That one caught my attention as well with the uptown leather crossbody.I was unfamiliar with MC so I went ahead and browsed the current collection. I found this classy looking handbag with a twist.
Mark Cross - Oldest American Luxury Brand
- Thread starter MelissaPurse
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I also am so glad you created this thread!
My grandmother lived in the Boston area and was a frequent client of Mark Cross. After her passing, I inherited her vintage bags, all made in Italy and absolutely beautiful quality.
I’ve used several of the bags nearly daily for several years, so they aren’t in a condition that I’d like to share, but here are two of the vintage bags for illustration. The tan bag I have worn A LOT, so it has scratches and the leather has slouched a bit, but I still love it and wear it often. The white one is slightly too large for my frame, so I haven’t worn it (and I’m actually in contact now with the Mark Cross website to see if they would be interested in acquiring it for their vintage offerings).
I haven’t seen IRL any of the modern Mark Cross bags, but from pictures, there are many very appealing designs. With the pricing of the new bags, I’d hope the quality is as good as the vintage bags, but I haven’t seen them in person to tell. They say they use the same factory as they did in the earlier days, so that’s a good sign.
I’d love to see or hear about other Mark Cross handbags that you all have in your collections! This brand seems to be a hidden jewel of American luxury leather goods.
My grandmother lived in the Boston area and was a frequent client of Mark Cross. After her passing, I inherited her vintage bags, all made in Italy and absolutely beautiful quality.
I’ve used several of the bags nearly daily for several years, so they aren’t in a condition that I’d like to share, but here are two of the vintage bags for illustration. The tan bag I have worn A LOT, so it has scratches and the leather has slouched a bit, but I still love it and wear it often. The white one is slightly too large for my frame, so I haven’t worn it (and I’m actually in contact now with the Mark Cross website to see if they would be interested in acquiring it for their vintage offerings).
I haven’t seen IRL any of the modern Mark Cross bags, but from pictures, there are many very appealing designs. With the pricing of the new bags, I’d hope the quality is as good as the vintage bags, but I haven’t seen them in person to tell. They say they use the same factory as they did in the earlier days, so that’s a good sign.
I’d love to see or hear about other Mark Cross handbags that you all have in your collections! This brand seems to be a hidden jewel of American luxury leather goods.
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Thank you so much for sharing your story and must say your grandmother had amazing style. That tan one is soooo yummy looking, I can see why you reached for it frequently, I live broken in leather, they’re the best! If I was blessed to have it in my collection I would do the same. The vintage binocular bag I got straight from their website which is something I really love that they embrace their rich history to offer to their customers vintage pieces. That white one will be a great addition to their vintage vault. I do agree this brand is a secret American luxury, so glad that I discovered it this year and the vintage pieces are giving my life. Thanks for sharing your gems.
Mark Cross was also good friends with many famous writers and celebrities of the 1920s, including F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Gerald and Sara Murphy were friends of the Fitzgeralds. Gerald was the son of Patrick Murphy who bought Mark Cross from the previous owner. Gerald eventually ran the company. There is a great book about the Murphy’s called Everyone Was So Young. It includes the history of Mark Cross. Cheers to all!
I hope you enjoy it. They were quite the couple. Let me know your thoughts once you finish it. Take care.I just ordered the book. Thanks for the info!
I’m a Grace Kelly fan so have loved these for ages only wish I could keep them a secret.
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Your bags are gorgeous! I can see Coach got inspired with their short lived Bridle line (made in Italy in the mid 2000s) from Mark Cross.
This article talks about the sort of connection between Mark Cross and Coach. I remember seeing the similar bags in store the 90s.
www.businessoffashion.com
Mark Cross: The American Luxury Brand Revival That Almost Wasn’t
How chief executive Neal J. Fox took a 165-year-old leather goods brand and turned it into a 21st century street style favourite by not being afraid to pivot — or take a gamble.
On location in the film Butterfield 8
Note: Taylor often carried her own bags, usually Gucci, but this looks suspiciously like an Hermes Sac 404 in Miel P. croc (although not a 404 because of the central lock only - the 404 has two more slides either side of the central lock).
Note: Taylor often carried her own bags, usually Gucci, but this looks suspiciously like an Hermes Sac 404 in Miel P. croc (although not a 404 because of the central lock only - the 404 has two more slides either side of the central lock).
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Hi I’ve been getting into Mark cross bags but they are hard to come by where I live. Spotted this on eBay but the seller only has 2 photos and is unresponsive to my questions. It is priced cheaply but do you think it’s too good to be true? 
Can you show us some more pictures of these? So pretty!
Can’t comment on your bag authenticity etc...but I’ll share how much I got my two satchels from eBay....paid $50 for each. It definitely balanced how much I paid for the vintage binocular bag straight from Mark Cross website. The steals are definitely out there for their vintage pieces since not many are aware of this brand.