Hey guys, how do you guys feel about outlet handbags ?

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

S

Sa26

Member
Aug 24, 2019
380
428
#1
There is a huge deal with outlet malls and products.?

but has anyone here bought a made for outlet handbag and which was your experience ?
I see a lot of hate on all internet for outlets like it’s a scam or is lying to all of us.
but my Kate Spade i got a few months ago is working great for me, I know it’s not the same as retail but I think the hate for outlet products is quite unfair.

i think outlets products Can be really good options when you look for something in particular or a very specific style, when I bought my bag On my latest trip to MiamI I wanted so bad quilted chain bag, a sort of Chanel style bag and all the bags I found at the regular mall were on the 300s nothing less so buying at the outlet was my solution for what I was looking for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lenarmc, JenJBS, baghabitz34 and 1 other person
#6
So, I shop almost exclusively preloved at buy/sell/trade stores and most often I will like a bag on sight without knowing whether it was retail or outlet until I research it. I've found that my favorite Coach, KS, and MK bags, the ones I carry everyday, have all been outlet bags. I actually haven't ever noticed faster wear or damage on my outlet bags vs the retail and I have bags from the Coach outlet a decade ago. However, I have noticed that the past few years of KS and MK outlet bags do have a different feel to the leather and I imagine that, as much as they are expanding production and running sales, there has to be a sacrifice in quality of leather.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JenJBS, kaledonia, ccbaggirl89 and 2 others
#7
Coppercatsandcoffee said:
So, I shop almost exclusively preloved at buy/sell/trade stores and most often I will like a bag on sight without knowing whether it was retail or outlet until I research it. I've found that my favorite Coach, KS, and MK bags, the ones I carry everyday, have all been outlet bags. I actually haven't ever noticed faster wear or damage on my outlet bags vs the retail and I have bags from the Coach outlet a decade ago. However, I have noticed that the past few years of KS and MK outlet bags do have a different feel to the leather and I imagine that, as much as they are expanding production and running sales, there has to be a sacrifice in quality of leather.
Click to expand...
I've heard stories of declining quality from a number of brands. All the more reason why it shouldn't matter where the bags come from, I think. If you find treasure somewhere, lucky you! I just hope you remember to post pictures so I can admire it, too. :drinks:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Coppercatsandcoffee and Sa26
#9
Like i posted in another thread, my 2 most used bags & wallets are from the coach outlet years ago.
Stand up to daily wear & tear, travel, errands, rain etc. Lightweight, pockets, sturdy hardware, etc.
I don't get the hate for outlets at all.

Yes i love my other bags but i have to baby them more & they're much heavier too so they sit in my closet a lot more.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JenJBS, Claudia Herzog and NewLove480
#10
I have nothing against outlet bags and products. My only experience though was with a Coach wallet that I purchased through a department store and when I took it in to Coach to clean it they informed me it was an outlet/second tier item (I forget how they worded it but they weren't extremely friendly about it). It's been my only Coach item and it ended up being such poor quality I was quite surprised. The leather was only a thin veneer over textile that soon peeled everywhere and left little bits of leather inside my bag. I ended up wondering if it was the outlet quality that was the problem, but from the other responses here it seems maybe it was just one bad product?

Generally though I think as long as the quality is there with a bag or other item, it shouldn't matter at all whether it came from an outlet.
 
Last edited:
#11
Farkvam said:
I have nothing against outlet bags and products. My only experience though was with a Coach wallet that I purchased through a department store and when I took it in to Coach to clean it they informed me it was an outlet/second tier item (I forget how they worded it but they weren't extremely friendly about it). It's been my only Coach item and it ended up being such poor quality I was quite surprised. The leather was only a thin veneer over textile that soon peeled everywhere and left little bits of leather inside my bag. I ended up wondering if it was the outlet quality that was the problem, but from the other responses here it seems maybe it was just one bad product?

Generally though I think as long as the quality is there with a bag or other item, it shouldn't matter at all whether it came from an outlet.
Click to expand...

Ugh how disappointing to get ruined & then they don't help you.
It's frustrating how some companies refuse to help when outlets have poor quality items ( had that w some other outlet clothes that tore & also were told too bad)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Farkvam
#12
A bottle of Red said:
Ugh how disappointing to get ruined & then they don't help you.
It's frustrating how some companies refuse to help when outlets have poor quality items ( had that w some other outlet clothes that tore & also were told too bad)
Click to expand...
It is frustrating!
As far as quality, I guess it really does depend on the particular item! Some great, some not so much. As with any brand ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: A bottle of Red
#14
If I love a piece, I‘ll get it, but I think it’s important consumers understand what they’re getting, which is often not the same level of manufacture as the main line. A lot is traded off the name, which I think can create disappointment and the disappointment is a driving factor in a lot of criticism.

Find the value in the feedback you can, but enjoy your pieces and don’t listen to others’ judgment. You’ll get judged no matter what you do, so shop as appropriate for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Claudia Herzog, PineappleMinnie, Joule and 2 others
#15
leechiyong said:
If I love a piece, I‘ll get it, but I think it’s important consumers understand what they’re getting, which is often not the same level of manufacture as the main line. A lot is traded off the name, which I think can create disappointment and the disappointment is a driving factor in a lot of criticism.

Find the value in the feedback you can, but enjoy your pieces and don’t listen to others’ judgment. You’ll get judged no matter what you do, so shop as appropriate for you.
Click to expand...
Definitely important to realize it's not always the same level of quality.
But sometimes, you can find good pieces .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top