Coffee Break: Neptune Avenue Stevie

48 Comments

1. I love this. Love. Of course, I love Kate Spade in general. Still, $300 for a bag that seems like it would be short-lived is probably more than I can justify sadly. :(

   I will, however, lust from afar.

   1. I often check Target for their interpretations of these types of bags. I get tons of compliments on my Target Tory Burch-esque bag I bought last year for <$30.

   2. Agree — Here in the Northeast, it would be tacky to use into the fall, and I think I would be tired of it by then anyway.

      Also, the straps look super short which always annoys me.

2. Really cute for a beach bag, but not $300! I just can’t imagine wearing it to the office. Also, I don’t mind paying for high-quality leather, but it really bugs me when designers put out $300 canvas bags.

   1. i totally agree…but it’s so purty! i will definitely be on the lookout for a nice and cheap $20 copycat.

      1. Not quite the same, but similar summery vibe & a bit more practical to boot. . . just ordered. . .

         http://www1.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi23710&rootCategory=cat70018&catId=cat440042&sortKey=Default&section=Outlet&conceptIdUnderSale=cat440042

         Was also considering this one, but thought it might be a bit too small for my daily needs.
         http://www1.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi24273&rootCategory=cat70018&catId=cat440041&sortKey=Default&section=Sale&conceptIdUnderSale=cat440041

         1. That Talbots tote is cuuuuuuuute! Too bad I have too many tote bags already. I agree that the price is right for a summer canvas bag: $25 on sale.

3. It’s gorgeous, of course, but $300 for a canvas bag? Aside from that, I’m not a big fan of purses with open tops. They tend to roll over and then the entire contents of my purse come spilling out.

4. oh so pretty, but I am definitely not paying $300 for a canvas bag. I tried to find a knockoff and didn’t have any luck on a quick perusal of the obvious sites, but I did find some viable alternatives on etsy for much cheaper. Do they look as nice as the kate spade? No, but on the other hand, if this is something you want to take to the beach or park in the summer, they’ll work just fine. A couple of possibilities:

   http://www.etsy.com/listing/42323004/aqua-floral-shoulder-bag

   http://www.etsy.com/listing/29682444/kristen-bag-in-blue-leaf-with-chocolate

   http://www.etsy.com/listing/43046355/fully-reversible-modern-everyday-canvas

   http://www.etsy.com/listing/45569074/hobo-bag-white-flower-blue

   1. I love Etsy! Now I’m seriously considering buying one or two of the bags you found. Thanks for posting the links.

      1. I love Etsy! Now I’m seriously considering buying one or two of the bags you found. Thanks for posting the links.

5. Not for work, and not for most people, I should think. I had a California cousin who always kept a different handbag for each outfit, and changed every day. This strikes me as being a procedure for a woman with infinite time on her hands.

   This year we can satify our craving for a large print (two-color) with a dress, but, again, it will not be a dress for work.

   1. 75, I think you are Anne Vohl’s reincarnation. I can certainly picture the same print making a very cute pencil skirt + white sweater set or skirt outfit for many offices!

      Love this bag, but like others, it’s not neutral enough for me to justify spending that much.

      1. Hahaha, Cat, you beat me to it — I was thinking the very same thing re: what Anne Vohl would say!! :)

         1. Anne Vohl was a bit more reasonable in her pronouncements :)

   2. I have a colleague who is constantly changing her purse and I always wonder if she ever finds herself without her wallet/cell phone/make-up/etc. as a result!

      1. I change purses often (not daily, but a few times a week), but I keep most of the things in my purse (the essentials, at least) in smaller make-up bags, etc. So, I only have to take a few things and switch them from one purse to another. Before I did this, I always left things behind when switching purses.

      2. There’s also a product called pocket joey or something like that. It’s a bandolier (of sorts) of pockets that velcros together at the end. You “load” it with your possessions and then transfer the whole thing from bag to bag. I know I have found them online (with fast, good service for gifts) and recently saw them in the Container store B&M place…expanding their patterns. People I have given them to as gifts have loved them. No personal experience, though.

         1. I think that is what my friend gave me recently! It is like a little carryall that you transfer from purse to purse. Has 4 pockets, works like a charm. I actually don’t transfer purses that often, but it has improved my life — I’m no longer constantly searching for things in my bag. Everything is organized.

6. Kat – the 6pm link at the top of the list (Enzo Angolini) goes to the wrong site.

7. It’s only $207 at Kate Spade! http://www.katespade.com/sm-neptune-avenue-stevie–pi-3971028.html

   1. *Only* :)

      1. haha ‘it’s all relative’ ? ;-)

         If you chop of a digit it would be in my price range!

8. I have the same style in black leather, and I love that it holds so much and it’s such a feminine shape. It has a zippered top, so you don’t have to worry about anything falling out. The only negative is that it weighs a TON, even with very little in it. Maybe the canvas is better? I usually only do leather, but I may just have to keep my eyes peeled to see if they come out with something neutral in a fabric. I’m not usually a nylon or canvas fan, but maybe for summer? Anyone else have an aversion to fabric bags?

   1. I’m usually all about the black leather purse — durable, doesn’t show dirt – and if you do get some schmutz on it, you can wipe it off without a problem…

      I was given a beautiful summer purse this year as a gift – a white leather purse (don’t judge, it’s gorgeous)… and I’m actually loving it since it still looks cool and crisp – With leather you can wipe off any small speck… I would never get fabric (especially an expensive fabric!) though, since the possibility of it looking dingy (see yesterday’s thread) is too high.

      1. I have an ivory leather Kate Spade that I picked up cheap (relatively, $190 down from $450) at Off Fifth. I love it. It’s amazing how many things it looks fabulous with, and it gives a kind of finishing touch to a lot of outfits for me. So, no judging here. Mine is more “winter white” feeling though so I’ve put it away for the summer.

   2. I have the same issue with my leather Kate Spade bags – soooooo heavy! But so cute.

      I actually love a canvas bag for weekend wear in the spring/summer. I usually pick something up at Gap (this year’s is a navy canvas with a lime green and white strap that is super cute) or Target for the season, but I have gotten them from Ann Taylor (a particularly cute b + w flowered bag with a leather bow a few years ago) and other higher-end retailers. My all-time fav and hands down the bag I get the most compliments on was a $80 made-to-order from Viv Pickle in Philadelphia – purchased on impulse while there for a seminar. It is off-white with brown, blue, and green polka dots. I love having something different and light and cute for the weekend – something easy to throw sunscreen and sippy cups and reading material in without worrying about damaging it. I have yet to do $200+ for a non-leather bag, however.

      1. Viv Pickle is great!!!

9. Any idea where Kate Spade bags are made? I might be OK with the price tag if the bag is manufactured by people who are being paid a living wage.

   1. Some are made in the U.S. or Italy, but most are made in China, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan. Check the label. If you look on their website, most bags are listed as ‘imported’. My supposition is that these bags are likely made in Asia, since if it were Italy or the U.S. I think they’d mark it as such, make a big thing about it. It’s like when you’re looking at a bag to see if it’s real leather – if it is, it’s prominently marked. If you have to hunt the the tag, it’s pleather.

      1. I can confirm your suspicion. Any place that pays a living wage is listed as the source country. Always.

         1. Well, just noticed that a DvF shirt I bought yesterday is prominently marked “Made in China”. Quality same as the Italy-made ones I own…but this must be the first time I’ve seen a “designer” item showing the China-made marking clearly.

            Of course, that doesn’t mean DvF lowered the price on my shirt…:(

   2. Not all factories in Asia (or other nations) are sweatshops. Often the workers *are* paid a living wage, even if that wage is small compared to wages in other countries, due to a much lower cost of living. And sweatshops in the US do exist! To ensure a garment is made by properly-compensated workers, a consumer must look beyond the country of origin to the actual practices of the company selling the garment.

      Even then, many companies do not know the conditions of the factories in which their goods are made, due to numerous middle-men and jobbers. However, a responsible company will work with ethical middle-men to ensure the garments are made in fair working conditions.

10. Love the bag, but I can’t spend that type of money on a canvas bag. I actually bought a KateSpade canvas bag for summer about 5 years ago on clearance at end of season for < $100. I still use it in the summer. It's roomy but not too big and so cute (ivory with light pink Kate Spade Logo design). I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Kate Spade. I have a few of her bags, sunglasses, and even my china is her June Lane pattern.

11. total hijack, but you guys have to see this – part of me thinks its ridiculous but the other part of me thinks its ingenious. i hate having a ton of layers on and this solves the problem, but i’m not sure how practical it is in real life – and i’m also not sold on the lace trim – but still an interesting concept!

    http://gawker.com/5532890/cover-up-your-boobs-in-a-new-way

    1. Sort of like a dickie for a cardigan… It is interesting but I’m more of a full layer girl!

    2. That commercial is hilarious. It is an interesting concept though. I wonder what the fabric feels like and how it would sit under a shirt–would it ride up? It reminds me of a dickey. If it works, great!

    3. For some reason I can see this boob-napkin thing causing some funny lines under the shirt (“I’m sorry, is that a handkerchief shoved into your shirt?”). Or maybe it somehow popping out. Frankly, to me it doesn’t look big enough to cover up some of the larger-chested ladies out there (I’m thinking I would need something more akin to a small tablecloth than a napkin).

       1. Actually, I make my own versions of these – just take a too-tight cami or one that you picked up at a discount store for a few dollars, and cut down from the neckline to create a rectangle. Pin it to your bra straps, and you’re set! It’s great with v-neck dresses that need a bit of coverage during the workday (especially if you have evening plans), or just to avoid the bunching of a full cami.

12. I have to say…I have avoided purchasing Kate Spade bags ever since meeting a (now) good male friend of mine who is from the East Coast. He has made several comments over the years about “(arrogant, gold-digging) East Coast women with their Kate Spade bags.” Lol. Though I do admit this particular bag is an adorable print!

    1. Really? I’m from the east coast and I always thought of Kate Spade as kind of…midwestern.

       1. Yes. Confirm.
          I think that when Kate Spade, the person, sold the company, it sort of put a nail in the coffin but even before then . . . Arrogant & gold digging are too busy with their LVs, Burberry, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Versace & etc.

          This bag is cute though. I am self prohibited from anything canvas & white — I can barely handle white shirts, this would end up ruined before June is mid way over (which just adds to my feeling that Kate Spade is for people who drive their own cars, not take dirty cabs and subways).

       2. Kate Spade, Chanel, Louis Vuitton are the brands most often ripped off and sold at flea markets/’purse parties’ etc on the East Coast…

13. Wow! That bag looks great. I wonder if it comes in orange. It would be great for the summer.

14. Ireally dislike this. But maybe that’s cause I’m sooooooooo tired of florals/ruffles/girly/inappropriate stuff. I think this print would detract from my outfit/figure

15. I love Kate Spade bags. I tend to like a feminine bag, particularly when I’m wearing a conservative suit.

    FWIW, I have a fabric diaper bag in a darker color that has lasted me through both of my babies and still looks great. I probably would steer away from this one because of the white, but I do like the looks of it.

    I never pay full price for a KS bag anymore, however, since I discovered her online site. Great sales and promotions. I’ve grabbed up several $400 leather bags for around $150.

16. If you sign up for the mailing list at Kate Spade, you get an email coupon for 15% off your order. So 15% off $207 = … darn, still to much for a cute but impractical purse ;)

17. I saw this bag at Nordstrom’s this weekend on sale for around $180. They had a similar bag (kate spade, same print, different shape, only slightly smaller) on sale for around $140. I actually thought the smaller bag was cuter. The canvas is treated or glazed with something that makes is dirt resistant if anyone is concerned about canvas not holding up. It was actually a much nicer bag than I anticipated.

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