This Leather Wavy Dinky Bag from Coachtopia Made Me Change the Way I Think About Hand-Me-Downs

Launched in April 2023, Coachtopia has taken the fashion industry by storm, becoming a clean breath of fresh air amongst the woes and waste of fast fashion and designer labels. You can think of Coachtopia as a sub-brand of the major marque, Coach, we all know and love with one mission: create a circular future for fashion with sustainable practices and endeavors. Basically, all the “waste” created from our favorite Coach designs now become the raw materials used to develop and craft these fun, funky and innovative styles for Coachtopia.

Unlike its parent brand, which sees price tags on bags from $87 to $2,800, costs for the upcycled styles range anywhere from $125 to $550. Even better? They have clothes, accessories and wallets, too, and they’re all made with the same craftsmanship, premium leather and spectacular quality Coach customers know and love.

TLDR? If you buy a Wavy Dinky purse from Coachtopia, that new shiny leather stunner of yours equates to less landfills (approximately 398gs of waste diverted) and more carbon reductions (approximately 71 percent), per the company’s findings.  As they say, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure.

In all honestly, before I received my purse in the mail, I was hesitant about the quality. Like I said, I grew up on my sisters’ hand-me-downs so I’ve spent much of my adult life seeking after new and shiny pieces that have been untouched and that I can call mine. Much to my surprise, I quickly found out that investing in sustainable accessories wasn’t too shabby at all. The best part? I didn’t have to skimp on quality either (but more on that in a second).

First things first, I’m a single gal who adores a Carrie Bradshaw-inspired baguette bag that’s compact, stylish and functional. Luckily, the Wavy Dinky bag comes in three sizes (mini, small and medium), and the small seemed right up my alley for both an everyday and going out purse. I’m happy to report that this little number fit so much more than I was expecting: I’ve stuffed my wallet, car keys, pen, Oura ring, sunglasses, Clearstem lipbalm, Refy lip liner, Scentbird travel perfume, Merit beauty lipstick, eye drops, Arrae Calm supplements, My Girl Wellness digestive enzymes, hair ties, Aēsop hand balm and my giant iPhone 15 Pro Max into the bag. Yes, the interior was filled to the brim, but the small accessory proved roomier than I expected.

And I didn’t just fall in love with the storage; I also fell head over heels for the quality. Remember when I said I was nervous about the recycled leather being subpar? Well, I was wrong, and it’s not easy for me to admit that. The pebbled leather feels expensive, thanks to its buttery soft texture and impressively durable make. I recently took it with me on a trip to Coachella Valley in California where it was tossed about in the two-hour car drive and whisked away to various location and resting points. The leather has held up like a champ with no signs of wear or tear after weeks of use, and that leather interior is straight out of a suede dream. While I—an organized-obsessed Virgo—was bummed to find that there was no interior pocket to keep my small goodies orderly, the full-width back slip pocket made up for what was lacking.

There’s plenty of funky patterns, gorgeous finishes and bright colorways to choose from, like a cherry print, lilac berry and deep turquoise, but the neutral-obsessed lover in me gravitated towards the black leather for its universal use and timeless look. I love that there are endless ways to wear the accessory (which I have yet to try out) and I appreciate that the marbled resin strap adds a unique touch to my outfit. Most importantly? I received compliments from my sisters on it, both of whom are awaiting their turn to “borrow” it from me.