memory lane

I have an affection for the nostalgic-evoking,
whether it be the abstract or the tangible.

Yesterday, my husband & I went on an antiquing excursion but really just a day of wandering together. The drive, listening to the radio, meandering around spaces overflowing with treasures of the past all evoke warm thoughts of our times “just married” to chasing after young ones to still enjoying each other’s company after so many years. 

Continuing with my walk down memory lane, I was carrying a Coach Stewardess Bag which I remember as the first style of Coach bag I found thrifting back in the day. This is the smaller version with less hardware to reduce weight & an ID holder window under its flap for credentials. Some have a strap with the UA embossed logo stamp that were for United Airlines Stewardesses. This classic beauty sweetly reminds me of where I began with my handbag thrifting adventures.

vintage Coach Stewardess Bag, 11 x 8 x 4.25.

give & receive

The first time I saw a Taft Bag in real life, I was actually taken aback by it. I had seen a woman carrying it in a grocery store & complimented her in passing. She stopped to say thank you & that it had belonged to her mother. Although I can’t say for sure, I felt there was happiness & melancholy in her statement. She also said with a warm smile that she had another of her mom’s bags that she should take out & carry. I was moved by what a small exchange seemed to evoke & remember it whenever I think of the Taft. Even now, my heart feels a gentle squeeze. 

Coach Taft Bag, style #9980, 13 x 10 x 4.

updating a classic

The Willis is an iconic Coach bag. I‘m always drawn to them in photos & in real life, in addition to enjoying those in my collection. Recently, I’ve been thrilled to pair them with novelty straps. The pairing brings some fabulous updates to this classic. It offers a fresh look, shorter strap length & more comfortable carry. I was excited to finally get photos of a combo to share today.

Coach Willis Bag, style #9927. Coach Outlet embossed novelty style #F31539.

come what May

With May comes flowers, flowy dresses, a feeling of carefreeness
& yo-yo weather to boot. Today had a bit of it all.

I was out & about in a vintage style maxi dress that feels straight out of the 1970s. After having ran through several handbag options in my head, I decided to just roll with it & continue carrying the Coach Convertible Clutch that I have been for the past few days. These bags are great for me when I want to carry something that’s compact yet has a nice capacity. This one is 24 years old and the leather on it is just so smooth & supple. I love that I can switch the leather strap out with a novelty or chain one like this boutique Dinky Chain Strap.
I’m a fan of this bag style, check out my burgundy one I posted here.

As for today’s weather, it began crisp, warmed up, rained a quick minute as I was snapping photos & is currently the loviest of Spring evenings.

vintage Coach Convertible Clutch in British Tan, Style #9635, 11 x 7 x 2.5. Coach Dinky Strap in light gold, Style #58847, 48” long.

lost in time

 

Some handbag styles feel especially vintage, evoking the simplicity of days long gone by. The Coach Crescent Bag is one of those bags for me. Today, I threw it on with a flowy dress with sandals & felt a bit like I was lost in another time. And much like the carefree days of childhood, after some earlier things didn’t go as planned, I simply let those little disappointments go & enjoyed the brightness of the day!

This lovely New York City bag has a body-hugging profile like that of the Pony Express Pouch at a more accessible price point & availability. It is among my favorite vintage Coach styles.

Coach Crescent Bag, Style #9235, 10 x 10 x 3.

SxS: top handle crossbody bags

Manor | Crosby

Derby | Manor | Regina

Derby | Regina

I‘m a fan of side by side comparisons. I find them quite helpful in getting a perspective on size, especially when researching handbags online. 

I thought I could try a fun, hopefully informative blog series: Side by Side (SxS). 

Today’s comparisons are some Coach top handle crossbody bags

(measured in inches):

Crosby, Style #9905, 12.5 x 9 x 4.5

Manor, Style #9977, 9.75 x 8.5 x 4.25

Derby, Style #9904, 7.25 x 7.5 x 3.25

Regina, Style #9983, 8 x 6.875 x 4

Please let me know what you think of this series!

casual lady

While I enjoy all types of bag silhouettes, recently, I’ve been especially drawn to top handle bags in the ladylike style. Some are sophisticated & proper while others have softer lines & are more relaxed. I really like the juxtaposition of the latter...
a casual lady of sorts.

I’ve already shared some examples of top handle styles here & here on the blog. This is another... Meet Crosby. In beautiful glove tanned leather, it is structured with a laidback feel. Crosby can be dressed up with a scarf-wrapped handle or a novelty strap in place of its shoulder/crossbody strap. Its size is impressive & similar to that of Hermès Kelly 32.

My BOTD: Coach Crosby Bag, Style #9905, 12.5” x 9” x 4.5”.

living up to the hype

The Pony Express... not just because it’s a collectible vintage style made long ago in New York City, not just because it’s constructed of beautiful glove-tanned leather & has a super cute name... I love this bag.

The Pony Express Pouch is convenient, allowing me to carry a decent amount within its body-hugging profile. And, with a shorter strap, it sits comfortably at a higher spot on me when worn crossbody.

I think this one is a lovely example of a bag that shows it has lived. Its worn-in leather has developed a warm patina that comes from a life outside of a closet & carried more than just on occasion. I imagine a vintage bag’s life prior to me & find it particularly sweet thinking we’re more like a part of their story.

My BOTD: Coach vintage Pony Express Pouch: Style #9670, 11” x 8” x 2”.

refurbishing vintage Coach leather

Vintage Coach leather is awesome. Coach has described it as “a completely natural, unaltered, rugged leather that has been especially tanned to render it soft and supple to the touch”, “never seems to wear out and actually improves with age.”

While Coach also said the aging process “cannot be reversed so there is no way to restore a Coach bag to its original appearance after it has been worn”, a bit of care can breathe new life back into much-loved bags.

rediscovering & refashioning

In recent months, I’ve seen some great reviews of the Coach Dinky 24 so imagine my delight as I realized I already have something similar in my collection....

My BOTD: vintage Coach Convertible Clutch, Style #9635. This burgundy one was made in New York City. At 11” x 7” x 2.5”, it’s close in size & look to the Dinky 24. I’ve refashioned this classic piece with a metal chain/leather strap from a newer Coach 1941 Tea Rose Dinky giving me the option to wear it 3 ways: crossbody or as a shoulder bag with either a shorter doubled or longer single strap.

How exciting is it to rediscover an item in your own closet & simply restyle it to make it feel like something current & new again to you?!

This bag also dresses up wonderfully with a new Outlet novelty strap. Stay tuned for that future look!

winter greens

I love the color green so I was pretty excited to have come across this vintage Coach pre-creed Chunky Shoulder Bag (predecessor to the Courier Pouch). Decades old, I can hardly believe how rich its soft, time-worn leather still is.

To maintain (& with today’s forecasted rain), I applied Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP this morning.

To add structure & organization, I use a felt insert/organizer purchased through Amazon.

My BOTD: Coach pre-creed Chunky Shoulder Bag: Style #8920, 9.5” x 9.5” x 5”.

If you like the look, Coach has introduced several modern versions of the Courier Bag in recent seasons that stay quite true to this iconic silhouette.

Coincidentally with the green theme, the spot I was in to grab this photo had a creek with the most amazing sea-glass color today. If I hadn’t seen it, I couldn’t have imagined it.

[Revised to include what I believe is the correct bag name.]

something old, something new

The Tea Rose Novelty Strap in Peony brings a fresh look to my classic vintage Coach Manor Bag. And replacing Manor's original thin strap with a wider one makes the bag so comfortable to carry. I am really loving this pairing!

My BOTD: Coach Manor Bag: Style 9977, 9.75" x 8.5" x 4.25". 
Coach Peony Tea Rose Novelty Strap: Style 22887, 42.5” long.