My love of vintage Coach bags is well-documented on this blog, but I’m not sure if I ever really talked about its evolutions. So, before we get into the actual topic of today’s post, let’s go back. All the way back … to 2006 or thereabouts. I was a freshly minted baby lawyer. One day, one of my co-workers brought in a new bag she’d just got, and I immediately fell in love with it. It was a canvas-and-leather monogram Coach bag, a style that was very popular in the mid to late 2000s, and it was my gateway to the world of Coach. Also, coincidentally, the world of eBay – where I scoured listings for secondhand Coach bags because, at the time, Edmonton didn’t have its own store.

Fast forward a few years, and I discovered the beauty of 90s leather Coach bags; my personal favourites have always been the turnlock bags. At the time, it was relatively easy to find them for very reasonable prices, because they weren’t considered especially trendy. I ended up getting 3 or 4 of them, in different colours, and wore them a lot circa 2011-2014. After that, I started to get into higher end designer bags and kinda forgot about my Coach bags. Actually, no. It was worse than that. I wish I’d simply forgotten about them because that would have been much better than what I actually did, which was to sell them … probably for peanuts. It’s one of my biggest closet regrets. Fast forward a decade or so; I ditched the large fancy designer bags (but have not sold them! I’ve learned my lesson) and rediscovered the beauty of vintage Coach. Too bad that those same bags that used to cost $50-100 now run $200-500 *cries in terrible past decisions*

Luckily, there was one Coach bag that I never sold; instead, I gave it to my mom, who kept it (though she never really used it). When she passed away, I found it at the back of her closet. It felt like finding a gift, from her to me. That bag became the foundation of my Coach collection 2.0. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been fortunate to have been able to rebuild my collection with very lucky secondhand finds and a couple of swapped/gifted bags. All of the bags I’ve purchased have been in the $100-150 range, which is a relatively bargain these days. As a Canadian, I find Poshmark to be the best bet for reasonably priced Coach, but it does require constant vigilance; good deals come up rarely and get snapped up quickly.

Alright, now that we’ve got all that context out of the way, let’s fast forward and talk about today’s topic: the two most recent additions to my Coach collection 2.0. Each one comes with its own little story, of course.

The Lucky Find

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is the fact that I have never – in nigh on 15 years of thrifting – ever found a 90s Coach bag at the thrifts. I’ve found vintage-ish Coach bags from the 2000s, and plenty of more contemporary ones, but never one of my beloved turnlock Willises, Courts, Stations, etc. The closest I ever came to that was a re-issue Willis bag from the early 2010s (I think) … which I also, stupidly, sold off. But a thrifter’s hope springs eternal, and I have never stopped looking and hoping that, one day, I’d be blessed to find one of the original 90s leather bags.

Spoiler alert:

My best friend was recently visiting from Montreal and, naturally, we went thrifting. The first store we went to is organized in such a way that the bags are very close to the entrance, so that’s where I started my store “loop”. [Bags are not usually the category where I start at other stores.] And lo – the first thing I spot on the first rack … like, literally the first thing … is this bone-coloured vintage Coach bag. I think I actually screamed a little bit, and not just internally. Not only is it the first vintage Coach I’ve ever thrifted, it’s also a colour that I’d been hoping to add to my collection for a while. And, get this: it was $10. And I had a coupon, so I paid $8. Friends, thrifting does not get better than this. [Well, actually, it might: at the same store, I found 2 brand new Smythe blazers too.]

The moral of the story here is that, if you wait long enough, the thrift gods will eventually deliver. It might just take a while … like, “a decade” kind of a while. But it will feel all the sweeter when you find that holy grail.

The Splurge

As I mentioned, turnlock bags have my heart; there is something about that beautifully simple hardware that I just love. I’ve never paid too much attention to 90s Coach bags that didn’t come with the turnlock … until one day, randomly, I spotted a bag that changed that. What I mean by “randomly” is this: I had just started watching the first season of Jonathan Creek, an old British murder mystery show, after seeing it recommended on Reddit. The first season originally aired in the late 90s, so it’s a smorgasbord of retro fashion, most of it not especially memorable. But there was one thing that Maddie, the female protagonist, wore (repeatedly) that immediately caught my eye. It was a large, black Coach duffle bag. Super low key, no logos, no turnlock; I’m not even sure if it had the usual Coach hang-tag. But if you know, you know. And the more I kept seeing that bag pop up in various episodes, the more I fell in love with it.

So, I decided to add it to my wish list.

By now, it won’t surprise you to hear that these duffle bags are very popular now; and, because of the size, more expensive than some of the other 90s styles. I was resigned to be looking and waiting for a long time.

Spoiler alert:

In the end, it only took a few months. I couldn’t believe my eyes when this beauty popped up on Poshmark for only $250. I know, but believe me: “only” is an appropriate qualifier. Much, much smaller bags are currently listed for that much. I figured, from a quantity-of-leather perspective alone, this was a good deal. I debated with myself, and even made a short-lived offer of $225, but then quickly decided this was not the time to try to save $25. So, I paid the full list price … and I have ZERO regrets. Guys, this is such a stunning and classic design — and it looks even better in real life. I also think this colour will be very versatile for my closet, even more so than black. I’m so, so pumped to start wearing it.

And, who knows, maybe it will inspire me to solve a murder or two. Or, at least, to write about it 😉

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Gap vest, vintage skirt, Pedro Mirailles shoes (all thrifted), Rafael Alfandary necklace (eBay)

Thoughts: My bestie was visiting recently from Montreal and we went thrifting (natch!) and she found this amazing vintage patchwork Gap vest for me. I adore it! Bestie knows me so well. I paired it here with a paisley LRL shirt I also found recently, and then decided to do something different from the usual, and add a short skirt. In the past, I’ve stuck to wearing vests with either pants or long skirts, and changing up the proportions/silhouette switches up the vibe. I liked it!

Details: Ralph Lauren turtleneck, Jones NY cardigan, Pendleton coat, H&M jeans, Cotton Ginny belt, Coach bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Wore this to go thrifting with my bestie and had the most wonderful time. Let’s pretend you can’t see that bag, because I have a story about it and I think it deserves its own post. The rest of the outfit was built around the coat, of course. I picked colours that would go with those in its pattern, without pulling too much focus. I also wanted pieces that could add variety of texture, hence that chunky cardigan. I love that it’s a “neither here nor there” kind of colour, but somehow a super versatile neutral. Fringe jeans came in clutch again. The vibes were vibin’!

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Ralph Lauren vest, Club Monaco shirt, Gap jeans, Pedro Mirailles shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Another layered outfit inspired by Papa Ralph. I got these almost-vintage (2007) Gap jeans almost entirely for the colour — obsessed with this weathered brown wash — but they also happen to fit great. A bit on the lower waist side of things, but not egregiously so. I think they’re going to be a versatile option this summer. I love that I can pair them with denim shirts without going full Canadian tuxedo.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Chaps vest, Danier skirt, Ralph Lauren belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Long over long is not an outfit formula I use very often, but I like this belted silhouette. I was inspired to pair the vest and skirt because the colours, together, spoke to me. It’s my fave shade of blue, which happens to look amazing with dark red and brown — plus white/cream as the neutral. I still can’t get over the fact that I found this vintage suede maxi skirt, in impeccable condition, for something like $25 at the thrifts. Even there, it would now probably cost $50, and you’d have to add a zero to that for retail. It’s a forever piece, and I feel so lucky to have it.

Details: Toni T dickie, Uniqlo sweater, Smythe jacket, Twik pants, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Don’t hate me, but when I was thrifting with my bestie, I found not one but two brand-new Smythe blazers at one store. This is one of them; the other is a similar windowpane pattern, but in red. And each of them cost less than $15. Total “start the car” moment. Did I mention how lucky I feel? Anyway, this outfit came together in two parts. First, the sweater and pants — for obvious reasons. This shade of brown might just be the perfect match for my fave blue. The length of the sweater also works well with the rise of the pants. Second, I decided to add the jacket. Why? It has leather elbow patches that are the exact same brown as the pants. It had to be a sign. Also, I thought it would be interesting to add black as a contrast neutral and see how that might change the visual impact of the outfit. I thought it ended up looking quite sharp.

Details: Ricki’s turtleneck, Everlane sweater, Jones NY jacket, Hudson North skirt, Coach bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I’ve worn this jacket with a white/black/blue combo, as well as a white/black/yellow combo. Naturally, it was then time to wear it with blue and yellow together. And that’s how this outfit happened. It was cute. This is def a summer skirt, but I just can’t wait anymore, friends. I need all the joy I can get in my life … and a fun, swishy, summer skirt is one small hit.

I’m saying ‘spring’ because it’s technically the case, but the weather here hasn’t yet made up its mind. Perhaps that explains, in part, why I’ve been rather disinterested in thinking about my spring closet edit. [The bigger reason is the fact that I’ve been obsessed with one thing, and one thing only, lately and that’s my book. Update coming soon.] I usually love the seasonal transitions each year (summer/fall and winter/spring) because it’s a chance to do a thorough review, clean-up, and switch-over of my closet and to be reunited with clothes that have been in storage for 4-6 months. It can feel like getting a brand-new wardrobe! But … it’s still too early for that now *sad face* Instead, I did a mini closet edit so I could free up some hanger space, because things were getting veeeeeery squeezy in there. The long and short of it is: I don’t need any new clothes.

Yeah, I know: duh! You’re not surprised, I’m not surprised. When you’ve been thrifting for 15 years, this was bound to happen. Over time, your closet gets to be full of incredible clothes that you adore and don’t want to part with. And because clothes are meant to be worn, rather than just stored, to buy new clothes means having to part with old ones. And that means that I’m now at a point where I can buy very, very little. Each purchase has to be an extremely delicate, strategic move — like, closet brain surgery or something. It sounds stressful, but I’m hoping it won’t be. In fact, I’m hoping it will be a fairly easy (and positive) shift. One, I’ve been training for this for a long time; if I were still a novice thrifter, the thrill of the hunt would make it much harder to be as picky and strategic as I need to be. [Been there, done that, learned the lessons.] Two, the thrift scene is getting more and more wobbly; quality finds are getting rarer, prices are all over the place and trending up. Two and a half, I have an unwritten goal this year of not purchasing any retail items (apart from undergarments, if required) and this mindset should help. Three, my creative focus has shifted almost entirely to writing, and will likely remain there for the rest of the year, so I will have less time and energy to think about or shop for clothes.

So why am I still writing a post about my spring wishlist? Manifestation, baby. There are a few things that I’ve been wanting for a while — and continue to want — and I’m hoping that by writing them down, AGAIN, I will persuade the thrift gods to finally bless me. Don’t scoff; it wouldn’t be the first time it happened. I mean, ok, fine, scoff; the law of attraction is bunk … BUT … being persistent in looking for things at the thrifts does eventually pay off and writing them down helps me remember to keep looking. Speaking of which …

Dr. Martens 14-eye mid-calf boots

This is a very sad story indeed, friends. I thought I’d bought a pair on Poshmark, except it turned out the seller was a jerk who thought it would be hilarious to string me along for two weeks, pretend to ship the boots but not actually do it, make up some half-assed story about the post office losing the parcel, then shrug and say “understandable” when I told them I was cancelling the purchase. Like, sir/madam: sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, I hope you step on a Lego every morning for a week.

Anyway, back to square one. I have a pair of lace-up boots that go just above the ankle, and I wear them constantly and adore them. I think having a slightly taller pair would be amazing, especially with my shorter skirts and dresses. I’m not hopeful of being able to find something like this at the thrifts, but I’m also a bit iffy on Poshmark now. Bit of a dilemma, but I’m trusting that something will turn up soon.

Brown cowboy boots

Yep, still looking for these. It’s been more than a year, I think. Last summer, I kept finding black and grey cowboy boots. Since then, I haven’t found many at all — nothing in good condition, my size, and/or the colour I want. Hopefully, more will hit the stores now that it’s spring, and even more going into summer which is Stampede season, so I can finally find my perfect pair. I’m willing to wait for it, all the more so since I did recently find a pair of 90s square-toed boots in a light brown/tan, and while they don’t have quite the same vibe, they’ll give me a sense of whether that’s indeed the best colour to look for when it comes to the cowboy boots as well.

Vintage tan jeans

I’m not sure if this is a very accurate/helpful description, this being a case of “I’ll know it when I find it”. Basically, I want a pair of heavy-duty tan chinos in a relaxed fit. When I say “tan”, I mean something between oatmeal (too light) and the colour of classic Burberry trenches (too yellow). When I say “heavy-duty chinos”, I mean a heavier cotton fabric, maybe but not necessarily denim. I’m pretty sure that Calvin Klein made pants that fit these parameters back in the 90s, so that’s what I’m looking for — though I am open to other brands, of course. I think a pair like this would be a good summer option, alongside my beloved vintage white Liz Clairborne pants (and my regular jeans, of course); they’d suit all of my various Ralph Lauren moods, and coordinate nicely with my wardrobe colours.

Ralph Lauren capsule

Speaking of which, I am back on the train of looking for special RL pieces to add to my collection. We are talking about stuff from the 80s and 90s that encapsulates the ethos of the brand: knitwear, patchwork, southwest-inspired pieces, tweeds, etc. Rare and hard to find at the thrifts, but not impossible — witness the dog sweater I recently found at Value Village for $8. I am also willing to allocate a bigger budget to this category, especially if I am buying fewer clothes overall. Remember those RL skirts I bought on eBay back in 2023? They were pricey (for me), but I have never once regretted the money I spent on them, because they are truly special pieces that bring me a great deal of joy whenever I wear them, and I know I will have them forever. So, my plan is to keep an eye out on eBay and Poshmark (and my local stores) for similarly special items and be prepared to splurge a little bit when a good deal pops up.

What’s on your spring wishlist / shopping strategy?