+1
I don't like anything on the Coach website right now well enough to buy it. I'm ready for something new!
But then, that's pretty much how I feel about spring bags every year, so I absolutely agree with you.
Thoughts on Coach's Fall bags
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+1
I don't like anything on the Coach website right now well enough to buy it. I'm ready for something new!
But then, that's pretty much how I feel about spring bags every year, so I absolutely agree with you.
Is that the larger size Daily in blue that we keep thinking coach should have (but doesn't) in your avatar? Does it exist?
. Patience is not my strong suit, but I am trying to wait to see 
Love: the dark grey/distressed black looks, the jeweled grommet borough, the steampunk-looking black bags at the end with the random hardware parts
Hate: the boots, the shearling, the saddlebag-looking bags
Hate: the boots, the shearling, the saddlebag-looking bags
Please make sure you stay away from any of my fall reveals, then. Most people here can find ways to express their preferences without calling someone else's bag "ugly" but it seems like maybe you won't be able to. Like I said earlier, to each his own.
But seriously, those are the runway bags. The most shocking of the collection and most of them probably won't even make it to full production. The line will be back filled with middle of the road bags perfect for those who like to keep things nice and predictable, I'm sure.
ETA I am a complete and total, literal, "suburban soccer mom", and I say bring on the fall line!
Ok. That's fair. Name calling is insulting and rarely productive. I'm sorry. We are all entitled to our opinions.
Instead I will say that as a longtime coach customer, I feel disrespected and insulted when Coach rolls out collections like poppy or like the one featured in this thread. The implied message seems to be that because I don't like the bags (did they really think a middle class, middle age woman would like this stuff???), I am too old and stodgy. After all, if Coach, historically the American bastion of traditional bags doesn't have room for me anymore, I must have one foot in the grave, right?
I experienced a similar feeling of being booted by a brand when I received a mailer from Clinique that encouraged me to use their products so I wouldn't look like I was 40 years old. I was not motivated or impressed. At the moment of receiving the flier, I was 39.
Maybe Coach is trying to capture the matrons of tomorrow and is unconcerned about the matrons of today. I can't blame them. I have maybe 30-40 years of bag-buying ahead of me. this is nothing to sniff at, mind you, but someone younger will have 50-60 years of possible Coach loyalty. Maybe today's new coach designers are taking this exceedingly long view, however I suspect differently. If I were a psychiatrist, and Coach were my patient, I would suspect multiple personality disorder.
The problem with this strategy is that Coach is constantly on the prowl for fresh blood and, with collections like fall 2014, ignores its customer base that it already spent time and money acquiring. Not very efficient, imho. Maybe they will try to appease both young and old, but I'm guessing that will be difficult.
I guess, bottom line, I am disappointed in the 2014 fall collection preview. I had been enjoying Coach's current offerings. They are elegant, modern, clean-lined and for me, are very wearable.
I would describe fall 2014 at gritty, industrial, and overdone. I do not like it and will move my business elsewhere. Although I do think the feather hanging ornament is kinda cool. If they sell that separately, I may get one in pink.
I was genuinely a little surprised reading this, I hadn't realized this perspective to brands changing their styles. Personally, when a brand shifts styles away from things I like, I've never seen it as an insult to me or an implication that I'm old; fashion changes all the time and I don't expect myself or anyone to like all of it, much less keep up with each new trend. I can see your point of view that when a brand changes its aesthetic it alienates many customers; I just see don't see it as intentionally trying to get rid of older customers so much as simply doing something new. Just because Coach's style has changed doesn't mean that yours is no longer relevant, and chances are that, in another season or two, there's going to be styles that you like again. I think there are plenty of middle class/age women who might like the edgier look of this collection, and there are plenty of brands that will still cater to people, young and old, who lean towards the classic. Neither being the wrong choice, just different styles for different people.
I look at it from this perspective:
Imagine you host the annual family Christmas party. Aunt Suzy is a vegan. You always generously and abundantly accommodate her preferences. But one year, you do not serve anything that accommodates her. The veggies haave butter, the salad has chopped egg, the green beans are covered with cheese, the potatoes have bacon in them. There is absolutely nothing she can eat. Aunt suzy is left licking a candy cane. She does not feel welcome at all. She feels that she has been personally targeted for exclusion.
Most fashion designers do this to plus size women (except that they never abundantly accommodated them at all.) they do this because they don't want their 'art' marred by what they perceive as imperfect wearers. They choose thin women as their customers, by excluding the fluffy.
In the same vein, when a designer who has been known for X suddenly goes in the direction of Y, they are in effect, choosing different customers. Or they are asking the old customers to begin to now prefer Y. Or, perhaps they think their customers who have historically liked X also like Y. And surely some will like both X and Y, but if X and Y are dichotomous, like, say the fashion styles Biker Chick and Grande Dame are, you will not see many crossovers, but you will see a migration of customer loyalty - both to the brand and away.
Time will tell if what we saw in the pics in the beginning of this thread truly reflect a new direction for Coach. I was just warming up to them again, after the Poppy fiasco. I hope they continue the clean lines and elegant detailing of the current season. More suede linings would be great. And I'll add that in addition to the feather hanging ornaments, I really like the jeweled grommets.
I realize that we are all free agents here - Coach and each of its customers. All have liberty to change themselves however they wish at the drop of a hat. I'm just registering my opinion that I like Coach the way it is now. I have never liked grunge or biker boho, and if that's the direction they wish to proceed, I will buy elsewhere.
Thank you for the analogy, I see where you're coming from. It's true, from what we can currently see, Coach decided to host a fairly different party from what we're used to, which will probably attract different people. I don't think the styles exclude any age groups (just my perspective though, as I like both their current styles and the fall pictures), but yes, they are at odds with the current styles. Like you said, we don't know what else they might be planning, hopefully they'll still find a way to accommodate everyone's preferences - I'm glad you're seeing a couple details that you like, I'm excited to see what else they might do with them.
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I check in to see if things have changed from time to time. Legacy with the array of solid colors and square Burrough bags just aren't for me. I'm excited for some new things with the fall collection. I don't look for anyone to cater to me other than constructing a bag that won't fall apart and that I like the looks of. I love my poppy bags, original legacy collection bags, Sophias, and many other styles. I don't just keep myself in one strict compartment with purse styles. So I'm glad they're coming out with something for me....something different!
I don't see one clear direction in this collection. The grommets, studs, fringe, flowers, fur... And the clothing looks very British to me. This picture screams Mulberry to me-
(Picture #27, it's not attaching correctly)
(Picture #27, it's not attaching correctly)