This is a little long, I know but I'm just curious.....
When MJ first came onto the scene, he was widely known for 70's style bags with bulky hardware & detail. Soft leather, big floppy, messenger style bags. Almost all of his bags were shoulder bags, although there were some exceptions. As his bags became more popular and in higher demand, they became instantly recognizable - silver padlocks became his "signature" as almost every one of his bags had one (or several). And who could forget the luxurious suede linings!! You could walk down the street and easily recognize an MJ bag hanging on the shoulder or arm of a woman. His bags stood out and were unique, which was one reason why everyone wanted one.
Fast forward 4-5 years........The Stam was introduced. Now I was not a fan of this style when it first came out. The quilted leather and kisslock opening were too "chanel-like" for my taste. I was actually surprised to see MJ do a look like this, as it could too easily be compared with the quilted styles of Coco Chanel and didn't MJ always pride himself on being "unique"?? The style took off and became a hit, now every season there are more & more versions of the Stam and quilted styles.
Most of his bags are now satchels, or at least dual strap bags (double handles w/a longer chain/strap). You rarely ever see a simple hobo or shoulder bag anymore. Yes, there are some, but the styles are few & far between and they're almost always the ones that sell out first because they're usually priced lower than most of the satchel styles (the exception would be the 70s style, which in my opinion, doesn't look all that 70-ish to me!) The current bags cost almost 2x as much as the original hobos, Stella & Sophia and they're not even lined with suede - - They all have canvas linings!
Some of my favorite MJ bags have been shoulder bags - the zip top hobo, the Frankie, Stella, Scarlet, Padlock Hobo. I resisted buying a quilted satchel for the longest time & actually hadn't bought anything MJ for almost 2 years because that's just about all there was to choose from. I finally broke down & bought an Emily bag this summer after finding it on sale at the Nordstrom Rack. I loved the goat leather & how lightweight it was, but because I can only carry it on my arm & it doesn't fit on my shoulder, it doesn't get very much use.
With all the sales going on, I wanted to see if I could find a nice MJ bag to buy - I used to carry MJ bags exclusively & have honestly missed adding them to my collection. I was hoping to find one of the hobo bags, but unfortunately those were some of the first to go. I did find a gorgeous shoulder bag at Nordstroms (Silvana) in a wonderful shade of Teal so I grabbed it. The bag is gorgeous & so easy to carry & has almost all of the same features as the Stam and other quilted styles - beautiful quilted leather, lovely gold chain strap - it even has the trademark padlock on the front of the bag (just decorative, but it's still there!!).
I haven't seen the new Spring/Summer styles yet, so I don't know if it's more of the same, or if he's introducing some new styles to WOW! us
What I wonder is this - Do you like the newer Stam-like bags that MJ is making - quilted leather, gold chains, kisslock openings, canvas lined, satchel style bags, or do you miss his older styles - buttery soft calf leather, padlock pockets & chunky zippers, wider adjustable shoulder straps, suede lings - & want to see them return?
Here's a sample of an older MJ, just to refresh your memory:
And here is the newer Stam-styled bags:
When MJ first came onto the scene, he was widely known for 70's style bags with bulky hardware & detail. Soft leather, big floppy, messenger style bags. Almost all of his bags were shoulder bags, although there were some exceptions. As his bags became more popular and in higher demand, they became instantly recognizable - silver padlocks became his "signature" as almost every one of his bags had one (or several). And who could forget the luxurious suede linings!! You could walk down the street and easily recognize an MJ bag hanging on the shoulder or arm of a woman. His bags stood out and were unique, which was one reason why everyone wanted one.
Fast forward 4-5 years........The Stam was introduced. Now I was not a fan of this style when it first came out. The quilted leather and kisslock opening were too "chanel-like" for my taste. I was actually surprised to see MJ do a look like this, as it could too easily be compared with the quilted styles of Coco Chanel and didn't MJ always pride himself on being "unique"?? The style took off and became a hit, now every season there are more & more versions of the Stam and quilted styles.
Most of his bags are now satchels, or at least dual strap bags (double handles w/a longer chain/strap). You rarely ever see a simple hobo or shoulder bag anymore. Yes, there are some, but the styles are few & far between and they're almost always the ones that sell out first because they're usually priced lower than most of the satchel styles (the exception would be the 70s style, which in my opinion, doesn't look all that 70-ish to me!) The current bags cost almost 2x as much as the original hobos, Stella & Sophia and they're not even lined with suede - - They all have canvas linings!
Some of my favorite MJ bags have been shoulder bags - the zip top hobo, the Frankie, Stella, Scarlet, Padlock Hobo. I resisted buying a quilted satchel for the longest time & actually hadn't bought anything MJ for almost 2 years because that's just about all there was to choose from. I finally broke down & bought an Emily bag this summer after finding it on sale at the Nordstrom Rack. I loved the goat leather & how lightweight it was, but because I can only carry it on my arm & it doesn't fit on my shoulder, it doesn't get very much use.
With all the sales going on, I wanted to see if I could find a nice MJ bag to buy - I used to carry MJ bags exclusively & have honestly missed adding them to my collection. I was hoping to find one of the hobo bags, but unfortunately those were some of the first to go. I did find a gorgeous shoulder bag at Nordstroms (Silvana) in a wonderful shade of Teal so I grabbed it. The bag is gorgeous & so easy to carry & has almost all of the same features as the Stam and other quilted styles - beautiful quilted leather, lovely gold chain strap - it even has the trademark padlock on the front of the bag (just decorative, but it's still there!!).
I haven't seen the new Spring/Summer styles yet, so I don't know if it's more of the same, or if he's introducing some new styles to WOW! us
What I wonder is this - Do you like the newer Stam-like bags that MJ is making - quilted leather, gold chains, kisslock openings, canvas lined, satchel style bags, or do you miss his older styles - buttery soft calf leather, padlock pockets & chunky zippers, wider adjustable shoulder straps, suede lings - & want to see them return?
Here's a sample of an older MJ, just to refresh your memory:
And here is the newer Stam-styled bags:
I've always been an arm-satchel kinda gal, not into hobos so much.
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