<p>Also second the recommendation you consider an outlet, although the one near me said this summer they don’t expect to carry the ‘Classics’ line. </p>
<p>(as a gift for my niece) until I read that the color transfers to things that are in the bag and to clothing that the bag rubs against (like the coat you are wearing when carrying the bag).</p>
<p>So, can anyone recommend a bag that is like this except better?</p>
<p>I would suggest Coach or Dooney & Bourke for great quality, but their prices are through the roof. My Fossil leather bag has held up well through one fall and winter. Here’s one:</p>
<p>I linked you to Coach the cross body selections. I generally consider the type of bag that you showed to be more of a shoulder bag , rather than a satchel, which I think of as having top handles (one or two, and may also have an additional shoulder strap. The bag you showed was 74 british pounds, which I really don’t know the current value of, but some of the Coach are in the 200-300 range. My secret for much cheaper prices on Coach are these- Coach outlets (often great bargains). I don’t know where you live, but I know of some in NY, NJ, Maine, and I know there are others. Macy’s sometimes has reduced price Coach bags that are not the most current style - since they come out with so many new bags and colors all the time, you can find nice ones. Also the major retailers that carry Coach like Macy’s and Bloomingdales allow you to use a friends and family discount when they have their sale even on these products.</p>
<p>Dooney and Bourke: [Dooney</a> & Bourke: Amato Leather](<a href=“http://www.dooney.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=51163]Dooney”>http://www.dooney.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=51163) also has nice stuff. They also have on line sales, but I don’t think that they are having a good one just now. You can sign up at the website, and get the sale info emailed to you. They have a great outlet in NY at the Woodbury Commons outlet mall (for me - shopping nirvana), but I am not sure where others might be. I probably have the list somewhere. </p>
<p>After these two brands, which i find to be extremely durable and long wearing, I might check michael kors as well. There are outlets for these bags too . I think they may go on sale at Macy’s as well. Macy’s has the dooney bags reduced from time to time as well.</p>
<p>YUP, Coach!..Last week D bought her boyfriend a Coach for men at an outlet. The Coach for Men has much better satchels(at great prices) that are suitable for women as well.</p>
<p>The bag OP had originally selected costs about $120, so I assumed Coach, Dooney & Bourke and Cole Haan, which are in a much higher price range, were not in the running, especially since not everyone lives near one of the outlets that sell these brands, and not every style is available at an outlet. I know my gift budgets are not that flexible!</p>
<p>PS, I reported the above advertisement (post 7) to the mods. So annoying, though the mangled English can be entertaining.</p>
<p>I got my kids the above bags. One of them prefers the lighter weight canvas to leather. He carries LOTS of books. If you look around on the site, you can find messenger bags in different styles and colors. They aren’t inexpensive, but I have found with Bean you can buy any kind of luggage item/back pack, etc once and they replace it forever if anything goes wrong. These bags have been used very heavily for around six years and are still in decent shape. Haven’t heard or seen any comments on color/dye transfer.</p>
<p>Ek, I absolutely second your recommendation of Michael Green. In the early 90s I bought a MG bag (at Nordstrom) that served me really well for almost a decade.</p>
<p>Coach sends me 25% off coupons several times a year. If you are considering purchasing a Coach bag, you may want to inquire at the store about receiving these coupons.</p>
<p>Coach is a great brand, but tends to be pretty expensive. If you’re a shopper, I suggest you go check out Lord and Taylor. They sell Ralph Lauren, Hobo, D&b, and some other brands. Regarding Coach, Macy’s just recently had a 25% off almost all their bags, but I don’t think that happens very often. Lord and Taylor also has them on sale occasionally.</p>
<p>Or sign up for the online Coach sales. They often have 30% off sale prices. They send you coupons for in-store purchases, too. But I think they’re for the outlet store.</p>
<p>I have a really nice leather Brighton bag…large enough to hold my iPad and netbook and all of my pulses items. I love it. But Brighton bags are not a “bargain”. I also have several Vera Bradley bags that work well. They used to make a solid black…do they still? Not leather but much less expensive.</p>
<p>I recommend Coach, ESPECIALLY if you can find an outlet. I’ve snagged totes and other larger leather bags there for under $150. Michael Kors is also a good option too.</p>
<p>If you’re near one (or within a decent drive), go visit a Nordstrom’s Rack, they have some really good deals on designer label bags (and clothing, and shoes, and luggage, and and and). You’ll likely walk out with a bag of your own too!</p>