Decoding Coach IM means?

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#16
Canderson22 said:
I'm thinking that if I wouldn't notice, I don't really care. No one ever promised us "real metal" on every bag. It's not really different than the coated canvas bags in place of leather...its a choice we make.
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True it's a choice but if you don't realize that is what is it, then not much of a choice? Usually the care cards with the purses explain whether it's coated canvas or leather, fabric etc..

The discoloration on my feet of my bag leaves me where i will avoid it in future.
 
#17
HesitantShopper said:
True it's a choice but if you don't realize that is what is it, then not much of a choice? Usually the care cards with the purses explain whether it's coated canvas or leather, fabric etc..

The discoloration on my feet of my bag leaves me where i will avoid it in future.
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I understand. A few years ago, they came out with Liquid Gloss, which some people thought was patent leather. When Coach used it later, they called it patent, which could also be interpreted to mean patent leather. It was patent fabric, not leather, and it didn't hold up like patent leather.

Currently, they have cross-grain leather. I think that is a fancy way of saying "we are using inferior leather but you won't figure it out because we put this textured pattern on it so you can't see the flaws."

To be fair, most brands don't come with a care card that tells you the materials.
 
#18
whateve said:
I understand. A few years ago, they came out with Liquid Gloss, which some people thought was patent leather. When Coach used it later, they called it patent, which could also be interpreted to mean patent leather. It was patent fabric, not leather, and it didn't hold up like patent leather.

Currently, they have cross-grain leather. I think that is a fancy way of saying "we are using inferior leather but you won't figure it out because we put this textured pattern on it so you can't see the flaws."

To be fair, most brands don't come with a care card that tells you the materials.
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LOL

You are correct many don't tell you what the materials are but quite a few do.. Given the pricing point of these brands it's a cop out that they don't and definitely it's about deceiving the customer, i think it explains a whole heck of a lot on why we're seeing so many quality complaints across the board(not just Coach) because companies are sneaking in materials of inferior quality, as you said like this cross grain leather for instance, I am the sort who likes to know what i am paying for so i can make an informed choice.
 
#19
whateve said:
I understand. A few years ago, they came out with Liquid Gloss, which some people thought was patent leather. When Coach used it later, they called it patent, which could also be interpreted to mean patent leather. It was patent fabric, not leather, and it didn't hold up like patent leather.

Currently, they have cross-grain leather. I think that is a fancy way of saying "we are using inferior leather but you won't figure it out because we put this textured pattern on it so you can't see the flaws."

To be fair, most brands don't come with a care card that tells you the materials.
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IMO the cross-grain leather looks and feels like plastic and no matter how pretty or well designed the bag is it's not something I want to carry :tdown:
 
#21
Sure, saffiano and crossgrain are processed and much cheaper than good quality leather. They were invented by the "luxury" brands as cost-cutting measures. Would I pay Prada's prices for saffiano? Hahahaha, no. Would I pay less than $100 (in some cases, waaaay less) for Coach's saffiano and crossgrain? In a heart beat, if I like the color, and need the durability (the things my saffiano and crossgrain pieces endure and still look like new would instantly destroy my gathered, glove tanned, haircalf, and suede bags). Personally, I'd take saffiano and crossgrain over coated canvas anyday. The saffiano and crossgrain leather are usually marked on the labels, and when the labeling isn't clear, the feel is obvious.
Labeled, corrected grain leather isn't a problem for me. Sneakily labeled imitation metal hardware on only some pieces in a line is. :mad:
 
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#22
ChevaliereNoir said:
Sure, saffiano and crossgrain are processed and much cheaper than good quality leather. They were invented by the "luxury" brands as cost-cutting measures. Would I pay Prada's prices for saffiano? Hahahaha, no. Would I pay less than $100 (in some cases, waaaay less) for Coach's saffiano and crossgrain? In a heart beat, if I like the color, and need the durability (the things my saffiano and crossgrain pieces endure and still look like new would instantly destroy my gathered, glove tanned, haircalf, and suede bags). Personally, I'd take saffiano and crossgrain over coated canvas anyday. The saffiano and crossgrain leather are usually marked on the labels, and when the labeling isn't clear, the feel is obvious.
Labeled, corrected grain leather isn't a problem for me. Sneakily labeled imitation metal hardware on only some pieces in a line is. :mad:
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I have one saffiano tote that I use for traveling. I love the durability. But I don't need or want a whole closet full of saffiano or crossgrain bags. I fell in love with Coach originally for the leather. The softness, squishiness and smell of the leather is what I love most about nearly all of my bags.
 
#23
whateve said:
I have one saffiano tote that I use for traveling. I love the durability. But I don't need or want a whole closet full of saffiano or crossgrain bags. I fell in love with Coach originally for the leather. The softness, squishiness and smell of the leather is what I love most about nearly all of my bags.
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I hear you. I love to open my glove tanned Borough's dust bag, take a deep breath of the leather smell, and touch the buttery leather. Then I close it back up, put it on the shelf, and choose a snow and barn friendly alternative. As long as it isn't actively snowing and sloppy, my go to bag this winter has been my pebbled mini Borough, which is, of course, another type of corrected grain leather, but is a lot closer to the real thing. Although I agree 100% that corrected grain leather is inferior, I only bring it up because I believe it does have a purpose, as I use the heck out of my saffiano and crossgrain pieces when the occasion calls for it, sparing my good bags and slg's. People who use corrected grain leather pieces aren't necessarily making poor choices, as long as they are informed.
My point was only that being intentionally misled into buying inferior pieces, such as pieces made with imitation metal hardware that are either labeled cryptically or not at all, is a bad thing.
 
#24
ChevaliereNoir said:
I hear you. I love to open my glove tanned Borough's dust bag, take a deep breath of the leather smell, and touch the buttery leather. Then I close it back up, put it on the shelf, and choose a snow and barn friendly alternative. As long as it isn't actively snowing and sloppy, my go to bag this winter has been my pebbled mini Borough, which is, of course, another type of corrected grain leather, but is a lot closer to the real thing. Although I agree 100% that corrected grain leather is inferior, I only bring it up because I believe it does have a purpose, as I use the heck out of my saffiano and crossgrain pieces when the occasion calls for it, sparing my good bags and slg's. People who use corrected grain leather pieces aren't necessarily making poor choices, as long as they are informed.
My point was only that being intentionally misled into buying inferior pieces, such as pieces made with imitation metal hardware that are either labeled cryptically or not at all, is a bad thing.
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You are completely right. I bet a lot of shoppers also don't realize that saffiano, cross-grain and pebbled leather are cheaper to manufacture and the price doesn't always reflect that; Prada being a perfect example.
 
#25
ChevaliereNoir said:
People who use corrected grain leather pieces aren't necessarily making poor choices, as long as they are informed.
My point was only that being intentionally misled into buying inferior pieces, such as pieces made with imitation metal hardware that are either labeled cryptically or not at all, is a bad thing.
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Right there lays the heart of the matter, knowing what your spending your money on!

whateve said:
You are completely right. I bet a lot of shoppers also don't realize that saffiano, cross-grain and pebbled leather are cheaper to manufacture and the price doesn't always reflect that; Prada being a perfect example.
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I do know pebbled varies though.. reason i say this is i went through an extensive search for a workhorse purse and landed back in my countries brand.. which makes quite a few in pebbled leather, their pebbled to Coach's not the same...

That Saffiano? ugh.. not my style, by anyone... i don't like the way it feels..

I think Coach should do an informational guide, cough again like the brand i went too at least you can be informed and make the choices that you feel suit your needs.. differing qualities will always be there but back to the old sneak it in method? is just not okay.
 
#26
HesitantShopper said:
Right there lays the heart of the matter, knowing what your spending your money on!



I do know pebbled varies though.. reason i say this is i went through an extensive search for a workhorse purse and landed back in my countries brand.. which makes quite a few in pebbled leather, their pebbled to Coach's not the same...

That Saffiano? ugh.. not my style, by anyone... i don't like the way it feels..

I think Coach should do an informational guide, cough again like the brand i went too at least you can be informed and make the choices that you feel suit your needs.. differing qualities will always be there but back to the old sneak it in method? is just not okay.
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The quality of pebbled leather definitely varies. I'm afraid to try the new stuff. My Legacy pebbled drawstring has nice thick chewy pebbled leather but something in the manufacturing process gave it a non-leather odor. Nothing beats the quality of the 1990s Sonoma pebbled leather. I don't think they were thinking about cutting corners back then.
 
#27
whateve said:
The quality of pebbled leather definitely varies. I'm afraid to try the new stuff. My Legacy pebbled drawstring has nice thick chewy pebbled leather but something in the manufacturing process gave it a non-leather odor. Nothing beats the quality of the 1990s Sonoma pebbled leather. I don't think they were thinking about cutting corners back then.
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I don't think anything is made as good back then(and we won't go back even further lol)

A non leather odor? how strange. Probably the horse person in me, but i love a purse that smells like a tack shop so in other words.. leather.. yummy.
 
#28
I would assume that imitation metal means that it is an imitation of that metal color. For instance: if the hardware on your bag looks gold and the tag says IM, perhaps the base metal is a silver colored one and it is coated to look gold, thus imitation gold hardware. I believe people have also used the term gold toned meaning the same thing. The hardware is still a metal per say, just not the color that it appears to be. There are tons of ways to color one metal to look like another color from painting to electroplating to anodizing. If you have the imitation metal hardware, keep an eye on it to see if any of the top layer color chips or wears off.
 
#29
TheNerdyGirly said:
I would assume that imitation metal means that it is an imitation of that metal color. For instance: if the hardware on your bag looks gold and the tag says IM, perhaps the base metal is a silver colored one and it is coated to look gold, thus imitation gold hardware. I believe people have also used the term gold toned meaning the same thing. The hardware is still a metal per say, just not the color that it appears to be. There are tons of ways to color one metal to look like another color from painting to electroplating to anodizing. If you have the imitation metal hardware, keep an eye on it to see if any of the top layer color chips or wears off.
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In the past, they used the word "silver" to designate silver-toned metal. No one expected it to be real silver. They also have "light gold" which isn't really gold and "brass" which was recently real plated brass. Maybe whatever process they are using now doesn't involve the use of real brass plating so they call it imitation metal. If the base is still real metal, I don't see why they would call it imitation. What worries many people is that there are plastics that are painted to look like metal and that could be what these are. We've seen Coach use plastic rings in place of metal on some bags.
 
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