Thoughts On Obsession & A Case For Coach
The bag that surprised me
Ok ok, I know i’ve been absent from Instagram and TikTok for a while, but even I was aware of the renaissance Coach seems to be having, and from what I can see, with good reason.
It all started when I was innocently googling for ‘bags like a birkin but without the price tag’. While i’m incredibly grateful I have my dream bag, the Hermes Kelly 32, if money were no object the only other bag I would love to own is the Hermes Birkin in a size 35 or 40. The Birkin is a marmite bag. I get it, most of Hermes bags are very nana chic, but as i’ve spoken about in previously, that’s a bit of me! I love a ladylike bag, especially against a soft tailored look.
The Birkin 40 is a big bag! She’s heavy! She’s not practical in the walk around town and carry it everyday kind of bag. (I live in LA so i’m driving to most places instead of walking.) But her size is what I like, that and the sumptuous amount of leather. I fell for the hype of the Row Margaux, and then the Idaho, but thanks to my traffic light system, they came and left my wishlist in less than a few months. I still love the design, but I don’t love the price tag. Yes the Birkin 40 is at least double the price of the Row bags, but it feels like a piece of history to me, and to clarify I would prefer a vintage one. IMO, vintage Hermes just hits different, and very few designer bags have held my interest long term the way the birkin 40 has.
But back to my wishlist...
One item that has been on there since I started it is a classic large brown tote bag with feet. I wasn’t brand specific, I just felt that would be equal parts pretty and practical. While I do have one vertical tote, the Celine Seau Sangle (which I do love) it doesn’t have a zipper, and after using it for travel i’ve been scared of losing things out the top once it’s in the overhead bins or under my seat. It also doesn’t have feet which does annoy me, especially because I use it as a work bag which means it often sits on the floor in coffee shops etc. I’ve looked at so many during my no buy, and at this point i’m pretty much Goldilocks when it comes to brown tote bags. ‘This one’s too big, this one’s too small, this one doesn’t have feet, this one has too many bells and whistles, etc etc’.
I know brown bags had a moment this year, but I remember having a brown faux leather tote from Accessorize in my twenties that I quite literally wore to death. I bookmarked it as a piece I wanted a real leather version of one day. Before we come to the bag, let me show you the contenders I had considered, but all fell short for one reason or another…..
This search led me to find, the bag…. The Coach Soft Empire Carry All 40.
Why this bag?
I felt like this was a eureka moment, that the other bags hadn’t offered. Feet check, big bag check, zip top closure check, long detachable handle check, slouchy leather check, lighter than the birkin check, priced under $700 check! And then I went to TikTok where creator after creator had me convinced this was the bag i’ve been looking for. Was I influenced, or did the influencing seal the deal? I think this is where bag review videos can be really helpful, especially the ones that share negative reviews so you can really weigh up the pros and cons for your lifestyle.
So what now?
I’m currently on day 295 of my no buy 365 wardrobe challenge, and honestly, this is the first item i’ve become a little bit a lot obsessed with. It very quickly became an item that felt ‘just right’, and exactly what i’d been looking for.
At this moment in time the brown version (Maple) is currently sold out worldwide. Last week the US site was still showing the brown in stock. I toyed with the idea of breaking my no buy, feeling swayed by the limited availability, the it’s going to run out so you better get it now. Plus I was getting ready to go home to the UK for the holidays and of course my brain kept saying well this would be perfect for this trip. I kept refreshing the Coach website each day that passed: two bags left, one bag left.
The intensity of desire increasing, thinking of all the ways my life would be better, i’d be happier, if only I had the bag right now. Therein lies the problem, I see no issue in wanting the bag, in the desire to own it, but the nowness of it all is what made everything feel heavy. The if I don’t have it now I might die! (i’m being dramatic, but hello have you met my brain?) That need to own it before it sells out, the need to own it right now this minute, the instant gratification, that’s what my no buy is helping me unlearn.
I wrote about how to know when you’re panic buying here, and honestly, after reading that again, I was able to remind myself…this is so exciting, you are going to own that bag one day, or maybe a better bag, but you’ll be ok if you don’t buy it now.
The other thing I added to my traffic light system wishlist, is a column where I check off if an item has been tried on or not. While I appreciate this isn’t always possible, I knew with this bag the next step was to see it IRL. To go on a date with it if you will, to check we’re compatible. This is a step that makes a huge difference for me, because it puts some space between me and the purchasing decision. It removes the urgency. I know very quickly once I do see something in real life if it’s anticlimactic or lives up to the hype I’ve created. Sometimes you just need to do more research and so the plan now is at some point to meet the bag, put all my shit in it, and weigh up if this really is the bag i’ve been searching for? I’ll share photos when I do over in my Subscriber chat.
I won’t pretend i’m not still refreshing TikTok and Pinterest in a bid to find new content with the bag, but i’m kind to myself in the process. I’m letting myself enjoy the longing. Much like a courtship where the tension is building, which actually, feels incredibly exciting.
Thanks for reading
Harry x
P.s. You can learn more about my no buy styling course here.
*Some links contain affiliates*
"Therein lies the problem, I see no issue in wanting the bag, in the desire to own it, but the nowness of it all is what made everything feel heavy. The if I don’t have it now I might die! (i’m being dramatic, but hello have you met my brain?) That need to own it before it sells out, the need to own it right now this minute, the instant gratification, that’s what my no buy is helping me unlearn."
So well said, it's not about removing want from our lives, but about not letting it consume us!
I needed a new work bag that I can take straight from travel to boardroom and could fit the gigantic new laptop work gave me. This seriously fit the bill and I was so surprised. I went in store as a gut check and the experience was just incredibly relatable and friendly. Immediately bought tapestry stock the next day. Also, crazy that people bought multiple in different colorways ($700 is not cheap! I said to myself that this is the last work bag I’ll buy until it falls apart which I highly doubt will happen)