When you’re combining retro and modern styles to create something new, your reference point has to be spot on. And with the mother of American sportswear and Coach accessories Bonnie Cashin at the heart of The Bonnie Collection, Coach tapped into an inspiration worth exploring.
The Olive Frame Bag seen here is a stand-out piece from the line for Spring 09. Fashion-wise it combines vintage frame bag elements with modern details like a leather-accented chain strap and zipper details you might not have seen during the style’s heyday.
Plus, the color combo is at once fresh and reminiscent. Seafoam pairs with lime here, and other colorways include coral/fuchsia and chalk/navy. These colors would have been used for frame bags in the ’50s or ’60s but maybe not in these combinations. It’s another nod to Cashin that the combinations are so bold.
The practical side of the bag is just as innovative. Remove the chain strap and fold the top over to carry this bag as a clutch. So chic. The leather is lightweight – in heft and look – and perfect for spring and summer.
As fantastic a piece of handbag history as this is, it’s certainly not going to go with every wardrobe or every lifestyle. Frame bags are notoriously impractical and despite updates like a zip-out expandable bottom, you’re not going to be able to fit everything you would in a hobo through that silver-clasped frame top. It’s form over function, I’m afraid.
More Features Of The Coach Bonnie Olive Frame Bag
- Fabric lining
- Inside zip pocket and multifunction pockets
- Measures 8.5 x 9.75 inches
