Satchels (Arm Bags) vs Hobos (Shoulder Bags)

Which Do You Prefer? Original MJ or New MJ?

  • Bring Back the Soft Leather Original Style Shoulder Bags

  • Bring on the Stam and Bags That are Like It to Carry on my Arm

  • I like a Mix - a Little Bit of Old, a Little Bit of New


Results are only viewable after voting.

iluvmybags

& My Motos & Shoes!
O.G.
Sep 13, 2006
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2,163
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:

devon.jpg



And here is the newer Stam-styled bags:

ad-mjbags.jpg
 
I voted that I like a mix. I like the older styles and some of the new. My first MJ was a black hobo with lavender stitching, lavender suede lining and a clip closure. It's a great bag. I also really like the soft calf line (venetia, pocket satchel, etc.) Of the newer items, the quilted line has really grown on me. The first quilted one I really liked was the stam hobo. The only MJ line not working for me is the patchwork, but that may change....
 
Well, among the old-style Marc Jacobs bags, there were those with two handles (Stella, Venetia, Blake), plus the single-strap hobos (Sofia and Multipockets). So when you talk about new vs. old MJ, you really mean quilted vs. non-quilted, don't you?
 
I voted a mix too, though I do not own any older styles. I would really love to see some older bags return. Right now, I think the MJ Christy is a very comfrotable shoulder bag...
 
Well, among the old-style Marc Jacobs bags, there were those with two handles (Stella, Venetia, Blake), plus the single-strap hobos (Sofia and Multipockets). So when you talk about new vs. old MJ, you really mean quilted vs. non-quilted, don't you?

No, not really - the Stella had adjustable straps so it could either be an arm or a shoulder bag, but I wouldn't necessarily classify that a satchel. Of all the older styles, the Venetia is really the only one that's a true satchel - the Blake isn't really "Classic MJ" - it was introduced the year before the Stam. Although it was part of the Classic Collection (mainly because it had the trademark padlocks/chunky zippers), it's not what I consider classic MJ.

If you look back at the older MJ bags - many of them were hobo bags/shoulder bags (I actually just posted a bunch of pics in the Discontinued/Vintage thread) - THOSE are the bags I'm referring to.
 
^^^My (small) point was just that when I owned older soft-calf Stellas, Venetias, and Blakes years ago, I found it more comfortable to carry them by hand or over the crook of my arm. :yes: I've always been an arm-satchel kinda gal, not into hobos so much.

I appreciate your longing for older MJs. I just think that Marc Jacobs has moved on and isn't looking back, particularly given the wild popularity of the Stam (which I don't own).
 
I get your point, your original love of MJ was due to the shoulder bag style, almost that "geek chic" that he was coined for. Very city, kind of "edgy", that kind of vibe. I guess like with all things, fashion moves forward and I think Marc has moved on as Cosmopolitan said. Even his clothing has become a bit more sophisticated.

So I guess getting to your point, I love a mix of bags (that you can wear on your shoulder or by arm). I personally was never a fan of the "older" MJ's that you so love. I adore the newer bags of his. Ultimately I think that designers eventually go back to what they originally were in some form, but they need to keep re-inventing themselves.

I think that MJ is so creative, and especially what he has done for LV, essentially transforming it into an "it" house is really rare in this day and age.
 
I get your point, your original love of MJ was due to the shoulder bag style, almost that "geek chic" that he was coined for. Very city, kind of "edgy", that kind of vibe. ............

You hit the nail on the head!! "Geek Chic" (I like it!!) I don't really "hate" his current and most recent styles, it's just that they all seem to run together & look alike (Quilted, Patchwork, Mixed). Not only that, but as I mentioned before, they're all too similar to Chanel and other designers. I like the originality of the earlier styles and how they were so unique. Even now, you don't see bags like the Zoe, Frankie and Padlock Hobos (altho MJ himself made a small return to some of those bags with his newer padlock hobos and the turnlock line of MbyMJ).

I know designers change & move forward with the times, but I think in some ways, MJ has lost his originality & what it was that made him so unique. Even the LV bags are looking more like MJ (i.e., the Manhattan, Hudson & Beverly bags), which shows the lack of originality.

I just remember getting all excited each season to see what exciting new bags MJ was producing because each season the bags were so different (other then the classic collection), but now it's like every season the bags look almost exactly like the bags from the previous season - there's nothing really new & exciting. Now that I own an Emily bag, I want something new & different - How many kinds of quilted bowlers can one person own? (and for a while, it seemed like there were TONS of quilted bowlers!!).

Sorry if I'm ranting - I don't mean to. I used to be a HUGE MJ fanatic (for a while, those were the ONLY bags I carried!!) With all the changes in the MJ bags, I've learned to love & carry other designer bags, but I've yet to find another designer that I'm as passionate about as I used to be for MJ and I sorta miss that.
 
Sorry if I'm ranting - I don't mean to. I used to be a HUGE MJ fanatic (for a while, those were the ONLY bags I carried!!) With all the changes in the MJ bags, I've learned to love & carry other designer bags, but I've yet to find another designer that I'm as passionate about as I used to be for MJ and I sorta miss that.[/quote]

I completely understand your point. It's like designers, and fashion itself, chases what the masses want and gravitate toward the $$$. (I know I see it everyday at work). If you can sell more stams than MP's you would to make more $$ and people are paying so I think you will start only seeing the vibe you love in M by MJ.

Not to change the subject, but I feel what you feel with music a lot. It seems that when some artists make it big, they forget their fan base and what made them have a following in the first place. They start doing their own thing and before you know it, a band you loved you don't really like anymore.

I think a lot of people feel your pain, and there are many ladies here who are only die hard soft calf girls. I hope there will be something new for you that you can indulge yourself in and feel that Marc never left you:heart:.
 
this may be blasphemy, but i was never a fan of marc's older bags. by older, i mean the ones with the buckles, so i can't say i'm sad to see designs deviating from that. perhaps i'm not a mj purist.

when he started bringing in the pushlocks, that's when my mj love went into full swing. i love the classics, or what i consider to be the classics: venetia and stella. i do miss the more vibrant colors like tomato, bright blue, and the greens, the suede lining, and, of course, the nickel hardware, yet i also really like the new breed mj. the designs look sophisticated, sexy, and grown up. i think he's in a different phase of his life right now with his recent makeover. he seems to be embracing overt sexuality more so than before when he was "geeky chic" personified. his designs are certainly reflecting that change.

sure, the newer bags are borrowing from chanel with the chains and the quilting, but it's designed in such a way that it's still distinctly mj. who else but him can super size an "old lady purse" and still manage to have it look young and fresh?
 
tadpolenyc - for the record, i ALWAYS love your responses ;)

i don't own any stams (although i'm eyeing a small yellow one as my first), but i truly adore my Stella, Venetia, Sm MP, and Blake. I am a fan of the push-lock, and think the craftsmanship of those bags is fantastic.

i do think that MJ is trying to move forward with an increasingly demanding consumer base, and I think he's been successful. i took the plunge and ordered a Mix Quilted Tote (my first departure from the soft classics) and I'm considering that stam. And not because it's "in style," but because as an MJ fan I know that every bag he produces will be superbly crafted.

I voted "mix" as a result. This is a great thread, iluvmybags. ;)