As far as handbags go, “Chanel alternatives” probably deserve their own category on most large retailers. The French brand’s iconic quilted leather and chain handles have graced designs in one form or another from almost every brand that I can think of, and contemporary brands in particular enjoy taking liberties with the traditional style.
The Tory Burch Classic Washed Leather Mini Bag is one of the best variations that I’ve seen lately. The combination of dark hardware and a minibag shape give this purse a modern edge, which is perfect for Burch’s very fair price point.
In my mind, dark hardware might be one of the most underutilized tricks that designers have. Using it gives any design an immediate shot of modern cool, not to mention that it automatically makes a bag more neutral and useable with jewelry of any type of metal. I’d love to see Chanel itself experiment with this type of hardware, but for now, I’m perfectly happy with Tory Burch’s version. It doesn’t get much edgier than a chain handle that looks like an actual chain. Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $265.
It’s okay. I do like the tone on tone hardware.
However, the strap kind of reminds me of a dog collar and chain. Maybe it’s the color?
Wish the strap was shorter. (ipad)
This is sad! Tory Burch is a talented enough designer to come up with something more convincing. The D-rings on the shoulder strap are too large for this width of the chain-link. Proportion-wise, it looks totally off, as if the leather strap does not belong to the bag and was added just for the heck of it. Not good at all!
I love the dark hardware! This Tory Burch bag is really chic!
I like the leather strap for the sake of comfort instead of an all-chain-link strap, but the proportions look slightly odd. (ipad)
The idea is good, the feeling, and the materials too.
It needs work, either a bit more elegant or more of the rough.
But I do wish that designers would come up with something less Chanel influenced to sell, the diamond quilting, the chain is not unique anymore.
Looking at the photos, I think that each of the chain can be doubled up to shorten the entire drop to a sweeter length for over the shoulder. Run the chain through the D-ring on the bag up to the leather D-ring bit and hook there.
The dark hardware is very nice. The shoulder strap is just wrong. Tory Burch just knocked off a great Chloe bag with a much better result.
The real question is why Tory Burch needs to knock off expensive designers at all.
really like the dark hardware. (ipad)
Oooh, this actually looks really pretty! (ipad)
I don’t like it, not one bit! (ipad)