Coach Emery Crossbody Bag

To save money know what you want.

As much as I admire Chanel and Hermes, bags are not an item I spend thousands of dollars to buy. I don't overspend on goods that wear out with use (and in fairness the luxury market isn't intended for value shoppers). Jewelry is more my luxury buy temptation ... yet, I can get a nice piece of jewelry -- real gold and stones -- for thousands less than what either of these designers charges for their bags. $7,100 is crazy for a Jumbo Chanel Double Flap, and $11,900 is too much for a Hermes Kelly bag (it has a shoulder crossover strap). The Birkin starts at $12,000 (and does not crossover).

My purse of choice is Coach which I feature here. I love the indestructible leather and good craftsmanship of Coach bags. I covet their new Emery crossover bag because it is a return to the 2 Coach bags I bought decades ago. Made of thick pebble leather which never scratches or seems to age, you can get it wet in the rain or snow, and it takes the abuse. I don't wish to baby a bag (although I do take care of them).

The new colors of Emery bags just launched at $395, however I plan to wait for this bag to go on sale. If you buy last year's colors, you can get this bag for less than half price. I want black which Coach never discounts, so I must wait for the sales of other retailers who carry the bag.👀 

That's fine with me as I have a bag to use (and no events to go to) while I patiently wait for the best price. 

Some would call it minimalist, others might say sophisticated, the Emery Crossover Bag is perfect for me. Classic black with gold hardware (ahh, reminds me of jewelry🙂)! Sleek and compact with inside and outside compartments to organize essentials. A sturdy shoulder strap keeps my hands free.

The bag just re-launched and isn't going anywhere soon. Tick-tock, the countdown for this gal begins!

You may also enjoy:
The City Tote From Foley+Corinna
Echo Scarfs Are Nearly Hermès Perfect
Playtime At Bergdorf Goodman's Chanel Boutique
Find Something Gorgeous At Macy's Like Fine Jewelry

Bag Alternatives To Hermes, Chanel And Dior Part II

The lovely Lady Dior

When I wrote a blog on bags to buy that give you a Hermès or Chanel vibe for less, I didn't expect to write a part II ... yet, if you read the post, here we are. Let me toss the Lady Dior into the mix. 

The following leather bags are not replicas (illegal) nor dupes (inspired and legal). Nobody will mistake them for Hermès, Chanel or Dior ... but perhaps you're not a person who needs to fool anyone. Perhaps you don't want to pay a crazy amount of money to own a French label. You're a fashionista and bag lover, yes! Yet one who seeks quality and value with style. Keep your money in the bank, sister! Alternative bags for less you'll love include:

1) Coach Zoe Carryall (rather than a Lady Dior) - As much as I love the Lady Dior in either black with gold hardware or black with black hardware, at $4,900 for a medium, it doesn't love me back! Instead, I own a Coach Zoe Carryall. And I love it too! In lieu of lambskin with charms, the Coach Zoe Carryall has supple pebbled leather with a gold lock and key that really work. The pebbled leather is scratch-resistant and ultra durable. You don't have to baby it, a trait I like in a bag, not wishing to spend on a bag I can't use. Plus, IMO, it's much more versatile. Diana, the Princess of Wales, was one of only a few people who could take her Lady Dior to work. Frankly, Coach is my brand of choice, but for my readers who pine for the Hermès and Chanel vibes, please continue.

2) Saint Laurent Manhattan (instead of a Hermès Kelly) - Sturdy calf leather for much less moola than a Kelly and yet a customer still has a top-notch designer handbag, luxury craftsmanship included with a Kelly vibe.

3) Tuscany Leather Firenze (in lieu of a Hermès Birkin). Hammered Italian leather with pockets and zippers in several colors and gold hardware. Comes with a dust bag, as well as, almost enough savings left over to buy a car. 

4) Tory Burch has a variety of stylish quilted leather bags (which are well-made yet 3 - 4 - 5 times less than Chanel quilted bags: 4-a) the Fleming Convertible Shoulder bag and 4-b) the Fleming Quilted Leather tote are 2 of several Tory Burch styles to have a Chanel vibe. Kate Spade has a few French-vibe bags in both leather and vegan leather in her line also that are easy to google, or spot at T.J. Maxx.

Kate Spade

What are Dior, Hermès, or Chanel bags worth to you? We all want to get a lot for our money. Perhaps one of the above-featured chic leather bags {along with the cash left in your piggy bank} is fine enough. You decide~

You may also enjoy:

Scottish Shortbread

Wish You A Merry Christmas

Glitter Shoes For A Pick Me Up

Eggnog, An Old Holiday Tradition

That Hermès or Chanel Bag Vibe For Less

Top: Hermès Birkin; bottom Hermès Kelly bags

Full disclosure: In shops, I love looking and touching Hermès and Chanel handbags as much as any of the luxury bag fashionistas on Youtube. So I know them well. However, purses are not my luxury temptation. While I'm attracted to the undeniable quality and beauty of the Chanel Classic Double Flap; Hermès Kelly; Hermès Birkin; and Chanel CC Trendy WOC in that order, personally, I would never, ever spend $3,100, $7,100, or $9,000 to $40,000+ on one bag. It's nuts! And the Previously Loved Market, costing 1,000s of dollars per bag, is still too high. I don't care enough about owning Hermès or Chanel to part with the money. Honestly if Walmart or Target came out with a decent enough bag, I'd take it to meet the English Queen or the Bidens, America's next President and First Lady. Plus tell everybody who asked where I bought the bag as I would not care!

If you ... like me, appreciate the uber-expensive bags, yet are ok with a vibe and leather for less purchase, the following inspired bags (as opposed to Doppelgängers) give you enough of the look and craftsmanship to last over time without infringing upon the legal copyrights of the designer brands. Some of the lookalikes are still pricey ... yet sell for way under $1,000:

1) For a Hermès Birkin consider the _______.*1 BTW: A Berkin is the top bag of all bags designed to hold its value.

2) In lieu of a Hermès Kelly look at the _______.*2 With your savings, you could buy a car!

3) For the top-selling bag in the world, the Chanel Double Flap, you might like Rebecca Minkoff. The quilted pattern is a Chevron in luscious black leather with gold hardware. Best of all, you keep $6,900 in the bank!

4) For a Chanel WOC peruse the Nobrand - Instead of a wallet on a chain, Nobrand is a small evening bag, not a wallet, but if you think about it, a small purse is much more practical since you can fit more essentials inside. A slim size for gala events of genuine leather for under $45. Heck, with $3,05o in savings, you could take a taxi home to save your heels, or have an extra drink and skip the driving!

5) In place of a Chanel WOC, or small Chanel Flap bag, examine the Coach Klare Crossover With Linear Quilting - My favorite, it has the black (full-grain Nappa) leather with gold hardware of a classic Chanel bag that we know so well and love!

Coach Klare Crossover 

Coach is a top-notch luxury grade brand of leather goods and a great value. IMO, the Klare Crossover -- although having a different interior and strap -- looks as rich and beautiful as Chanel bags. 

If you wish to find even cheaper alternative bags, they are on the market too, usually made of vegan leather and less durable for fleeting needs. The 5, revised to 3 leather inspired examples I've selected cost more than vegan leather, last longer ... and often go on sale! The choice is yours.

_________________________

*1 &2 Update Nov. 9, 2020: 

Dear Readers,

Sometimes blogging leads to surprising reactions. As Hermès bag alternatives, I recommended you buy the leather bags of a company who, then wrote me a lovely email asking me to remove their brand name from my post. The marketing manager explained they spent so much time, effort and money distancing themselves from Hermès bags to position their company as an independent brand. With sensitivity to the retailer, I've revised the blog removing all mentions of their brand name and bag photos. THE SAVVY SHOPPER wishes this now omitted fine leather bag maker a bright and fashion-forward future.

My follow-up research on Hermès alternatives is complete! For a follow-up blog (and new Hermès' bag vibe recommendations, go here.

 

You may also enjoy:

Timeless Coach Bags

Feel The Warmth With KuSan Kits

Playtime At Bergdorf Goodman's Chanel Boutique 

The Luxury Goods Market: A Value Shopper Weighs In

Should You Pay $10,200 For a Chanel Bag?

Chanel - cow's (caviar) leather. Also comes in lambskin.

The Chanel classic flap bag increased another 16% in 2023. The medium flap bag now sells for $10,200, up from $8,800 earlier this year.

1) Karl Lagerfeld

Chanel's business model now seems to be to jack up its prices 3 - 4 times each year without giving consumers anything in return for it, such as improving the craftsmanship of its bags. As many customers have noted, the bag's quality has slipped over time. The 2023 Chanel flap bag is not as well-made as the designer's older flap bags, and its hardware is no longer gold-plated. The newer flap bag's hardware is even known to tarnish. Some say the leather quality has sunk too. 

2) Karl Lagerfeld; 3) Coach -- unlinked but easy to google by name. Oh, the Coach is gorgeous!

Although I still love the style of Chanel's classic flap bag, I won't be spending $10,200 to own one. That sum is insane and absolutely not a good investment! IMHO, Chanel's unrelenting, frequent price raises are gauging its customers, and I no longer can judge anyone for buying Chanel illegal replicas. But if you, like me, are of the mind that two wrongs don't make a right, there are many legally inspired classic Chanel flap leather bags on the market, and it's where personally, I'd turn. We can find a similar effect at a fair and reasonable price. {Plus there are many faux leather-inspired Chanel flap bags for even less money. They'll wear out sooner than real leather but are cheap enough to get your money's worth if you have to rebuy them.}

4) Tori Baurch; 5) Kate Spade

Throughout today's blog are Chanel-inspired leather flap bags. While they are not replicas -- fakes designed to fool people into thinking they are real Chanel bags, they are inspired and legal to give you a classic Chanel vibe for at least $9,700 less. Unlike Chanel, these inspired bags periodically go on sale for further reductions. You keep "the insane" difference of your own money for your benefit instead of forking it over to Chanel. Here's one I bought from Coach Outlet.

DHGate.com

Yes, there's a degree of compromise in looks; and depending on price (over $100, or under $100), the interior lining of an inspired bag may or may not be leather. But golly, consider this: With the latest price hike, an authentic Chanel flap bag buys 3 - 11 live dairy cows!

Isn't it time to say no to retailers you love, who don't love you back? Plus reports are leaking that Chanel isn't passing its HUGE profits on to its factory workers, who also must get permission to talk to one another while they work and don't get paid when they show up for work on a day Chanel experiences a supply problem.

As longtime readers know 99% of my blogs are positive with tips on what to buy, in lieu of what not to buy, or panning retailers, but when pricing gets ridiculous with no regard for customers or employees, we must speak up! When business practices aren't fair for EVERYONE involved, buyers can just say no. 

You may also enjoy:

I Can't Watch Mel In Melbourne Anymore

Saint Laurent Is The Best Value Luxury Bag

Playtime At Bergdorf Goodma's Chanel Boutique

The Luxury Goods Market: A Value Shopper Weighs In

Delvaux Tempète Is The Hermès Bag Alternative

Regardless of what critics say about how Hermès does business or what it charges for its Birkins and Kellys, everybody agrees the quality especially the craftsmanship of Hermès handbags is impeccable. You cannot buy a better-made bag, and the company has no shortage of luxury customers. Despite its cost, a Birken is the world's #1 best-selling luxury bag.

Repeatedly I've disclosed that I'm not a bag maven and would never spend more on a handbag than what I pay at Coach. I love my capsule of Coach bags. They fill my every need for status😛, style, and usefulness around town, but it doesn't mean I don't admire Hermès or other exclusive handbags. Is there anyone who doesn't love touching and examining leather goods, especially from the top-of-the-heap, stellar brands? New York City is a fun place to browse! You get to know fashion and labels whether you buy them or not.

Delvaux Tempèux is a handbag for consumers who want the peerless quality of Hermès without playing the games or paying the price of Hermès. Nowhere near cheap -- at $5,900 -- but far less than a Birken or Kelly and customers don't have to wait years to buy it, nor cultivate a relationship with a sales associate by making prior purchases just to get offered a Birkin handbag that is sometimes not in your color of choice. In fact, Hermès' way of doing business has given rise to a healthy resale market, where Birkens often cost much more than what owners paid for them new.

Founded in 1829 by luggage maker Charles Delvaux, Delvaux is a Belgian fine leather goods company. 

Bar none, the Delvaux Tempèux is a gorgeous handbag made of full-grain calf leather and lining. With a sleek, functional design and gold metal hardware, it has a closure I personally like over Birken's and Kelly's more complicated closures. Unlike a Birken, this bag comes with a crossbody strap.

If you pine for a Hermès handbag without the wait or added expense, the Delvaux Tempèux is the perfect bag for you! Just like the Hermès Birken and Kelly, the leather and craftsmanship of the Delvaux Tempèux is flawless. You can get it in the standard sizes and the usual variety of colors and leathers just like Hermès handbags. Industry people like to call it an "if you know you know" bag. You can call it checking all the boxes without nonsense for a lot less moola.

You may also enjoy:

Timeless Coach Bags

Live As An Under Buyer

The Heart Shaped Bags Are Back

Lalage Beaumont Is An Impressive Brand

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!

You may also enjoy:

Collonil Leather Gel

This Belstaff Biker Jacket Is After Me

My Coach Bag Capsule + Stocking Stuffers

Saint Laurent Is The Best Value Luxury Bag

Chunky Is Autumn Trendy

Photo: Marissa Cox - Suzanne chunky sweater.

This fall's fashion buzz word is chunky. Chunky sweaters, chunky jewelry and especially chunky chains on everything from wearing one around your neck to hanging it off your purse. The following are examples of the chunky chain trend:

Brinker & Eliza Spiral Staircase Necklace 

Pomellato 18k rose gold bracelet

Lovely rings that could probably be worn every day and to galas. Versatility is ideal for what we buy.

This autumn chunky gold cocktail rings replace delicate understated gold bands. To show the trend, I'm using statement rings of what I like😍 (not necessarily of what I can afford). To the left is a & Other Stories Chunky Color Block ring. To the right is a Bulgari East-West diamond ring. What works for me is to find something I like, then let it lead me to something similar in style I can afford.

 

Coach, along with other purse designers, has trendy chains gracing their bags in their new fall collections. The Signature Chain Hobo bag on the left is available on the Coach outlet website, while the Hutton Shoulder bag on the right isn't yet.

I like the chunky chain look but won't go out of my way to buy it. Once the trend ends, it will look dated. Yet I wouldn't say no to the Pomella 18K gold bracelet, the Bulgari diamond ring, or the Hutton ... which leads me to ponder ... how do bloggers get on those luxury goods freebie lists? I'm an apt blogger who isn't on any such lists! At least, dear readers, you know my topics and product reviews are totally unbiased.

ASOS Fashion Union cardigan

Unlike chunky chains, the chunky sweater seems to be a wardrobe staple. Forever fashionable on a frigid fall day. As it happens, I like my sweaters soft and a bit fitted, yet also loose ... more oversized than tight. 

 

Will you be hopping on the chunky trend bandwagon?

You may also enjoy:

Poetry In Fashion

Big Ticket Looks For Less

Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll

A Difference In Style: Classic, High Fashion and Trendy

Saint Laurent Is The Best Value Luxury Bag

If you must own a luxury bag there's no judgment here on THE SAVVY SHOPPER. Living in Manhattan, I look at Hermes, Chanel and Dior all the time in the shops so I understand the appeal of the handbags and totes, but don't own any myself since I don't covet them enough to pay the piper.

I'm happy with my less expensive Coach and Foley+Corinna bags, so I must say so before continuing. When looking and handling the luxury bags, however, I do evaluate them and decide which I like best ... which style and leather I find the most tempting as a "potential" buyer. While perusing, I think about what customers are getting for their money.

Although Hermes is the best made of all the luxury brands, it's so exclusive -- the $10,000+ price tag too high for ordinary people. Chanel is catching up to Hermes without the craftsmanship, therefore I no longer harbor any illusions of ever owning one. Dior has risen in price also, but its handbags are not as steep as Hermes or Chanel. But ... let's consider a 4th competitor.

Compared to Hermes, Chanel and Dior, Saint Laurent is a value buy for a stylish, affluent handbag. Moreover, it truly is a luxury bag. The leather quality, design, craftsmanship and Frenchness are all there. You get a luxury name that's not cheap, yet not as over-the-moon expensive (or let's be honest) gauging like Hermes or Chanel. Moreover, the retailer doesn't make you 1) grovel; 2) coddle an associate to be offered a bag; or 3) have you buy small leather goods 1st before the offer -- therefore you can skip the games and undesirable extra cost. Just walk into the store and buy the bag. Priceless! The Saint Laurent price points on its luxury bags are thousands less for the same quality of its direct competitors. So if a Savvy Shopper wishes to keep $5,000+ (usually much more!) of their money in the bank, it is the luxury bag to buy!!

You may also enjoy:

Timeless Coach Bags

Leather From Your Favorite Brands Explained

Playtime At Bergdorf Goodman's Chanel Boutique

Bag Alternatives To Hermes, Chanel And Dior Part II