Review of the Coach Legacy Metallic Duffle!

This review will be short ....this bag rocks! I didn’t realize how I was unnecessarily suffering with a not-quite-big-enough handbag until I started wearing this one, officially known as the Large Legacy Metallic Leather Duffle. 

I’m a multi-method commuter, using a mixture of car pooling, public transportation and walking during my work week. I carpool halfway to work with my husband and then walk or bus the rest of the way. 

As such, everything I need for the day has to be hauled in my bag - but it also has to be easily transportable. The Legacy has more than enough room for a lunch, phone, wallet, make up bag and extra clothing. There is even room left over for shopping errands I may need during the day. 

On those days I have the time to walk, I really need a bag that is comfortable on my back and shoulders. The larger-sized Legacy does not disappoint! The thick, adjustable shoulder strap keeps the roomy bag from slowing me down (even with my achey third trimester body)! 

I love that the bag is not black (yawn) and yet looks absolutely amazing with everything.  The shinny, metallic leather adds a flair to any outfit and has held up beautifully to anything I’ve exposed it to (including the rough Canadian elements). 

The zippers are super high quality, always gliding easily and never sticking. The front pocket is roomy enough to keep all my instant must-grabs (i.e. phone, keys, shopping list) close at hand.  

Finally, the bag looks gorgeous whether stuffed to the brim or two-thirds empty. It doesn’t matter where my day takes me, the Legacy is ready to go! 

Michael Kors Outlet Shopping: How to Tell the Difference Between Boutique Items and Made-For-Factory Merchandise

While I still have a lot to learn about Michael Kors, I have picked up key insights to empower an MK outlet treasure hunt. Here are four simple, practical tips to distinguish products designed for a boutique from the products that were designed to be sold in an outlet. (More on boutique vs. factory)

TIP 1: The interior logos on boutique handbags repeat the MK circle logo. 

The MK logo is repeated throughout the interior
of a boutique bag

This simple tell makes outlet shopping so easy - and it will also empower you when purchasing merchandise second-hand or online.  

The interior lining of handbags made for the boutiques repeat the classic “MK” logo. By this I mean just the letters “MK” in a small circle. Here’s an example from my own handbag purchased full-price at a mall boutique (right). 

"Michael Kors" spelled out on two lines signifies
a made-for-outlet bag 

In contrast, made for factory bags (MFF) repeat a different logo in their interior that spells out “Michael KORS” in full, as in the bag on the left.  

This logo is on two lines (“Michael” in smaller letters on the top line and “KORS” in larger letters on the bottom). Here is an example of the outlet bag logo. 

Surprise Sadness - Only 3.5 Months of Pregnancy Left

An interesting side effect of becoming a parent is how it fundamentally changes your personality. Before Lexia was born, I always saw myself as a “two-kids-at-the-very-most”, kind of a woman.

I didn’t want to be the kind of woman who was mostly a “mom” with a career and personal identity that came secondary. I didn’t want to live in a messy house, overtaken by toddler chaos, finding myself running out the door with no makeup and dirty sweatpants. I didn’t want to sacrifice financial comfort and career accomplishments to raise a family.

Then, at the age of 34, I had Lexia ….and the world became a very different place.

Everyday Inspiration - The Influence of Parenting

I just discovered this quote today and it is deeply significant to me. It rings true to my life experience as a child and inspires me as a parent. 

“Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. 

The moments that used to define them are covered by  moments of their own accomplishments.

It is not until much later, that children understand;
their stories and all their accomplishments, 

sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers,                stones upon stones, beneath the water of their lives.” 

― Paulo Coelho

5 Months Pregnant!

I’m now 23 weeks! Feeling very blessed and very pregnant! 

I started to write a 5-month update last week which was all about how terrible I felt. Being so cranky and tired, however, I never managed to finish it and now that I’m back in the blogging mood, I’m feeling quite a bit better! 

It was an adjustment to suddenly be thrust into ‘full-fledged’ pregnancy mode. I swear I woke up on Halloween a full trimester further along than I was the night before. My belly really popped. My abdomen became heavy. I now waddle at the end of the day.  By 3 p.m. my mojo runs out at work. My upper back aches a lot, mostly from sitting at a desk all day.

Now that I’ve had a couple of weeks to adjust to the ‘new normal’ of being a fully pregnant gal, I generally feel pretty great. Keeping energy up is challenging - as is finding time to exercise - but things are so good compared to how they could be. My physical challenges are small compared to what many women face. All signs are pointing to a healthy baby. I am very lucky. 

I can feel this baby moving so much more than I did with my first!  I have an anterior placenta this time too, which means the placenta is at the front, creating a barrier between me and baby. This means that I won’t feel as strong movement or kicks as my posterior-placenta carrying sisters.  I was disappointed when I found out I had an anterior placenta again. I wanted the experience of feeling lots of movement. This little baby isn’t discouraged by the padding between us - I feel him/her squirming around all the time! I love it! Every time baby moves I am reminded of the little miracle inside me and consoled that s/he is doing well. 

5 Month Overview 

Weeks Pregnant:  23

Belly Status:   Anyone who has met me before can tell I’m pregnant although they tend to assume I’m significantly less further along than I am. Strangers still don’t seem to know, which is disappointing because the only alternative is that I’m quite chunky around the middle! 

Main Complaint: Sore upper back at work. Very tired with few opportunities to rest. 

Main Fear:  It will always be the health and wellness of my unborn child, but in terms of specific fears on my mind at the moment, I have to say that I fear never getting a good night's sleep again! Lexia, now 21 months old, was awake and fussy from 3-5 a.m. this morning. How am I going to manage that with a newborn?!  

Main Joy: Feeling baby move! Baby was a busy one last night. I don’t think s/he was too happy that older sister Lexia was crying in the middle of the night!  

Currently Excited About: I’m so excited and joyous to think that our second child will be joining our family in just four months. I know I’ve done this before, but it still seems so magical and incredible! It’s almost hard to believe. 

Coach Boutique or Factory? Three Easy Ways to Tell

Since losing my Coach virginity last week, I’ve gone on to learn a lot about the brand. From it’s modest origins, to it’s recent drop in the stock market; from fears the brand is losing it’s edge as a result of stiff competition, diversification and outlets, to claims its return to classic looks is reviving their image - I’ve read it all. 

By far the most interesting thing I’ve learned this weekend, however, will empower any Coach outlet (or internet) shopper looking to score a deal.   Most bags in the outlets (as many as 80%) were designed for outlets - also known as Made For Factory (MFF). 

MFF bags were never intended for the boutiques and therefore are not necessarily up to the same standards that boutique bags are held to. Furthermore, because outlets always have sales off the sticker price, the suggested retail price is a scam - Coach never assumed the bag would sell at that price. 

Now I have no objections whatsoever to mass market sister-lines for designer brands.  It’s wonderful to have stores like Armani Exchange and fashion partnerships between high end designers and accessible stores like H&M. It’s kind of fun to pick up something  inexpensively that represents the mood and ‘flavour’ of your favourite brands and designers.  

Having said that, I resent designer lines opening outlet stores under their official brand identity but selling merchandise they would never put in their real stores. The assumption is that the outlet sells products that are out of season, over produced or left over inventory from around the country. It’s insulting to customers to develop entire product lines of a lesser quality to fool them.  

I am fighting back against that dishonesty by sharing three simple ways to ensure you’re making an informed purchase at Coach outlets. 

1) The logo on Coach boutique bags’ price tags are different than factory bags. The boutique bags feature the full horse and carriage logo, while factory bags just have the Coach symbol and “established 1941” print.  

Boutique tag on the left with horse and carriage.  Factory tag on the right.

2) Coach boutique items have serial number that begins with a number.  Made for factory bags have a serial number that begins with an “F”.  This is clearly visible on the price tag as well as on the logo inside the bag. 

Boutique item serial numbers don't start with an "F" (left).
Made for factory items  do (right). 

3) Coach boutique items come with a dust bag inside - factory bags don’t.  Even when a boutique bag is sold in an outlet, you will still find a dust bag inside. 

Happy deal finding! 

The Coach Park Leather Mini Duffle Crossbody - My Review

For my very first Coach bag, I went for the Park Mini Duffle Crossbody in eye-catching magneta. I love that the “Coach” reference is subtle and secondary to the purse’s inherent merits.  I find the repeated-C signature Coach pattern to be tacky. A bag should be capable of making an impression based on it’s design - it shouldn’t have to scream “look at me, I’m brand name!”

I love that this bag is just solid leather with the tiniest “Coach” stamp in silver on one side.  The bag’s stunning colour alone ensures it pops against any outfit. Given that magneta is so vibrant, the merlot lining and embellishments tone it down to keep it sophisticated. 

I always gravitate to crossbody bags because they are so darn practical. As much as I might like the look of a dainty satchel or clutch, it’s simply not worth the sacrifice of giving up one of my hands. 

This little bag is great because, on the rare occasion when a hand-held purse is required, I can remove the crossbody strap for a more elegant look.  With a four inch drop, the top strap is just long enough to slip over your shoulder and tuck the purse under your arm, but only if the bag is sparsely populated, otherwise it will bulge uncomfortably under your arm. 

I also love the hardware on the crossbody strap. It’s a swivel hook lobster clasp that makes unclipping and re-clipping a cinch - perfect for mom’s like me who may need to attach it to a stroller handle.  

Great hardware for easy crossbody
conversion

The bag is very small. I had initially purchased it as an everyday work bag, but it will only work on days that I’m packing the bare essentials (wallet, work ID, lightly-packed makeup bag, work blackberry and personal phone). If I intend to carry any extras, like lunch or a layer of clothing, I need to switch it up for another bag. 

For many, it will be the perfect little companion for running errands because it’s so light and unobtrusive. For those of us with kids, however, it will probably work best as a compartment for mommy’s personal items as a companion to a larger duffle/baby bag. 

The bag’s “retail price” was $228, but after the tagged discount and 50% off everything in the store promotion, I paid about $93.  

What I didn’t know when I bought this bag is that it was Made For Factory (MFF), meaning that it was never sold in the full-price Coach boutiques.  Knowing what I know now, would I still have bought the bag? Honestly, probably not, simply because I feel the disingenuous marketing of MFF products is disrespectful to customers. On the other hand, I’m partly grateful I didn’t know about MFF products when I made the purchase because the bag is a lovely addition to my wardrobe and will be a fun statement piece for many of my outfits. 

It is after all, my very first Coach bag. I’m bound to be fond of it!

Lexia thinks it works well with her pink pyjamas