A Burberry Trench Coach Is A True Investment Piece

When it comes to buying investment wardrobe pieces we can’t go wrong with a trench coat, the most iconic perhaps is British luxury brand, Burberry. As it turns out, they go on sale this time of the year, so now is the time to browse the department stores which carry them.

The company was founded by Thomas Burberry in 1856. Originally Burberry designed his iconic trench coats for military officers and outdoor exploration. 

Even today a Blurberry Trench Coat is known for its intricate stitcking and functional details. A nova check pattern is the tradmark of the coat, as well as, its scarves and apparel. As we would expect, the trench coat doubles as a raincoat: Thomas Burberry invented garbardine fabric in 1879, a tightly woven, breathable, and waterproof cotton. 

While steep in British heritage, the trench coat has become globally iconic as functional and practical luxury outerwear. What makes it an investment piece is an owner would likely wear it all the decades of his or her adult life.

To be transparent, although I’ve long admired and have tried on Burberry Trench Coats at Borgdoff Goodman, I don’t own one. But if I were to pay the piper, IMHO, this coat would be the luxury item well worth the cost especially if you need it for work or travel. Had I bought one in my early 20s, I’d still be wearing it. Nowadays my life is casual smart in style. I own a London Fog trench coat and a Uniqlo water-resistant coat, also stylish and functional pieces for less than luxury brand Burberry. It’s fine for Savvy Shoppers to use Burberry, the Holy Grail of quality, as our inspiration to find a good enough trench coat to fit our lifestyles. 

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Please Bring Back The Original COACH Cassie

As a value shopper I’ve lost out on buying a few items I’ve waited to go on sale. It’s the risk you take when trying to stick to your budget. THEN I had a suitable everyday COACH handbag and didn’t feel comfortable spending $350 for a new bag I wanted, but didn’t really need at that movement, even one to this day I fawn over. Not pulling the trigger if you’re not deprived is a sensible best practice in money management. Often buying too far into the future ends up being a waste of money. Your needs change, or a better version of an item you covet launches. 

Well here we are in the future. The time has come for me to buy a new everyday leather handbag, so the original COACH Cassie (a medium size bag) is the one that got away! Such a classic handbag, COUCH surprised me by discontinuing it! True COACH fans never saw it coming!

The original COACH Cassie is 10" (L) x 7 1/4" (H) x 1 3/4" (W) with a top handle, outside pocket, turnlock closure and crossbody strap -- every characteristic I need and love!

I refuse to pay the inflated prices of the Cassies listed on the pre-loved market, costing more or the same as what it sold for new in pristine condition at COACH retail stores. If not a bargain, we should pass on buying a seller's used purse!!!

Therefore, I’m appealing to (um imploring, begging) COACH to reissue this classic bag in its larger size. I don’t care if COACH makes it slightly bigger, but I can’t use smaller dimensions in an everyday bag. Also please keep the super cute top handle as is. The looser top handles in the smaller COACH Cassie 19 or 17 isn’t as stylish. (I don’t understand the small bag craze at all. Costing nearly as much as a full-sized bag, yet you can’t fit your essentials inside! Waste of money!! Heck, just go with your pants pocket.😂) Finally, I prefer either pebbled leather or glovetan leather! Glovetan leather would be a dream!!!

Readers, the Cassie was inspired by the Court, a vintage COACH messenger bag in glovetan leather. If reissued, I’d buy either, or, and be over the moon!🦖

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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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Coach's Lana Shoulder Bag

Regular readers know I'm a huge Coach leather bag fan. Coach is a designer-level in quality bag that doesn't market itself as a designer bag company but rather as a fine leather goods company. Established in 1941, consumers get superior craftsmanship at reasonable starting price points plus frequent 30% - 50% off sales. Sometimes bags end up on Coach's Outlet website, for even less.

What bag am I loving at Coach right now? My answer is the Lana, which is one smart, stylish bag! Its polished pebble leather will last forever, and its glossy surface makes it both a dress and casual bag.

The bag is so well thought out with a detachable strap, an inside snap pocket, a zip compartment, and metal protective feet. It also comes in two sizes. Both roomy and compact, the bag lets you organize all your stuff! To boot, if anything ever goes wrong with a Coach bag, the retailer repairs it for free.

Although personally I've never gotten in on the trend, Coach too offers accessories such as scarves and charms for its bags, including our featured Lana, for customers who like to style their bags.

There is nothing wrong with adding accessories to style a bag, but for me, an expertly crafted, solid, leather bag that holds up is style and purchase enough! 

Coach delivers again with another aesthetically pleasing, practical, and superior leather bag that people with jobs can afford!

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My Little Man Broke!

 

James the Butler has served me well for 30 years. He brings an element of whimsy into my home. Sometimes, if a visitor mentions his cuteness, I like to say he's the man I live with and I explain how cooperative James is. He never gives me any trouble! Often, James the Bulter holds food or drinks for guests who sit on my coach. 

About a week ago, this hardworking, poor little wooden bulter fell off his stand! It's a tragedy that surprises me! At first, I couldn't figure out why. It turns out that the wooden dowels (know that "dowel" is a word I just learned, replacing "thing-of-ma-jig") weakened and deteriorated. A friend told me this is common with today's wood. Nowadays furniture is made with more inferior wood than 50 or 100 years ago. He likes to buy retro and antique furniture to get sturdier furniture that is durable.

I wonder how much it would cost to repair James. I dislike handyman work because I don't know what I'm doing and usually I don't want to learn. But! As it turns out, I can buy the wooden dowels for $5 to $15 for a bunch of different sizes. However as I tried to remove the broken dowels, they didn't pull out in one piece, and now I must locate and borrow a tool (that I hope exists) to get the remainder of the wooden dowels out of James' feet since they no longer protrude to grab onto for pulling out of the holes. If I can do this task myself it will be cheap to replace dowels and attach James back on his platform but if I must take him to a repairman, I'd have to find one, then I believe I'd be charged anywhere from $50 - $100 for the labor.

So for now, I disassembled James the Butler's wooden body from his serving tray, which unfortunately caused his arms to detach and fall off (old dowels again!), so I'm hiding him under my bed for safekeeping until I work out the details of how to make him whole again.

Meanwhile, shhh! Please do not inform New York's Finest, the NYPD about the body under my bed! I don't want a detective ringing my doorbell asking any questions. 😳

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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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Walmart Has Genuine Leather Bags Cheap

Real leather bag by Forestyashe at Walmart - Available in 7 colors on clearance $11 - $15

Walmart may not be the first retailer that comes to mind for finding a smart trendy bag, but you'd be surprised at the stylish deals and steals available on its website. For sure, I am! The styles, hues, and materials are many. I've picked 6 of the genuine leather options that are a fraction of their usual retail prices. There are more! The bags come in up to 7 colors.

HKCLUF Crossbody Hobo Bag

GAEKEAO Small Crossbody Bag

Michael Kors Pebbled Leather Small Tote 

FALAN MULE Clutch and Wristlet 

KAMUGO Leather Handbag with Gold Hardware and Cache

Walmart has quite an online selection of bags of all types. Sometimes the bags are cheaper than what a replacement strap costs elsewhere. By the way, if you like the bag but want to buy a thicker leather strap (look on Etsy, Amazon, or the retailer of your look-alike bag) as you are left with the funds to do so! The Walmart Birkin dupe bag comes from 4 third-party sellers listed within Walmart's online store, including Judy, Kamugo, Bestspr, and Ymtq. Reportedly it's genuine leather.

The London Fog bookbag dupe is reviewed here.

Be sure to read the descriptions carefully so you catch the sizes and textures of the bags. Reading every customer review is super helpful in not ordering mistakes, but if you don't like your purchase, Walmart has an easy and inexpensive return policy.

A nice bag on a budget, one that won't fall apart soon. Who knew?

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Expensive Things At T.J. Maxx

Gucci - Diamond 18K Gold Flora Ring 

Savvy Shoppers love T.J. Maxx where you get great value for the money. Up to now, I've shown you some of the bargains and steals I've acquired from my favored budget-friendly retailer. But as it turns out there is plenty of high-end merchandise for customers with deep pockets too. Some top luxury brands sold at TJM are "shy"  and aren't searchable or linkable on its website. You must scroll to find them. Here are several expensive examples you may be surprised to find at TJM available right now:

1) Fine Jewelry - Gucci Diamond 18k Gold Flora Ring made in Italy or Gemolie 14k Gold Ruby and Diamond Earrings.

2) Silk Ties - Brioni Men's Disinger Tie Made-in-Italy.

3) Designer Makeup and Skin Care - Jimmy Choo Satin Lipstick and La Prairie Skin Caviar Nighttime Oil.

4) Designer Sunglasses - Balenciaga (left) and Gucci (right).

5) Fine leather goods - BICS luggage and Chloe handbag.

6. Off the Runway Designer Clothes and shoes, with names too numerous to mention - One example is a Dress the Population Long Sleeve Sequin Dress.

7. Home Goods and cookery - Also too numerous to mention like this All-Clad aluminum skillet.

Frankly, I've passed on buying luxury labels (such as Valentino and Chloe bags and shoes, or designer skincare) just because I don't especially long to own them ... not that I'm against the brands per se. At TJM luxury brands are discounted yet can still cost 100s or 1000s of dollars when the brand's price points are high at full retail. Only buy them because you want them, not because of their tempting reductions. Personally, I'm happy with my leather Coach bags, Mundi wallets, and Neutrogena skincare, which TJM also carries for less. Also, I've purchased top-notch goods manufactured in Korea, Australia, and Europe. Today's blog illustrates how vast TJM's inventory is. Not knowing what you'll find is part of the fun of shopping there!

Christian Louboutin Suede Iriza Pumps

Chances are excellent you'll discover "new" brands in your price range, or get a pricey item at a steal!

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