Here I am, fully invested in a show centered around a love triangle where the leading lady must choose between—of course—two brothers. At 41, I’ve asked myself more than once why The Summer I Turned Pretty has me (and so many others my age) hooked. One theory floating around TikTok is that Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) feels like a reincarnation of young Leonardo DiCaprio. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one who plastered Romeo + Juliet posters on my bedroom wall in the ‘90s.
While other shows serve us fashion so outrageously unattainable it borders on satire, Belly Conklin (played by the brilliant Lola Tung) does something far more realistic: she carries one bag. All season long. And it’s perfect. A bag that feels age-appropriate for someone about to be a college senior. A brand that many of us likely started our own handbag journeys with at that stage of life. A bag that, in its soft white hue, subtly foreshadows Belly’s engagement.
And yes—the bag is Coach.
Meet the Star: The White Coach Tabby 26
Specifically, Belly is seen carrying the Coach Tabby 26 in white, making repeat appearances throughout the final season. First, it felt like a little Easter egg (a proposal on the horizon, perhaps?). Then, it followed her right up to the most recent episode, where she paired her Tabby with her rehearsal dinner dress. (Don’t worry, no real spoilers here.)
A Perfect Match for Belly and for Us
From a placement standpoint, this is genius—for both the show and the brand. The Tabby speaks to Belly’s age group while also tugging on the nostalgia strings of those of us who grew up with Coach as our first “real” designer bag. It’s a smart bridge between generations: youthful enough for Belly, timeless enough for us.
When Fiction and Reality Overlap
Even more fitting, Belly’s fictional bag life mirrors Lola Tung’s real one. Off-screen, Tung has partnered with Coach as a founding member of the Coachtopia community and has starred in campaigns showcasing the brand’s sustainable direction. She’s been spotted with multiple Coach styles in real life, cementing her role as a fresh, Gen Z face of the brand.
Coach’s Main Character Summer
Coach, for its part, has been on a meteoric comeback—its Tabby in particular becoming a cult favorite. And with Lola Tung helping to introduce the brand to a younger fanbase, while the rest of us happily revisit our own Coach beginnings, it’s safe to say that both Belly Conklin and Coach are having their ultimate “main character summer.”
