Meet The Floto Milano Crossbody Shoulder Bag

Sometimes I regret not buying Coach's full-sized Cassie Crossbody bag before it was discontinued, an action by Coach that surprises me. Nowadays you can get a smaller Cassie 19, which is still a terrific bag, yet too small (7 inches long) to hold my essentials. With the Cassie 19, I'd have to carry a tote too.

Let me introduce you to Floto, an American small business that sells bags handcrafted in Italy on Amazon.

The retailer's Floto Miano Crossbody Shoulder Bag is a twin style to Coach's Cassie Crossbody bag for 1/3 of the price! The Floto bag is certified full-grain Italian leather (namely calfskin). The leather is hand-stained to patina by artisans in Tuscany to look better over time.

It comes in 2 sizes: Large: 8.5"W x 3.5"D x 6"H and Small: 7". The Floto Crossbody is shaped so similarly to the Cassie and has the same turnover closure plus 3 compartments to organize daily necessities such as a back pocket with a zipper to fit a cell phone. It's such a timeless and popular style!

With customer service, a warehouse, and a leather workshop located in Connecticut, the leather merchant offers a lifetime limited warranty meaning it strives to make good if anything goes wrong with the normal usage of its bag.

Amazon is bad for small businesses when they can't compete, yet a positive aspect is Amazon also gives small businesses a platform to sell their creations if or before they can afford to open brick-and-mortar stores. It's an opportunity for small businesses to reach and sell to customers far and wide. 

For consumers, it's safe to buy online from unfamiliar small businesses due to Amazon's free returns policy. Still, I'm committed to mindful shopping as I don't want to see a change in Amazon's free returns policy. Nowadays more retailers require customers to return items in-store to avoid fees because of abuses of online free returns. In appreciation for great customer care, let's treat everybody's money as if it were our own! Savvy Shoppers expect to be treated in good faith by retailers and are fair to retailers with generous return policies!

Wow, the Floto Milano Crossover Shoulder bag, as well as, the whole Floto line is such a smart Amazon find! Superb leather and craftsmanship at a reasonable price. Nice!

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5 Coach Bags Going From Office To Dinner

When you spend the day at the office but plan to have coffee, drinks, or dinner with friends after work you want a bag that holds all your essentials and yet can easily travel with you. As a big Coach fan, it's where I would always look first for fine leather or canvas bags at affordable, sane prices: See Coach, Coach Outlet and the Coach page on Amazon.

I'll feature 5 recommendations for bags that are compact and come in several colors or textures plus share one huge benefit that makes each one travel-friendly. All have straps, either a shoulder or crossbody strap for hands-free portability!

The following are 5 Coach From Desk to Dinner Bags:

The above 4 also have side compartments and pockets to organize all your necessities so you can reach in to grab items without a search or emptying your bag. It makes it simple to travel light. Still, there's a 5th bag I'm obsessed with right now for the woman who can't travel quite as light. Perhaps you need a tote to take papers, water, a computer, or an umbrella home after leaving work: 

Maggie Tote Bag

The Maggie Tote, our 5th bag, is bigger, professional, dressy, and ultra gorgeous! What a stunning and versatile bag ... as are all 5 Coach bags. Dressy in the right color! Of course, patterns or canvas tend to be a bit more casual. You can pick your color, according to lifestyle and how you wish to use your bag.

Golly, I really love the tote! Want, need, want, Ahhhhhhh😱Coach temptation strikes again!!👜🦖

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3 Quiet Luxury Bags

I'm happy to have finished my teens and 20s before the logo designer bag craze began. My parents bought me well-made leather shoes that held up and later on I followed their example with handbags. Moreover, we didn't collect them, just bought them as needed. After spending a fortune, some luxury-obsessed fashionistas are waking up and feeling the sting of debt for the surface status and not necessarily the quality of the luxury bags they collect ... and luxe brands including Hermès, Dior, and Chanel are noticing shrinking profits (in 2023 - 2024) -- some critics say due to their arrogance and greed in mistreating loyal customers. A shame as we love the aesthetics of the high fashion labels.

Today I'm featuring 3 luxury quality leather bags that are pricey yet attainable and made by companies that don't play the designer bag games with consumers, namely a) by creating scarcity and artificial demand; b) while offering poor snarly customer service; c) by charging $1000s more than the worth of the bags, i.e., for a logo; and d) sometimes selling customers inferior quality while hiking up prices several times a year.

Today's 3 featured brands offer customers fairness and quality for their business!

Full disclosure: I love the leather and craftsmanship of the featured bags below👇, however, I'm not a handbag maven, myself, and don't own them. I'm happy with COACH. But if ever I see an unbelievable deal, I'll know to snatch up the following bags and you will too!:

1) Strathberry - I'm featuring the tote (👆top image) and East/West (👈left image), but as with the other 2 accessory makers, there are many bag styles for customers. All Strathberry bags take up to 20 days to handcraft by artisans in Spain. The style is simple elegant lines oftentimes completed by Strathberry's signature bar closure.

2) Pourchet - A French brand that began making bags in 1903. The classic bags in its collection are made of durable smooth calf leather with impeccable craftsmanship and timeless straight lines. The Trianon is perhaps the retailer's most popular bag. It's minis a few Alexander Hamilton's under $400 which is far less than competitor French luxury bags.

3) Le Tanneur - is another French leather goods merchant that has been stitching full-grain leather bags since 1898. The Emile bag above reminds me of Saint Laurent's best-selling Envelope bag for roughly half the price!

If you're a bag maven who is tired of being gauged and underappreciated by the flashy logo brands (whose practices seem to care more about taking your money than giving you quality, service, or the respect you deserve for your purchase) perhaps consider Strathberry, Pourchet, or Le Tanneur. Each makes gorgeous, exceptionally crafted bags (indeed not cheap), yet for thousands less!

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Loewe's Popular Puzzle Bag

Photo: Fashionphile

The popular decade-old Puzzle bag was the debut bag of Loewe's new creative director in 2014, Jonathan Anderson, and what a brilliant brainchild it turned out to be, putting a purse from a forgotten heritage brand on top of every luxury fashionista's wish list. The puzzle bag's unique cuboid shape and cutting method create its recognizable geometric lines. It was first conceived as a man's duffle bag. After women began buying it, the puzzle bag was also parlayed over to the women's department.

The Puzzle bag became a hit, not only due to its artistic modern design but also because of its rich and durable calf leather and outstanding craftsmanship. Each bag is hand-stitched together. The bag is fairly practical too. Not only does it hold all your everyday essentials, but it's also super versatile to use: You can clutch carry it, grab its top handle, or wear it as a shoulder or crossbody bag. Plus the bag has no screaming logos. Industry people like to call the Puzzle bag quiet-luxury, an if you know, you know bag. It also folds flat.

The bag is available in 5 sizes: Nano (5.25 x 4" x 2"), Mini (6.75" x 4.5"), Small (9.5" x 6.25" x 4.25"), Medium (11.5" x 7.75" x 4.75") and Large (14" x 8.25" x 5.75"). 

Now there are 2 versions, the Original Puzzle bag and a redesigned version called the Puzzle Edge bag. Here's the difference: (1) The Original Puzzle bag is made of several pieces of leather that are separately hand-sewn together, and it takes longer to make while (2) the Puzzle Edge bag has fewer pieces of leather that are folded into the same iconic cuboid shape for quicker production. (1) The Original has visible black lines where the seams are sewn together (2) while the Edge with leather folds doesn't. (1) The Original bag has metal feet and (2) the Puzzle Edge omits them. I don't know about you, but I favor bags with metal feet to protect the bottom of the bag. Why remove them?

Photo: Fashionphile

Many observers fear the Puzzle Edge is replacing the Original Puzzle bag, but so far both editions are for sell on the company's website at about the same price.

So will the original puzzle bag eventually be phased out? Nobody knows, but it kind of looks like it. More customers seem to prefer the original over the newer puzzle edge.

The puzzle bag still maintains its early duffle bag likeness, and fashion editors think it will be around for a long, long time to become a classic, making it hold its value on the resale market.

So which bag are you? The original or the edge?

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Thursday's Chelsea Boots And More

It was hard to pick only one style to feature!

Thursday is the name of a boot company right up THE SAVVY SHOPPER's alley! It's the type of business I love to introduce to my readers. The boot company offers customers the highest quality handcrafted boots at "honest" -- without a doubt, reasonable prices. There are no cutting corners, customers get the best materials available on every Thursday boot or product made. You'll also find comfort, durability, and versatility in their various styles of boots. What you won't find are boots that are made cheap, have poor craftsmanship, or are overpriced. 

Customers pay honest prices for ridiculously comfortable and well-constructed footwear that is incredibly stylish to boot (I couldn't resist the pun:).

Here's how they do it. Thursday Boot Company was launched as a Kickstart campaign in 2014 by Nolan Walsh and Connor Wilson, raising $275,000. There is no middleman. Thursday reinvests what they save by selling directly to customers and putting profits back into premium materials including full-grain leather, supple glove leather linings, and cork bed midsoles for comfort. After launching, word caught on! The company quickly went from selling 1,000 boots per month to 1,000 boots per week.

After succeeding with an array of the highest-quality and chic boots, Thursday expanded into dress shoes, sneakers, jackets, and accessories. Every piece is thoughtfully designed and meticulously tested to be functional and fashionable. 

These full-grain leather boots were made for pounding the concrete pavements of city streets. They won't fall apart after a few wears, after taking a beating, or by getting wet. Thursday's footwear, jackets, and accessories are made for people who live busy dapper lives. There's no compromise between style, quality, or price. 

If Thursday's child has far to go, you can't go wrong wearing Thursday's Chelsea boots for super cuteness.

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#Short: Bad Bunny's Dark and Sparkly Style

Last night Saturday Night Live's host and musical guest, Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) caught my eye with his dark and sparkly style during his performance of the song, Monaco.

His latticework vest made of glittering crystals against his black long-sleeved top and smooth, black, leather, boot-cut pants stood out. The pants were fitted and cozy, as opposed to foolishly tight. 

Then I wondered about his shoes. They were causal smart, black leather boots with pointy (?), narrow toes, and thick elevated heels.

It's a no-brainer, I loved his drop diamond earrings which you can see, as well as, his bracelets and rings which you can't see in the posted photos (but could on a big television screen).

No element was overdone. With the perfect ratio of dark to shimmer, the rapper has an edgy and glamorous style that is Savvy Shopper approved! Not saying Bad Bunny needs my approval, but Savvy Shopper-admired doesn't have the same ring to it, (and spell-check keeps correcting it to the former anyway:). Now where on planet earth can we get Bad Bunny's vest!?!

What's your favorite piece of Bad Bunny's ensemble? 

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Tapestry Owner of Coach Is Buying Versace

Although I examine and admire many luxury bags I don't own any such as Hermes, Chanel, or Louis Vuitton. I'm a lover and owner of 5 Coach bags.

 

As it turns out Tapestry, Coach's parent company, is buying Capri Holdings, the parent company of Versace and Jimmy Choo, brands that position themselves as luxury goods. On the other hand, Coach since 1941 has always marketed itself as a fine leather goods company, not a luxury brand despite the stellar craftsmanship of its fine leather goods, and I hope with the acquisition of its new luxury targeting holdings Coach never lowers its own standards or raises its prices. Time will tell. Some well-known luxury brands in spite of hefty price tags aren't made as well as Coach!

Among its inventory, Coach offers several totes of different sizes and leathers. The Rae Tote is my newest favorite. At 11.1"H x 13.1"W x 5.1"D it's the perfect size to carry all our essentials including a 13" laptop, and yet it's compact and more roomy than enormous. I'm also hugely fond of its glovetan leather, named after the leather used to make baseball gloves. It has 2 inside slip pockets to hold smaller items plus a removable leather zip pouch and crossbody straps. The inside lining is suede. The handles are made to fold on the interior or exterior of the tote and when folded cleverly form 2 perfect "C"s for Coach!

Nothing about the Rae Tote gives me pause except its $750 price tag. Priced well below luxury bags, customers get superb quality and craftsmanship for the money. Still yikes! I want this one more than truly need it, and knowing that a change is coming ... oh Coach lead me not into temptation!👺

Let's hope and pray Coach stays Coach, a fine leather goods merchant outside the luxury market, and its bags won't double, triple, quadruple, quintuple, sextuple ... decuple in price!🙏🙏🙏

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Coach's Blaine Backpack Is a Hot Deal

Available in a few colors and materials

Coach's Blaine Backpack is perfect for today's need to carry your electronics out of your home into the world for work. With inside sleeves and multifunctional pockets to protect your devices, it holds your laptop and tablet, and phone plus their chargers. You'll also have space for documents you may need for the day, as well as, your sunglasses, keys, wallet, and a meal bar or snack to keep you going. Home away from home until evening.😊

An attractive sleek design in sturdy pebble leather or canvas-and-calf leather, I will always favor leather over canvas bags and backpacks however it's a personal preference. Both look fabulous!

This well-made, practical bad boy, originally priced at $598, is Coach Outlet's hot deal selling at 65% off for $209.30. Nice as with a degree of care (although you don't have to baby them), Coach bags last a lifetime!

Long-time readers know of my love for Coach bags ... all the quality and craftsmanship of French luxury bags without the ridiculous markups or silly games. Coach is a leather goods company that doesn't market itself as a status luxury retailer. Customers only pay for excellence ... not for pretentious, and ultimately meaningless hype.

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Leather Biker Jackets: Let's Discuss Business Models

In last week's Dior blog I discussed how we can't always get what we want, but if you apply yourself you can often come close enough! So today let THE SAVVY SHOPPER take you shopping, and away we go ... 

At the top of the blog, we have a gorgeous and classic leather Dior Biker Jacket. The leather is goat skin which is durable leather, usually not as buttery soft as lambskin, but tough, enduring, and Dior-quality smooth. Cost: $5,700, a gasp-worthy sum for an average person. 

Let's say you don't want to part with 6 Grover Clevelands and you don't want to do without as you pine for a leather biker jacket! First, examine Dior's Baker Jacket to know what details you like about it so you can find something comparable for less moola.

All Saints $529 (left) and Bernaldo $269 right.

Now let's find several stellar brands that are more affordable than Dior. Some are still pricey (although not nearly so!) and those a Savvy Shopper keeps an eye on. Do frequent google searches, as well as, wait for sales!! 

Look at the online pre-loved markets also where you might even find your first love, the Dior leather jacket. If it's still too expensive, move on to your 2nd and 3rd choices. Decide if there are any bells and whistles you don't need that might lower the price (for examples (1) some of the biker jackets have belts and others don't; (2) some are more insulated for warmth than others). When the price is right, be ready to move the wish list jacket into your shopping cart.

Lauren Ralph Lauren $440 (left) and Rag and Bone $695.50 (right)

Karl Lagerfeld Paris $329 (left) and Angel - Ninfa $189

Sam Edelman $250 (left) and Rebecca Minkoff $498

Set leather jacket $455 (new) and preloved $212 here and $various here.

Know that the price of garments doesn't always reflect quality but instead follows a company's business model. For example, the apparel company Set has a lower price point as its business model than Dior, and yet both jackets are well-made. Retailers whose business model is to give customers good and fair value for the money are your friends. Figure out who they are by doing your research. Another example: Coach stands toe to toe with Dior and Chanel in quality and craftsmanship, yet doesn't market its leather goods as luxury. Buy from your friends to save those Grover Clevelands for your retirement!

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