Thursday 29 January 2015

An Ode To The Coach Brooke Purse


Since I've just recently added a new handbag to my collection (see what it is here), I thought it only fair to take a look back at my very first designer purse purchase: The Coach Brooke Bag.

It really wasn't all that long ago that I first started to take an interest in Fashion, and decided that it was time to invest in a real-life designer purse.  I had never spent more than fifty dollars on a purse before, so to say that the purchase of a high-end handbag was a big deal to me would be an understatement.   I had seen girls wearing their Coach purses at the restaurant where I was working at the time, and thought that this must be the place to start looking.  After scouring the Coach website, I absolutely fell in love with a particular style.  The Brooke was everything I was looking for: it was slouchy, had both long top handles and a shoulder strap, and to me just looked so elegant.  Mulling over the decision for months, I finally decided to take the plunge and buy my special purse.  After waiting in line at the Coach outlet, 30% off coupon in hand, I left with my very first designer handbag.  I managed to score the Brooke handbag for about $130 that day, but I felt like a million bucks.  Finally I had my very own designer purse!  I still remember being so proud to wear that thing around town, and how happy it made me every time I got to use it.



Now I know at the mere mention of a Coach purse, many of you may be tempted to roll your eyes.  I've feel as though I have heard a lot of negative comments about Coach bags; everything from how over saturated the brand is, to even how obtainable they are.  Really - obtainable?  Girls, if you have said anything remotely like this in the past about the Coach brand - or any brand really - I ask you to take a step back and really think about what you're saying.  Does a brand name define who we are?  Absolutely not.  My heart breaks thinking about how my younger self would have felt after hearing such comments about the Coach brand and purse I was so proud of. I would have felt awful, and embarrassed. I have since added a few more handbags to my collection, so my beloved Brooke does not get the same attention that it used to, but that does not make it any less special to me.


The takeaway that I hoped to achieve from this post was not only to pay tribute to my first designer handbag, but also to hopefully get us thinking about how hurtful classifying people based on the brands that they wear and purchase can be.  My Coach Brooke handbag still looks and feels as fantastic as it did all of those years ago when I first bought it.  It makes me happy.  And in the end, that's really all that matters.

Let me know your thoughts!  What was your first big handbag purchase?

xo Joëlle
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6 comments

  1. Great post Joelle! My first "designer" handbag was a Coach purse as well. Coach is like the gateway drug into designer handbags! Haha. I have absolutely nothing against Coach. Great quality and great looking bags. Fritz seems pretty content with them too ;)

    Kris | Love. Loft. Life.

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    1. I totally agree with Coach being the gateway drug to a pretty serious handbag obsession - well put! Fritz will take a ride in a purse any chance he gets!

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  2. Wonderful post! I recently purchased my first designer bag as well, a Michael Kors Hamilton. I chose it because I felt it would last for many seasons and still be classic. It's unfortunate that fashion operates under such a self-imposed elitism. To me being attainable isn't a bad thing, no matter how much into fashion I get I don't think I would ever feel comfortable shelling out thousands of dollars for a handbag no matter how elite or unattainable the label.

    Silly Medley: Lifestyle and Travel

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    1. Sounds like a beautiful bag! I agree with you, if it make someone happy then what right do we have to judge?

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  3. I have had a serious Coach obsession for years. I actually missed the Brooke train way back when, and recently scored one on ebay for next to nothing. The leather is fantastic, and the shape is classic. Haters gonna hate no matter what.

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    1. It's so true Sera, people are going to talk negatively about almost anything to feel better about themselves. So wrong.

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