Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
We’re loving this refreshing green bag from Latico. The patent will work well in rainy, cold weather (like, oh, now) and the green strikes us as just perfect — not too dark (which would relegate it to a fall/winter only bag) and not too light (which would relegate it to spring/summer). To make matters better, a 40% discount applies (through the end of today only) so instead of $189, it’s $113. (You can search the site to see what else you can use the promotion on — search for “EXTRA40OFF”.) Latico Patent Crunch Top Zip Shoulder Bag, Green
If you’ve recently seen a great work piece you’d like to recommend to the readers, please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. Unless you ask otherwise, we’ll refer to you by your first initial.
(L-2)
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
LOVE the color
I like this too but I’m not sure how versatile of a color it is, especially if it’s your only bag.
This a bit off topic — but I remember someone asking on this site about renting dresses. . . Just saw this in the NY Times. It’s a rent a dress site; based in NY but I think it ships anywhere. Just in case anyone’s interested.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/nyregion/13critic.html
really dislike this color
Haaaaaaaate this color.
Love this! Very fun as part of a bag rotation. For the dark grey drizzly NW, it would work perfectly as a punch of color.
It looks cheap – perhaps it’s just the photo
I thought the same thing.
Nah, it is kinda cheap. I’ve seen Latico stuff, and it’s well-enough made, but with a definite, erm, informal vibe. I’d wear it with jeans, but never with a good suit.
I have this bag in a soft, mustard-color leather (last year’s version, I think) and it is wonderful. It doesn’t look huge, but I can stash a book or two in there and barely notice. (Despite the yellow, I’m still using it in winter!)
My only complaint has been that the leather gets dirty quickly, and I’m sure this patent version doesn’t have that problem. On sale…must order one!!!
I like patent leather and have no objection to fun colors, but when I do the close-up, it looks like you can see where the leather is glued to cardboard underneath. It’s crinkly. I don’t like that and I think it looks cheap.
OTOH, I am getting this plum patent leather bag as a holiday splurge from a very generous relative. It’s actually a baby bag, but Coach says they’re selling it as a regular bag. See how it’s shinier and not crinkly?
http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/-handbags_silhouettes_multieverything-10551-10051-5000000000000015032-en?t1Id=62&t2Id=5000000000000015032&tier=2
Sharon— I believe the “crinkly” look you’re referencing is not a style defect, but rather just the deliberate finish of the leather. I have a Latico bag with this same finish, and you’re right, the “wrinkled” look definitely makes the finish look a bit distressed, but some people like this look! Additionally, I would be very surprised if the leather were glued to cardboard— my Latico bag certainly does not have a cardboard interior.
That said, the Coach bag you’re getting is gorgeous!
Just my two cents!
I have to admit I thought the same thing when I saw this picture. I found an inexpensive patent leather bag at the Coach outlet I am kicking myself for not getting now. Sigh. The bag you’re getting is gorgeous and should be very useful.
Sadly I’ve been seeing a lot of purses and shoes where it looks like the glue was sloppily applied. I just don’t want to see the glue!
I ordered this bag in the black and white on-line and when it came, it looked like cheap plastic and I sent it back. That said, the purple is a gorgeous color and I bet your relative picked the Addison that doesn’t look cheap in real life.
I have another version of a Coach baby bag that I use as my to and from work carry-all. That’s why I was so excited when I saw the Addison. These bags hold a lot and have just the right amount of pockets for me. The ones on the outside, presumably for baby bottles, are great for umbrella storage.
Wow, I didn’t realize that Coach was actually still a desirable brand. I have three pristine Coach bags that I tried to sell on eBay recently (all under 50 bucks starting bid) and got no bites at all.
There are some amazing brands included in the endless 40% sale btw…like botkier, gustto, etc. These days it seems like Coach is for teenagers and suburban moms trying not to look like suburban moms- I’d much rather go with one of those brands.
Agree – they lost me circa the crayon “C” collection, when the overt appeal to the logo-obsessed crowd really turned me off from the other products, as well. I still use a few older bags of theirs, but the newer stuff seems too trendy for the price and less well made.
As a side note, I think it would help their brand if they pulled out of Macy’s — even when the bags would look nice when organized/displayed well, that store/chain is perpetually a mess inside, making everything look cheaper.
The logo thing was the big turn-off for me as well. Those endless Cs are awful.
I actually agree with you completely – and I was determined that I was done with Coach; however, my generous relative (who is in the fashion business and can zoom in on the one thing in a store that’s good) took me in there and found that particular plum bag that I linked to. I totally hear you on the teenybopper and overuse of the C logo, and in general, I don’t think it’s the “desirable” brand that it used to be. I still do carry a Coach briefcase (black fabric, no visible logo except for the hang-tag). I’m a bit older than some of you and “in my day” when you got a promotion at work you got yourself a nice classic Coach Station bag!
I would never buy one of those logo bags, but i just bought myself the large garnet bag from coach in green embossed crocodile (present to myself for a good review!) and it is gorgeous and a great work bag. I think that their leather bags are still great. But I definitely agree about the logo bags – they’re for teenagers.
http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/-handbags_feature_garnet-10551-10051-5000000000000052056-en?t1Id=62&t2Id=5000000000000052056&tier=2
I prefer the outlet purses. There are far fewer with the overused C logo and many more classic styles. You can often get decent purses there for well under $100.
Wow, am surprised you didn’t have much luck. I’ve bought and sold several Coach bags recently on eBay, pretty successfully. Did you include enough pictures to make people comfortable with authenticity?
I love the leather-only, no obnoxious C’s Coach bags. Current bag is a pink leather Hamptons Madeline tote. Brings a splash of color and I get tons of compliments.
Hmmm, now that is weird. I did not have a ton of pics, admittedly, but I did include the original dust bag in each auction…and my Burberry, Cole Haan, and Furla bags all sold.
I think you need to offer up your bags to us first before putting them on ebay ;-)
Erin, I’d be happy to take your Coach bags off your hands for you. As long as they don’t have the “C” all over it.
Off topic cashmere tip — I have a short sleeved cashmere sweater from Lord & Taylor that I love to wear under jackets and suits in the winter. I was just looking online for a new one, and they are on sale, plus 25% off today with code FRIENDS. So just $37 for the sweater (formerly $108).
Is this a good time of year to buy cashmere? I think I read on this site that a lot of cashmere goes on a mega sale come February, but this definitely looks like a great deal. Thanks for the tip!
I used to spend a bundle on Coach bags. (No more.) When they became somewhat shopworn, I saved them, “just in case”. This past weekend, I threw them all out! It felt so good. Hope I did the right thing.
In my experience, Latico makes great bags – I have two and I really like both. One I use as my everyday work bag, and I get a lot of compliments on it, especially now that the leather has worn in a little. The other is also a great bag but I don’t use it as often because it’s not as big. They might not photograph very well but the bags are actually very nice.
That said, I also second the comment about the endless.com sale – I bought a great botkier bag a few weeks ago, have used it every day since I got it, and LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
love, love, love Botkier. Their bags are gorgeous!
I’ve spent over an hour trying to get my EXTRA40OFF coupon to work. Double-checked that I had a qualifying purchase over and over. Emptied my cart, and on and on. Loved the Perlina totes but what a collossal (sp?) waste of time. So done with Endless.com tonite… Putting my kids to bed :-/
Loved Sharon’s comment about the Coach bag being the present we “mature” lawyers bought ourselves when we were doing well right out of school! So true! My Coach briefcase was the symbol of my success . . . until Corporette had to exhibit the LV Neverfull . . .
For all you twentysomethings, here’s what we fortysomethings had as our “It Bag” for when we got a new job or a promotion. These were the ultimate in “you have arrived.” Mine was navy blue. The Coach Station Bag.
http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/ProductDetailWrapperView?storeId=10551&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&partNumber=5130&langId=-1&storeId=10551&storeId=10551&catalogId=10051&cid=SFYa0025&bannerCode=SFYa0025
Love this bag! Love the color, the shape, everything. The only problem with it (for me) is that I need a bag that will also hold my laptop, and it looks a bit small for that.
Read something once about Coach being representative of “attainable luxury” or “affordable luxury” or something like that, as in, something that people with less means save up for and get, like the luxury for the middle/lower class. Never looked at Coach the same way again. But still think that’s too much money to spend on a handbag anyways, mine are all under $100 and work just fine, non-descript enough that probably no one can tell or would even be looking to see if they are “luxury.” That said I still need a new bag.