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Last Updated on July 14, 2022
Coach New York, also known simply as Coach, is recognized for its high-quality mid-luxury fashion goods, particularly in the leather category (handbags, luggage, and accessories) as well as ready-to-wear.
What is MK most recognized for? A clean aesthetic, streamlined garments, and above all clothing that allows the wearer to be the focus, instead of stealing the limelight. It is the epitome of wearable luxury: elegant and rich, but simple, clothes that show restraint and manage to be opulent at the same time.
When it comes to Coach vs Michael Kors, which is the best brand?
In order to find out we compared their women’s and men’s lines, their leather products, sunglasses, wallets, you name it! We have covered all the basics and we have picked the best luxury brand to invest in.
Curious? Read on to find out which made the cut!
Contents
Brand Recognition and Status
Coach
Clients value Coach because it achieves products that are exclusive, of great quality, and always trendy. The brand jumps on whatever fashions are in vogue and at the same time creates classic investment pieces.
Coach handbags are manufactured with high-grade leather through very strict standards. This guarantees customers a top-of-the-line product that is easily recognized on the streets and has great status value. Another winning point of the brand is that, for its quality, the price entry of its products is not as steep as one would expect.
Michael Kors
Michael Kors is recognized for having been able to maintain a very identifiable aesthetic throughout decades of well-received collections. In his own words, this is mostly due to being able to understand what women want out of their clothing and how to cater to their needs, even before they themselves know them. His magic resides in allowing his customers to make his clothes their own, either by building on a basic garment or layering it up with other items.
Kors’ pragmatic approach to clothing has served to cement the company’s reputation as a high-end brand that caters to women’s needs, not the other way around. In the fashion world, he is heralded as a paragon of affordable and wearable luxury.
Winner for this category:
It is very hard to pick a winner for this category. Both brands are super famous in their own right, but all things considered, Coach is perceived as the most famed one.
Read:
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Best For Women
Coach
Despite having a good reputation for its women’s line of clothing, I found most of Coach’s garments pretty basic. These are some of the products I liked more:
Udele Sport Slide In Signature Canvas $95
Statement Trench In Organic Cotton And Recycled Polyester $447.5
Coach X Tom Wesselmann Souvenir Jacket $695
But none of them really rocked my boat.
Michael Kors
As we said before, Michael Kors is most famous for its fashionable and luxurious clothing. Here are some of my favorite items found on its website:
Ribbed Stretch Viscose Tank Dress $195
Stretch Logo Jacquard Short-Sleeve Sweater $140
I would say the knitwear section was the weakest, while the dresses are the best.
Winner for this category:
Comparing Michael Kors vs Coach to see which is best for women, I would definitely pick Michael Kors. The clothing looks more luxurious, chic, and wearable, while also being interesting from a design perspective.
Best For Men
Coach
Coach is certainly not recognized for its menswear and with good reason. Again, I found the clothing pretty basic and lackluster.
Coach X Jean Michel Basquiat Sweatshirt $295
Essential Joggers In Organic Cotton $195
Signature Hooded Puffer Jacket $275
However, I would say that for classic designs, Coach is a good bet for conservative men.
Michael Kors
MK’s line for men has nothing to envy the women’s line. In general, I found it a bit more sporty but with a chic and preppy vibe.
Graphic Logo Stripe Cotton Blend Hoodie $103.2
My favorite section was the outerwear, lots of preppy jackets and pullovers there!
Winner for this category:
The winner of this luxury faceoff between Coach and Michael Kors is definitely Michael Kors. Despite Coach having better quality clothing, most of the clothing for men looks very classic and conservative. This is not really a bad thing though, but for their prices, I would rather get as much bang for my buck as I can.
Best for Handbags & Purses
Coach
I was surprised at the lack of poor-quality items in the bags category. I found a lot of great bags that I would love to get for myself as investment pieces! These are only some of the items that I liked the most:
Rogue 25 In Signature Textile Jacquard $595
Disney X Coach Field Tote $595
Rogue In Colorblock With Tea Rose Applique $1300
Kitt Messenger Crossbody In Rainbow Signature Canvas $175
There were also a bunch of other cheaper options but dreaming is free!
Michael Kors
In Michael Kors, bags are divided by sex, which I found a bit silly. Most of the men’s bags were brown and done in classic colors, while the women’s bags were pink, white, and printed. I found this in much need of a 21st-century makeover, with only one general bag section instead of the two genre-based ones, where all products are presented together with (at most) a filter option.
Blaire Medium Logo Stripe Satchel $398
Hudson Logo Embossed Stripe Backpack $249
Hudson Color-Block Leather Smartphone Crossbody Bag $248
Still, I liked most of the bags’ designs.
Winner for this category:
Coach, because not only the designs were lovely, the quality of the bags was superb. If anyone feels like gifting me one of those, I’ll receive it with open arms!
Best for Leather Quality
Coach
With all that we have said concerning the quality of Coach products, it should come as no surprise that Coach has great leather products:
Slim Turnlock Crossbody In Signature Canvas $125
Michael Kors
There are a ton of different products made out of leather by Michael Kors. Some of those options are:
Jet Set Large Saffiano Leather Crossbody Bag $119
Serena Leather Wedge Sandal $145
Leather Strap For Apple Watch® $95
Winner for this category:
When it comes to Michael Kors vs Coach, the winner in leather products is undoubtedly Coach. As a high-end luxury brand, it has outstanding craftsmanship. Michael Kors is not bad, but it feels like it is not as good despite having some great products.
Best for Wallets
Coach
I was surprised at how many small bags and wristlets are available on Coach’s website. Still, it felt like there wasn’t much variety.
Small Wristlet In Colorblock Signature Canvas $75
Tabby Medium Wallet In Signature Denim $195
Small Wristlet In Rainbow Signature Canvas $95
Michael Kors
I was a bit surprised at how many options of wallets are at Michael Kors. The brand really has a ton of different designs.
Floral Calf Leather Small Pocket Wallet $290
Carmen Medium Faux Leather Wallet $49
Logo Belt and Billfold Wallet Set $228
Winner for this category:
Michael Kors is the best designer in this case. Plenty of wallets in myriad colors and prints, with a wide variety of prices.
Best for Watches
Coach
I am not a watch person, however, I was really into these designs!
Apple Watch® Strap, 38 Mm And 40 Mm $87.5
My favorite was the Charles Watch, it is such a streamlined classic and elegant design!
Michael Kors
Again, I was really into some of these:
PRIDE Limited-Edition Oversized Everest Rainbow Pavé Rose-Gold Tone Watch $550
Oversized Slim Runway Black-Tone Watch $200
Pavé Two-Tone Strap For Apple Watch® $175
Charley Pavé Silver-Tone Watch $149
My favorite was the Charley Pavé Silver watch, hands down.
Winner for this category:
Such a difficult decision! Both brands had variety and quality behind their watches options. That being said I was more into the style of Coach for this section. Michael Kors felt a bit over the top for my liking.
Best for Eyeglasses
Coach
These sunglasses are really giving me preppy summer vibes!
Sculpted Signature Hexagon Sunglasses $94.5
Legacy Stripe Square Sunglasses $176
Modern Sport Navigator Sunglasses $78
Signature Round Wayfarer Sunglasses $163
Michael Kors
I loved the slightly glam retro feeling of some of these sunglasses:
Winner for this category:
Both brands have lovely sunglasses, MK had better women’s sunglasses, but Coach had more variety for men despite having less variety for women. So I would say it’s really a tie in this case.
Best for Price
Coach
Coach is a luxury brand in the $$$$ range. It carries both expensive high-fashion garments as well as a couple of inexpensive accessories. The most expensive clothing item on their website at the moment of publication is a Coach X Tom Wesselmann Shearling Jacket at $2.200 and the lowest (not taking into account moisturizer, or an iPhone case) is a $40 pair of socks.
Michael Kors
Michael Kors is a luxury fashion brand in the $$$$ range. It carries expensive high-fashion dresses as well as a few affordable everyday-use accessories. The most expensive dress on their website (at the moment of publication) is a $9,990 dress made of embellished floral stretch tulle and the lowest is a $23.40 camouflage nylon sports bra.
Winner for this category:
So, which is more expensive, Coach or Michael Kors? The one I feel is most adequately priced for their products is Coach because the quality is outstanding and the materials used are superior.
Best for Sneaker Fit
Coach
I wouldn’t have pegged Coach as a sneaker brand, but they had plenty of options:
Skate Slip-On Sneaker In Signature $97.5
Citysole High Top Platform Sneaker In Rainbow Signature Canvas $97.5
Michael Kors
If it’s clothing, Michael Kors has plenty to choose from:
Bodie Logo Tape Mesh Slip-On Trainer $145
Poppy Color-Block Logo Sneaker $99
Emmett Denim Jacquard Sneaker $165
Winner for this category:
My favorite was Coach. I really loved the style of sneakers, particularly the low tops and the rainbow high tops!
Sustainability Practices
Coach
Weirdly, Coach and its Tapestry family have been named one of Barron’s 2020 Most Sustainable Companies in America. However, after taking a long look into the “Good on you” rating, I have to say things don’t look good for the brand.
It looks like the company uses few eco-friendly materials. There is no evidence it reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and it doesn’t have an anti-deforestation policy in place. When it comes to labor, none of its supply chain is certified by labor standards. So, not sustainable at all despite other claims.
Michael Kors
Michael Kors, like all companies under the Capri Holdings umbrella, uses few eco-friendly materials. There is also no evidence that the company reduces its carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. So, it is quite fair to say that their sustainability practices are almost nonexistent.
Winner for this category:
Neither. For such famous and huge companies, both are really lacking in terms of sustainability. It seems almost contradictory, but the bigger the company, the less it cares about being green. So far, small businesses are doing more about being sustainable at the moment than almost any of the high-end luxury fashion brands.
Final Verdict: Who Wins?
Such a tough decision! So, here’s my thinking… At Coach, the quality is top-notch. You can appreciate the finishing and the superior craftsmanship when you feel the supple leather or check the stitching. That being said, the products are really expensive. On the other hand, Michael Kors has more options when it comes to accessible items, but at a lower quality.
So, is the best brand Coach or Michael Kors? Considering that both brands are situated in the luxury market segment, and target the same high-income audience, I will disregard the high prices in general and focus on getting the most value for the purchase.
In that sense, I will say that Coach is the winner, despite it being so expensive. Comparing items in the same categories, there is no doubt that Coach is the best investment due to quality. But also because Coach items tend to not devaluate over time so their resell value is also better. The status for wearing the brand is also higher.
FAQs
Which Year Was Coach Established?
The luxury high-end brand Coach was established in 1941 in a loft on 34th Street in Manhattan as part of a family-run workshop.
What is the Most Expensive Coach Purse?
At the moment, the most expensive Coach purse is the Upcrafted Saddle 23 at $1.095.
What is the Most Expensive Michael Kors Watch?
The most expensive watch on MK’s webpage is the Limited Edition Oversized Camille Ombré Pavé Rose Gold-Tone Watch at $595.
What is the Most Expensive Coach Handbag?
Right now, the most expensive Coach handbag is the Coach x Jean Michel Basquiat Rogue 39 collaboration purse made with snakeskin at $1300.
