congrats.
 
#72
Thank you, kate, for starting this informative thread. I appreciate you clarifying the confusing terms: originals, classics, and giving a definition of vintage. There is so much to learn on this forum. I continued to be amazed at the depth of knowledge represented here.
 
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#74
For anyone interested in the Coach Classics (the five styles Coach brought back last year in the lighter-weight leather), Nordstrom has them on clearance for 33% off. I bought a Classic Duffle in british tan yesterday for $265 and change before tax. I've wanted this bag ever since it was re-released last year. I'd seen it, and the other Classics, IRL before and even compared the Classic Stewardess to the Original Stewardess.

I hemmed and hawed and missed out on the Duffle last week when Macys.com had it on clearance, but Nordstrom's price is slightly lower than Macys.com's was, and the bag was/is still full price in Macy's stores near me. When I talked to SAs over the phone, they weren't willing to price match the online price, and I wasn't in the mood to fuss with them about it.

Personally, I like the leather and feel that my duffle is well-constructed. I know that others felt differently about theirs, but this is JMO. I have a few vintage bags from rehab projects, but I also like having a fresh, new bag with that classic "look" and will be interested to see how this leather ages over time. The care card describes it as a burnished leather that will not darken over time, however I'd expect that it will soften, smoosh, and all that good stuff.

33% off isn't the biggest discount, but I'm not sure when (or if) Coach will send the Classics to the outlets in large quantities. JAX had plenty of the BT Classic Duffle in stock yesterday. If I were in Coach's position, I wouldn't send the BT and black Classic Duffles to the outlets just yet because this season is all about the duffle (albeit the new Legacy version, but still....the original style represented by the Classic version begat the "new" style).

I might pick up a Classic Stewardess at the outlet when/if it goes there. I don't like that the new Stewardess is narrower (yet pricier!) than the original, but at 40/30 or 50/30 I might overlook that discrepancy. :)

IMO, I prefer the color of the new Classic BT to the Original BT. I compared a new-with-tags, still-at-the-store Original City Bag to a Classic Madison satchel, in addition to my Stewardess comparison mentioned earlier. In store lighting, the original BT looks flat on a brand-new, never-carried bag; but the new BT has a bit more richness and depth. The new leather is thinner than the old, but as others have noted that makes the bag lighter weight - which is a good thing for a big bag like the Duffle IMO.
 
#75
Just a few comments about the thickness of leather:
The oldest Coach I have is pre-creed and the leather on that one is thinner than on the same style that I have from the 80's. I don't know why. The thickest leather I have ever seen on a Coach is the slim tote from the late 70's. It is stiff and definitely is not soft and squishy so thick leather isn't necessarily a good thing. I also have a Manor bag which has way too much leather, IMO. The leather is doubled in so many parts that the bag is extremely heavy and the compartments are smaller because the leather takes up so much space.
 
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