Here’s Why the Coach Tabby Bag Is the Most Timeless Luxury Purse to Invest in Now

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Some purses earn their ‘It’ bag status by catering to the current trend cycle. Others are timeless silhouettes that withstand fleeting waves of fashion preferences. The Coach Tabby Bag deftly does both with its classic handbag silhouette that the brand is constantly reimagining in new shapes, colorways, and prints that allow you to showcase your personal style.

A stark contrast to logo-centric, in-your-face luxury that’s dominated the trend cycle in past years, fashion insiders are no longer just taking note of the Coach Tabby Bag — they’ve made the silhouette 2024’s most ubiquitous accessory. That’s because the Tabby Bag, in all of its iterations, has a classic shape that creates a canvas for textural materials, gleaming hardware, and the year’s most on-trend prints and colorways.

Put simply, the Tabby Bag landed at the right place at the right time to become one of the most coveted bags of the year. Case in point: The Tabby Bag earned a spot on a recent Lyst Index Hottest Products ranking, catapulting Coach back onto the list of fashion’s Hottest Brands for the first time since 2022, likely due to its long list of celebrity fans (Emily Ratajkowski, Jennifer Lopez, Ice Spice, and more) and Gen Z TikTok appeal amounting to 34.2 million posts.

This year alone, Coach dropped the Tabby Bag in limited-edition shades and patterns — ranging from pastels to tie dye and ’90s grunge florals — with many selling out in a matter of hours. The Coach Denim Tabby Bags, for example, struck a chord with current Western wear and Y2K style trends, selling out twice in the blink of an eye.

With so much star power and endless colorways, texturing, and leather-dyed options to choose from, the Tabby Bag wears like a chameleon within every wardrobe it exists. Browsing the top luxury handbags on the market right now and the influencers who tote them, it would appear we’re all taking cues from our stylish grandmothers and old-school style icons to make quality investments on tried-and-true bag silhouettes that will stand the test of time. It’s all about timeless style and versatility with these everyday bags.

So, what’s new for the Coach Tabby Bag for fall 2024? We’re heading to New York City. Coach’s fall 2024 runway introduced a brand new iteration, the Times Square Tabby. This new silhouette renders the Tabby into a chic square shape available in three sizes, all of which welcome personalization by way of bag charms or double bagging as seen on Coach’s fall 2024 runway. During its spring 2025 show, models walked Coach’s runway carrying Tabby bags covered in graffiti-style prints and colorful patches, proving that this modern classic will continue to morph to cater current tastes.

Without further ado, these are the top Tabbys our editors and fashion insiders are adding to their e-carts rights now.

The Best Coach Tabby Bags of 2024

The Different Types of Coach Tabby Bags

 The Coach Tabby collection is ever-growing with new and inspiring silhouettes. Consider the Soft Tabby Shoulder Bag that brings a relaxed, downtown vibe for daytime, or the Pillow Tabby Shoulder Bag that brings plush, modern texturing to the 1970s archival silhouette. For those interested in taking the double bag trend for a test drive, the Coach Times Square Tabby Bag’s small, square shape lays beautifully over canvas totes and leather carry-alls.

There’s even more sizes of the Tabby up for grabs: You can now choose between the Coach Tabby Bag 12 that wears like a mini bag size for nights out, the 20 or 26 shoulder bags for day to day, or the new Tabby Shoulder Bag 33 With Quilting that’s made to handle a hefty haul. Each unique design features elegant and edgy chain straps that make it easy to wear as a shoulder or crossbody bag in a variety of colorways, from vibrant hues to muted pastels and classic black or ivory options for formal occasions and casual outings alike.

Coach Tabby Bag Review — Editor Testing Notes

I recently took the Coach Tabby 26 Shoulder Bag With Quilting for a two-day test drive in New York City, toting the black colorway with gold hardware to the office, out for happy hour drinks, and on various errands. When I first laid hands on this shoulder bag, the quality of the leather is what struck me — the supple, soft-as-butter feel of the bag makes it feel like it should go for triple the cost. The quilting on the Tabby I tested enhances the look of the leather, contrasting the brushed gold hardware on the bag.

Judging the bag on its looks and materials alone, I have no notes: This is a classic handbag that has quality feel of a piece you’d never dream of re-selling or trading in after a few years of use.

The Tabby’s chain straps are both practical and pretty: I found that the leather detailing in the strap helped the bag stay put on my shoulder (similar bags I own with hardware straps tend to slip when I’m wearing them on silky tops). The sliding chain design allows you to wear the bag as a crossbody bag or a shoulder bag; I preferred the latter, as this allowed the bag to fall at a flattering point near my hips. However the versatility to wear it crossbody bodes well for travel, where you want to keep your valuables close to your body.

On that topic, the Tabby offers impressive capacity and organization. I was able to fit my iPhone Pro Max, a full sized tube of hand cream, four lipsticks, headphones, and a bifold wallet inside with room to spare for small soft goods. The Tabby I tested features one interior pocket with a zip closure plus another with a magnetic closure, which provides peace of mind for high-value essentials like spare jewelry or a passport.

Stylistically speaking, the black Tabby Bag complimented my wardrobe of mostly neutral basics. I wore it with straight-leg jeans and a white button down for brunch, then teamed it with a silky slip dress for a more formal cocktail event in the city. This is the type of handbag that fills any hole in your purse lineup: It functions as an alternative to an evening clutch, a dressier take on a casual bag, and depending on the print, an outfit-finishing statement piece.

History of Coach Tabby Bags

The iconic Tabby Shoulder Bag is inspired by a 1970s design originally conceived by famed designer Bonnie Cashin. Considered a wunderkind upon her introduction to American fashion during high school, Cashin was a major pioneer of American sportswear. She grew up around fashion and textiles as the daughter of a dressmaker, and began her career as a costume designer before working with sportswear designer Louis Adler.

In addition to owning her own business, Bonnie Cashin Designs, Cashin designed flight attendants’ uniforms for American Airlines and sold pieces at the Hermès Paris store before becoming the first designer at Coach Leatherware in 1962. During her tenure, Cashin introduced house signatures and heritage bag silhouettes, including the brass turnlock fasteners and toggles many Coach bags still carry today. According to The Met Museum, “Her Cashin Carry bags incorporated exterior coin purses, and could be layered similarly to her clothing.”

Re-worked in 2019 by Coach Creative Director Stuart Vevers, the initial Coach bag design to inspire the Tabby was multi-functional, as it was able to be worn as a shoulder or crossbody bag. Vevers’ Tabby Bag immediately rose to mainstream popularity after it hit the runway, and was seen on the arms of celebrities from Jennifer Lopez, Megan the Stallion, and Selena Gomez. The fall 2019 campaign that featured the Tabby bag, photographed by Juergen Teller in New York City, entitled “Dream It Real,” starred Michael B. Jordan and Kiko Mizuhara, along with Yara Shahidi.

In 2021, the Pillow Tabby was introduced and enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity, especially on TikTok, where it garnered 21.4 million video views for its plush and modern exterior. Coach rose to the top of the Lyst Index by 2023, reaffirming its dominance for “more accessibly priced handbags over the gifting season, which have increased in popularity among Gen Z shoppers.” There’s psychology behind the Pillow style’s popularity, too, with experts connecting our attraction towards the pillowy feel to the comfort found in soft materials that takes us back to our childhood love of plush toys.

Since its re-introduction, the Coach Tabby bag line continues to grow, expanding from shoulder bags to satchels, crossbody bags, and small leather goods alike. The wide variety of styles make the Tabby easy for anyone to incorporate into their wardrobes, as it spans in size from the small Tabby 20 (which can fit an iPhone 13 Plus or Pro Max) to a larger Tabby 26 (with a longer leather chain strap) with additional variations, like the satchel Soft Tabby, and slouchy Restored Tabby Hobo bag.

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Meet the Author

Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She keeps her finger on the pulse of all things related to beauty and wellness, as well as the latest shopping trends and clothing brands like Coach.