Confused Coach Newbie

antarctica

Member
Nov 2, 2015
214
35
Hey everyone, I wanted to share a quick concern I have being new to Coach.

I have been recently frustrated with my luxury purchases/luxury goods as the prices keep increasing and it has become extremely difficult to come across superb quality at a relatively reasonable price. Mind you, I am a guy, so the options are a lot more limited. I recently purchased a $3500 Bottega Bag that sat in my closet for weeks before being returned due to being afraid of using such an expensive bag.

With this in mind I decided to take a look at Coach. I have liked what Stuart Vevers has done with the brand and was attracted to some of the mens bags. I decided to pull the trigger and purchase 2 bags and 1 pair of shoes from the website. I received the bags and I was actually pretty happy with what I got, I felt like for the money, I was getting a lot of bang for my buck.

That was until yesterday, when my family and I decided to go to a local outlet to look at presents for fathers day. It was an extremely hot day and the coach outlet was giving away free water bottles so we decided to walk in. I was pretty sad as right after I walked in, I saw the same exact bag I bought from the FP store in an array of different colors and leathers for about half the price. I knew Coach had outlets and I knew they made some popular styles, but I did not know it would be the same exact bag down to the rivets. The only main difference was the lining which was all black without the coach lettering.

Now my question is, is this what I should expect from Coach? I had a chance to examine the bags and they seemed pretty darn similar to what I got so why should I keep the FP bags and not return them and get the outlet versions?
Can anyone attest that the FP quality is actually worth the difference in price?

WHat do you all think? Thanks for reading my rant haha
 
You are correct that between the FP and the outlet, certain styles are the same and it's hard to tell the difference. A few years ago, it wasn't like that, and when I first saw how similar they were, I was also shocked. However, the difference is in the quality of the zippers, snaps and leather. The outlet bags 80% of the time will age worse than the FP bags. Also, with the outlet bags, there are small stylistic differences that make the outlet bags sometimes seem cheaper to me. If the backpack style is not something that you are thinking you will use for more than the next two years, I might go for the outlet. If it's something you can see yourself using for a long time, stick with your FP bags. It's your call.
 
Nice! Backpacks are having a resurgence this year. :smile:

The bags may look the same but they are not. The quality of the outlet version is lesser. Sometimes the quality is close (other times it's not even close), but it's not the same. I am sure some will disagree with me but this is my opinion.

If you are looking quality, I would stick with the boutique version, if you are looking for fast fashion, try the outlet version.
 
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Welcome to Coach!

Yeah, unfortunately, you have encountered a complaint of many Coachies... factory stores tend to do many remakes, and even take over older lines/styles that were once only in the boutiques.

As for the quality and which is worth it, depends.. realize not the most clear answer but is the truth, some bags are equal to boutique, others not so much.

Best advice i can offer is evaluate the materials and hardware closely, only you can determine if it meets the standards you desire. I typically use the factory stores to snag full price bags off clearance. :biggrin:
 
I agree with HesitantShopper, the bags seem the same at first glance but are not, Coach often remakes, to the dismay of many of us, an outlet version of the their full price line, usually months after the full price line release. The quality is not often the same but sometimes is, I know that doesn't help, but what matters is how you feel about your purchase.

You might want to check out Coach summer sale on their website, both the campus and Hudson are on sale, 50% is seems. Maybe you can get a price adjustment or return & rebuy.
 
Hey guys, thank you for your comments. I was able to get a price adjustment when I realized they were on sale. $250/$275 for a fp bag sounds reaaaaaally good to me :smile:

Im just going to keep them and enjoy them in good health and lets see how they turn out long term.
 
Hey guys, thank you for your comments. I was able to get a price adjustment when I realized they were on sale. $250/$275 for a fp bag sounds reaaaaaally good to me :smile:

Im just going to keep them and enjoy them in good health and lets see how they turn out long term.

Glad to help and it never hurts to ask for a price adjustment and you more than likely got a better price or same as the outlet