Fans of vintage Coach - what modern bags compare?

[dissyg]

I’m definitely a fan of vintage Coach bags - wonderful leather, classic designs, right up my alley. But the number of fakes out there can be super frustrating, and prices have increased to often more than I’m willing to pay for a used bag.

So, anyone have any recs? Brands or bags with similar quality leather, or similar designs, or both?

Seems like similar design is easier to find. There was the Coach Originals collection, of course. I also found this suspiciously familiar looking bag from Spartina449, and this and this from Jack Georges, but I don’t have any personal experience with those brands and they’re not offering much in the way of colors.

Leather quality is another thing entirely. There are plenty of brands that still use full grain leather for their bags, but I’ve yet to run across anything that has quite the same quality and texture as old school Coach leather.

So, any recommendations for new bags with old school vibes?

 

[p3b]

I feel like it may be challenging to find something similar to vintage Coach as so many brands have decreased the quality of their materials & workmanship while increasing their prices.

 

[bags_to_die_for]

I recently discovered a brand called PATRICIA NASH. I always favored Coach's British Tan leather bags, so I did a search for 'Cognac leather handbags', which is the actual color of British tan. MK calls it their 'Luggage' color for some odd reason, but they are all basically cognac. The reason I love it so much is because it's such a natural looking color of leather, right? And it goes with just about anything you wear. And in my search, most of the cognac bags that came up were this 'Patricia Nash' and I found them all to be absolutely stunning! She has a lot of embossed leather which is beautiful, but a bit much for me. I prefer simple, but I sure appreciated the artwork in them. They are stunning! According to an article I read, her bags are all made in Italy out of an Italian tanned leather. They certainly look like it! But without the Italian prices!
<https://www.janemarvel.com/where-are-patricia-nash-bags-made/>
Here is one I couldn't resist! lol! Check out the interior. While the flap is suede, the rest of it is some kind of real soft faux suede? It's so soft! I'm really happy with it and I'll definitely be getting more from her. I found this beauty for under $100.00 preowned online. It was just what I was looking for. From what I gathered, I am thinking they are around $350.00 when new, which is definitely in the Coach range of pricing.


Another one that is comparable to Coach is the BRAHMIN brand. But one gets tired of that 'mock croc' embossing after awhile, but they really are well made handbags and the older ones were all made in the USA! Some of their newer rainbow colors are astonishing! I plan to get one of those very soon. They are about $398.00 new.

 

[Purse Chakra]

Have you ever seen Mulberry bags? Their leather to me seems very high quality. I love the Alexa and Bayswater. I don’t actually currently own any Mulberry bags but the bag I once owned (oversized portobello) had had really thick, yummy leather. (Only sold her to fund another bag.)

 

[katpeony]

I heard good things about Shinola, Portland Leather and Polene….but have not tried them yet myself as I still love the classic style of vintage coach…

I only recently discovered Tanner Leatherstein and he basically rips apart various bags so you can see the “quality” of the materials. Been an eye opener to me…

 

[bags_to_die_for]

I recently discovered a brand called PATRICIA NASH. I always favored Coach's British Tan leather bags, so I did a search for 'Cognac leather handbags', which is the actual color of British tan. MK calls it their 'Luggage' color for some odd reason, but they are all basically cognac. The reason I love it so much is because it's such a natural looking color of leather, right? And it goes with just about anything you wear. And in my search, most of the cognac bags that came up were this 'Patricia Nash' and I found them all to be absolutely stunning! She has a lot of embossed leather which is beautiful, but a bit much for me. I prefer simple, but I sure appreciated the artwork in them. They are stunning! According to an article I read, her bags are all made in Italy out of an Italian tanned leather. They certainly look like it! But without the Italian prices!
<https://www.janemarvel.com/where-are-patricia-nash-bags-made/>
Here is one I couldn't resist! lol! Check out the interior. While the flap is suede, the rest of it is some kind of real soft faux suede? It's so soft! I'm really happy with it and I'll definitely be getting more from her. I found this beauty for under $100.00 preowned online. It was just what I was looking for. From what I gathered, I am thinking they are around $350.00 when new, which is definitely in the Coach range of pricing.


Another one that is comparable to Coach is the BRAHMIN brand. But one gets tired of that 'mock croc' embossing after awhile, but they really are well made handbags and the older ones were all made in the USA! Some of their newer rainbow colors are astonishing! I plan to get one of those very soon. They are about $398.00 new.
View attachment 5714492View attachment 5714493

I take that back about the interior material. Actually the whole interior is genuine suede, same as their glove tanned leather Coach bags. They remind me very much of the old Coach, only much newer. Same materials though. They even use the genuine brass. They call it Italian tanned leather. I wonder what the difference is between Italian tanned or glove tanned, if any?

 

[Lake Effect]

I take that back about the interior material. Actually the whole interior is genuine suede, same as their glove tanned leather Coach bags. They remind me very much of the old Coach, only much newer. Same materials though. They even use the genuine brass. They call it Italian tanned leather. I wonder what the difference is between Italian tanned or glove tanned, if any?

I get the impression the term glove tanned was used by the Coach owner Miles Cahn to indicate the process that was used for the full grain leather (one side smooth, the other suede) for Coach products was the same used for base ball gloves back then. I would be interested to know how glove tanned is used in the leather industry now.

 

[bags_to_die_for]

I get the impression the term glove tanned was used by the Coach owner Miles Cahn to indicate the process that was used for the full grain leather (one side smooth, the other suede) for Coach products was the same used for base ball gloves back then. I would be interested to know how glove tanned is used in the leather industry now.

Yeah, I guess that's pretty much what I am wondering. I have seen the term "tanned leather" used on other brands like this Patricia Nash, as well as several other brands. I know Brahmin uses it for sure! It appears they are all just calling it "tanned leather" now, instead of glove tanned. They appear to all be the same smooth outside / suede inside.
I agree, as you are implying, that "glove tanned" is more specific to Coach. I'm just glad to see other brands still producing it. It will always be my favorite leather, and apparently millions of others as well, that are still purchasing the old glove tanned leather Coach, and paying big dollars for it as well! Have you seen the rehabbed glove tanned leather bags on the Coach website? Bags that were once only $150.00 are now selling used and restored for over $600.00 and people are paying it too! No sooner do they put one up and it's gone!

 

[Lake Effect]

Yeah, I guess that's pretty much what I am wondering. I have seen the term "tanned leather" used on other brands like this Patricia Nash, as well as several other brands. I know Brahmin uses it for sure! It appears they are all just calling it "tanned leather" now, instead of glove tanned. They appear to all be the same smooth outside / suede inside.
I agree, as you are implying, that "glove tanned" is more specific to Coach. I'm just glad to see other brands still producing it. It will always be my favorite leather, and apparently millions of others as well, that are still purchasing the old glove tanned leather Coach, and paying big dollars for it as well! Have you seen the rehabbed glove tanned leather bags on the Coach website? Bags that were once only $150.00 are now selling used and restored for over $600.00 and people are paying it too! No sooner do they put one up and it's gone!

the topic of the restored vintage bags is a regular topic over on the Vintage thread. It doesn't surprise me that people who have money to pay full retail for Coach are snapping them up. Because well you know, they are great bags.
I'm just glad I found the authentication thread here on tPF, and the Rehab/Rescue thread. I can live my vintage Coach dream for a fraction of what Coach now charges.

 

[whateve]

I have as many modern Coach bags as vintage. Some of them are very good quality. Today I'm carrying 2015 Dakotah, which has yummy thick pebbled leather.

The 2013 Legacy pebbled drawstrings have amazing thick pebbled leather that seems indestructible.

Both of my 2014 Bleecker mini Prestons are great quality.



2007 Bleecker leather is different but wonderful.


One of my favorite bags is Cashin Carry 22 from 2020


As for other brands, I have several Balenciaga bags made from 2007-2013. The leather colors are gorgeous. They don't hold up as well as vintage Coach because the leather is thin and they tend to fade but they feel wonderful. Some are goat and some are lambskin. I have a couple Bottega Veneta bags too, one of the woven ones, and one made of pebbled deerskin, which is amazing. They don't make these anymore so you have to get them on the resale market. It is called cervo.

I have several recent kate spade bags. They have improved lately, maybe because they were taken over by Coach's parent company. My most recent kate spade bag, bought in 2022, feels as nice as Chanel lambskin.


I like Brahmin but it is so different from vintage Coach. They are usually structured and have some great colors.

There are some small independent designers that make similar bags to vintage Coach. One of these is Frank Clegg.

 

[Ttall]

Have you ever seen Mulberry bags? Their leather to me seems very high quality. I love the Alexa and Bayswater. I don’t actually currently own any Mulberry bags but the bag I once owned (oversized portobello) had had really thick, yummy leather. (Only sold her to fund another bag.)

The Mulberry leather is similar to Coach. I dunked and conditionEd one last Fall the same way I dunk Vintage Coach bags, and it went well.

 

[Purse Chakra]

The Mulberry leather is similar to Coach. I dunked and conditionEd one last Fall the same way I dunk Vintage Coach bags, and it went well.

So great to hear this confirmation baed on your work conditioning the leather! I actually now have a regular sized Mulberry Portobello and am eyeing a Millie Tote too, so I am especially excited to hear this.

 

[angi562]

I bought two versions of the dancing kittens just because I am a cat lady.

I haven't been impressed with more recent coach. I have this beautiful yellow small tote I carried forever, got it super dirty, but when I cleaned it, it wasn't dirt but paint loss. The leather is painted. Ick.

My other coach bags would probably be considered near vintage. I think the newest one it mid 2010s.

I have had my eyes on the Patricia Nash bags, so I am happy to see them get a seal of approval here.

 

[whateve]

I bought two versions of the dancing kittens just because I am a cat lady.

I haven't been impressed with more recent coach. I have this beautiful yellow small tote I carried forever, got it super dirty, but when I cleaned it, it wasn't dirt but paint loss. The leather is painted. Ick.

My other coach bags would probably be considered near vintage. I think the newest one it mid 2010s.

I have had my eyes on the Patricia Nash bags, so I am happy to see them get a seal of approval here.

Someone on another thread said that older Patricia Nash is better than the newer stuff. I think that is probably true about most brands. They are able to manipulate leather much more now than they used to, which allows them to make more bags out of one piece of leather and make the leather look like anything they want.

Just so you know, even on vintage Coach, even on very old Coach bags, light colors were painted rather than dyed. It was necessary because the leather's natural color is brown and it couldn't be dyed a light color without the brown showing through.

As far as Coach goes, I can't speak for the current stuff as I haven't bought any for a couple years but it probably still varies from style to style. I have fairly Coach recent bags that are super nice.

Anything made before 2004 is considered vintage. I think that's about when the quality started to drop. Like I said, not on all bags, just some. They line bags and use edge coating so you can't see that there is just a very thin leather face on the exterior of the bag bonded to other materials. I don't care that much as long as the bag performs well; as in feels good, doesn't lose color easily and wears well. Smelling like leather is a bonus.

 

[angi562]

That is good to know about the lighter colors being painted. Its just it was one of my favorite bags but I am at a loss on how to repair it. I just buy about 90% of my stuff vintage now because new quality is made to be disposable which is horrible for the planet. I am sure there are new Coach bags that are great quality but I don't have the highest hopes?