Why doesn't the hangtag say "coach"?

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#18
My croc-embossed denim Rhyder has a blank tag. I wondered about it, then thought it was just because of the embossed leather, that it would be difficult to stamp a legible "Coach" on such a surface. It does have the metal tag that says Coach.

I like the monogramming idea!
 
#19
katev said:
This may be old news but it was a surprise to me. When I bought my new workwear rhyder 33 bag at the outlet, I noticed that it had 2 hangtags but both were completely blank. I asked the store manager about it and she said "That's because they don't need to spell it out! The leather, the style, the turnlocks, everything about this bag says that it is a coach bag."

While I agree to some extent, i was a little taken aback. i like to rehab vintage bags and a blank hangtag (like a blank creed patch) just screams fake to me! and personally I like the coach hangtags.

This bag does have the coach name on the front and it has the horse and carriage logo so maybe it doesn't need the hangtags but what"s the point of including blank hangtags?
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So I think the reason for the the change is because Stuart Vevers is all about minimalism. Hey does want the brand to speak for itself. I think he does recognize that people want their bags to have hang tags but the name doesn't necessarily have to be on it. That's just my take on what I have heard.
 
#20
stardustgirl said:
My croc-embossed denim Rhyder has a blank tag. I wondered about it, then thought it was just because of the embossed leather, that it would be difficult to stamp a legible "Coach" on such a surface. It does have the metal tag that says Coach.

I like the monogramming idea!
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I have a croc-embossed Madison Lindsey, and one of the tags is in the croc-embossed leather. It still has the logo on it.
 
#21
I think they just should have left the hangtags off if they are blank. I took the blank tags my Dakotah's seemed like too much stuff attached and why?

Not sure about Stuart and minimalism...between the studs or piecemeal bags ..his bags except for the Nomad seem a bit complicated IMO :oh:
 
#24
I'm not sure about the minimalism theory either; my workwear rhyder is anything but minimalist. It's made of pebbled leather and suede and it has a zipper and turnlocks and both front and back pockets, and it is decorated with metal and leather feathers and hangtags.

There are also a couple of attachments of obscure function. There is a D ring on the front of the bag below the front pocket. I am not sure what I am supposed to do with it but I would have preferred a D ring on the inside of the bag! There's also a large loop on one side of the bag that I am guessing is designed to hold a small umbrella.

The bag is funky and I love it - and I love all the details - but no way is it minimalist!

I have lots of classic bags and I love the sleek styling, but now when I am looking for a bag I want it to have unusual details - otherwise it is too similar to my other bags and I won't buy it.
 
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#26
whateve said:
The first hangtags were shaped like baseballs and didn't have the name "Coach" on them. Most of the original Bonnie Cashins didn't have hangtags at all. Then sometime in the late 70s/early 80s they started making the hangtags we are familiar with. In the 80s, they had a slogan that said "It's not a Coach bag without the Coach tag." At the time there were no logos on the outsides of bags. Most people who bought Coach bags at that time took off the hangtag.
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Thanks for the hangtag history, whateve! I didn't know that most people took off the hangtags back then - if Coach was hoping that they'd stay on for branding / marketing purposes, guess that didn't work out. My mother left the hangtag on her Patricia's Legacy, which was her daily bag for as long as I can remember when I was growing up (70's and 80's - that was the bag that first made me aware of Coach), not that it was necessary to recognize it as a Coach bag. My father did the same with his Embassy Brief from the same era. (Even the Borough, which is one of the more minimalist designs that Coach has done recently, had a hangtag - clipped to the inside.) Perhaps the blank tags are a remnant of that branding; even without the name, they are recognizably Coach.

Back in the day, you could walk into the Union Square Coach store and pick up a spare hangtag or two from a big bowl by the register. They had them in all of the usual colors (black, British tan, etc.), all with brass chains. We always seemed to have a few around the house for use as keyrings, etc. I wish we could still do that today - the SAs at my local outlet are always happy to replace a lost tag from their bin of spare pieces, but they don't usually have the old chewy-leather ones from back then. (I was unreasonably happy to get that style of hang tag on each of my non-Coach-Classic Stewardesses.)
 
#27
Coconut lover said:
I think they just should have left the hangtags off if they are blank. I took the blank tags my Dakotah's seemed like too much stuff attached and why?

Not sure about Stuart and minimalism...between the studs or piecemeal bags ..his bags except for the Nomad seem a bit complicated IMO :oh:
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I think they are saying it doesn't need to say Coach in order for you to recognize it. The shape of the hangtag has become an icon by itself. They made a few bags last year without hangtags and I think customers complained. I remember looking at every Ranger at the outlet, trying to find one with a hangtag.
 
#28
I recently bought a Tatum whiplash tote and did wonder about the hang tags.... I ended up taking them off which I also did on my Phoebe I purchased earlier in the year.
But in saying that I couldn't imagine having my Madison Lindsey satchel without the hang tags !
 
#29
xeyes said:
Thanks for the hangtag history, whateve! I didn't know that most people took off the hangtags back then - if Coach was hoping that they'd stay on for branding / marketing purposes, guess that didn't work out. My mother left the hangtag on her Patricia's Legacy, which was her daily bag for as long as I can remember when I was growing up (70's and 80's - that was the bag that first made me aware of Coach), not that it was necessary to recognize it as a Coach bag. My father did the same with his Embassy Brief from the same era. (Even the Borough, which is one of the more minimalist designs that Coach has done recently, had a hangtag - clipped to the inside.) Perhaps the blank tags are a remnant of that branding; even without the name, they are recognizably Coach.

Back in the day, you could walk into the Union Square Coach store and pick up a spare hangtag or two from a big bowl by the register. They had them in all of the usual colors (black, British tan, etc.), all with brass chains. We always seemed to have a few around the house for use as keyrings, etc. I wish we could still do that today - the SAs at my local outlet are always happy to replace a lost tag from their bin of spare pieces, but they don't usually have the old chewy-leather ones from back then. (I was unreasonably happy to get that style of hang tag on each of my non-Coach-Classic Stewardesses.)
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Other brands besides Coach had a small piece of leather attached to their items. I think it was supposed to be proof that it was made of leather.

I bought my first Coach bags at the Union Square store. I remember falling in love with the leather and I felt I was splurging by spending that much on a bag, but I don't think I cared about the brand name, and I don't think anyone ever asked me what brand I was carrying. I don't remember the bowl of hangtags! If only I had known then what I know now, I would have grabbed handfuls!

I've heard that Coach is no longer giving out hangtags just for the asking. You have to prove you bought the bag before they'll give you one. I think it might have something to do with hordes of people asking for them to sell on ebay. I'm also wondering if the use of blank hangtags is somehow related to the sale of specialized hangtags like Snoopy and Gary Baseman. Maybe they are trying to get us used to paying extra for hangtags.
 
#30
I almost always remove hangtags. I like a very simplified look and have never cared for hangtags or bag charms or scarves. I also wouldn't monogram a bag because I tend to recycle my bags and it would make it unsellable. But I love the idea of monogramming a blank hangtag! That's a hangtag I would keep on a bag!
 
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