Why Are Coach Bags So Expensive? Are They Worth It?

Coach Rogue bags official website

Look around, and you’ll hardly fail to spot women carrying Coach bags wherever you go. Although Coach produces a wide range of accessories, including wallets, the company is particularly famous for its timeless Coach handbags.

The bags come to many people’s minds when you think of luxurious yet easily accessible designer handbags for women. Coach bags are also available in a wide range of styles and designs, suited for different needs.

Whether you’re looking for a commuter-friendly tote or a trending mini bag to keep you company all day, Coach has you covered.

However, to appreciate the beauty of Coach bags and answer other burning questions such as why these bags are so popular and expensive, let’s first dive into the history of Coach.

1. Brand History

The history of Coach bags dates back to the 1940s when the company was founded. The company was a family-run leather workshop that initially specialized in making billfolds and wallets.

The leather shop operated on 34th street Manhattan with just six workers in the beginning. The owners Lillian and Miles Cahn were experienced leatherworkers who coordinated everything.

Coach official website
Coach official website

However, the breakthrough in bag production was in the 1950s. Miles was impressed by the distinctive leather used in making baseball gloves and decided to try them out in handbags and other accessories.

Together with his team of six leather workers, Miles refined the leather gloves into supple, soft, and strong leather, which they used in making their first Coach bags.

In 1961, Miles Cahn hired a sportswear pioneer – Bonnie Cashin – to design Coach’s handbags. Cashin worked as the head of the creative wing at Coach between 1962 and 1974, where she made tremendous changes to Coach bags’ outlook and design.

Cashin focused on making simple, exuberant, and lighter bag designs that were more affordable. The inner linings of these bags featured striped madras cotton that later became Cashin’s trademark.

Lew Frankfort took over Coach in 1979 as a CEO and transformed the company into a worldwide luxury brand.

Frankfort established a flagship store in New York’s 754 Madison Avenue, stamping Coach’s authority as one of America’s formidable fashion houses.

Coach expanded its operations more in the 1980s when the company also launched men’s and women’s watches collections. The company spread its wings overseas into Tokyo during the same period.

In 1996, Reed Krakoff, a former sportswear designer at Tommy Hilfiger, joined Coach. Reed introduced wristlets, cell phone cases, watch straps, and wallets to Coach’s collection, giving Coach more popularity in the fashion industry.

He later introduced the iconic Coach Signature collection that comprised the famous bold double C design handbags in 2001. The signature collection came in many styles and colors.

Today, Coach has hundreds of stores worldwide. The company’s headquarters is still ‌in the founding city of New York. To date, Coach’s collections include bags, wrist watches, eyewear, footwear, jewelry, fragrances, and accessories.

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Icons are Forever | Coach Fall 2022

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2. Why Are Coach Bags So Expensive?

Coach bags may not be the most expensive of luxury bags. Still, high-end Coach bag designs such as Rogue may cost you a small fortune. Such bags are mostly associated with celebrities, models, and the rich.

Other exclusive designs such as totes that feature a lot of luxe details also make Coach bags expensive.

The bags use expensive leather pieces and flashy metals that follow a detailed production process, thus making them a little more expensive than ordinary designs.

Additionally, before the introduction of the high-end Coach bag models like Rogue and tote bags, the detailed craftsmanship in the company’s production was seeing its prices go up.

Of course, you’ll notice that most Coach high-end handbags use quality leather not common with other competing brands.

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Jennifer Lopez | The Rogue Bag

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3. Why Are Coach Purses So Popular?

Generally, Coach purses are popular for several reasons: versatility, quality, and durability. The bags are classy with many trendy innovations suited for different occasions, hence their versatility.

And while Coach saddle bags and Coach tote bags remain some of the most common bags from Coach, Coach bag lovers say there’s no definite answer to which Coach purse is the most popular. There are so many styles suited for every need.

Whether you need just a small purse to fit your phone or a big design such as a Rowan Satchel to carry all your essentials, Coach has you covered.

Besides, Coach purses are also a symbol of modern designs, mostly associated with the middle class in some countries. Their designs and high demand led to a lot of counterfeiting, thus an increase in their popularity.

Coach bags have also been bolstered by endorsements by a host of models, celebrities, and ambassadors. For instance, the iconic Rogue bag from Coach was endorsed by American superstar Jennifer Lopez and by British model Kate Moss.

Rogue is all about quality, with its fine metals and perfect leather stitching. You’ll spot a Rogue from far away even before you notice the Coach’s logo on it.

Coach official website Rogue bags collection
Coach official website – Rogue bags collection

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4. Are Coach Bags Worth It?

One of the top qualities that make a great women’s handbag is smaller, even stitches that are closely spaced, giving more stitches per inch. These stitches should follow a linear pattern, stitch-to-stitch.

Besides this, the bag should be made from high-quality material that can guarantee users a longer period of service. Coach bags promise it all.

Coach bags hold their value quite well. You can resell them for almost as much as you paid for them after a few years of use.

The premium leather used in their construction, plus the long-standing history of Coach’s initial branding – Original American House of Leather – make Coach bags a worthy brand among fashion lovers.

In their pursuit of more sustainable bags, Coach’s goal is that by 2025, 90% of their leather will come from Silver- and Gold-rated Leather Working Group tanneries. (source)

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5. Is Coach a Good Brand?

Coach is a designer brand ranked among some of the world’s leading industry players. Its distinguishing logo, extensive product line, and high-end styles make Coach a good brand accessible to many fashion lovers.

The flawless finish on Coach bags, their beautiful, strong, supple leather, and their modern and stylish designs make Coach a good brand.

Although cleaning procedures may vary for canvas and leather designs, many users say Coach handbags are easy to clean from the inside out using a soft piece of cloth. The bags are crafted to last and may serve you for more than a decade with proper care.

While Coach remains a stylish, modern American brand, many people still rank it below Louis Vuitton or Gucci.

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6. Is Coach a Luxury Brand?

Coach is known for the production of luxurious modern wear and accessories. Operating since 1941, the brand has refined its products to compete with other luxury American brands like Cole Haan and Dooney & Bourke.

A single glance at the Coach logo is enough conviction of quality and naturalness. Any fashion lover will spot the logo from miles away.

Coach Rogue Bag Top Handle In Signature Jacquard
Coach Rogue Bag Top Handle In Signature Jacquard – image coach.com

Coach uses authentic, high-quality supple leather, which makes a select line of its products expensive. The high-end materials used in Coach bags make it quite easy to differentiate a fake Coach bag from a genuine one.

The bags also feature more luxe details that make them edgier and cooler than competing brands in the same category.

Although Coach bags tend to be more affordable than rival brands, it still appears in the same categories as established luxury brands like Gucci.

Some Coach products such as the Rogue bags have also been featured on New York famous runways and have been endorsed by high-end American celebrities and models, further stamping the company’s authority as a luxury brand.

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7. Conclusion

Coach bags draw many people’s attention for various reasons. They are stylish, available in many expensive and even some affordable designs, and feature durable construction materials like leather, canvas, and suede.

And while these bags are still very popular among the middle class, Coach manufactures high-end designs such as the famous Coach Rogue mostly associated with rich people.

For instance, Coach’s Rogue features high-quality leather and a fine finish that makes it worth every coin spent on it.

Such bags, including luxury tote designs, follow detailed manufacturing processes using quality materials that make them more expensive.

Besides, Coach bags are among the most famous luxury brands, ranked with top players in the market, yet they remain popular and affordable among middle-class fashion lovers.