Review! Coach Soft Empire Carryall 40 Merlot

 

I am super excited about this review! This has been the most anticipated Coach bag since The Rogue came out. At least for me. When I first saw this bag on the purseblog, my eyes widened and I was immediately obsessed. The Soft Empire Carryall comes in four sizes. Size 48 is ridiculously big, I cannot pull it off, but the 40? Perfect. Size 35 and 26 just doesn't give off the same wow factor. This bag is meant to be a statement piece and head turner. Kudos to Stewart Vevers for creating another hit that everyone will be obsessing over for a long time. I hear that more colors will be released soon, and I am hoping the distressed lived-in version will not be exclusive to size 48. In case it doesn't happen, I'll be using my Empire 40 as much as I can to give it a distressed look myself. 

For reference I'm 4 feet 11 inches tall and please check out my video to see what fits!

Coach Empire 40 Merlot

This bag is huge, it's definitely the biggest bag in my collection. I went with Merlot, there was no contest between the other colors currently offered. This burgundy/wine with the burnished edge launches this bag to the same level as premier designers. It gives The Row Margaux a run for its money. I may do a comparison review between the two bags. If you're interested in seeing that, let me know in the comments below.

This bag can be carried a few ways. I've been using this bag for about 2 weeks now, a little less because it's not my everyday bag. This is strictly a work/office bag for me. It can carry pretty much everything you would ever need, it's that big. The handle drop is 4.5 inches which is a little too small to carry over the shoulder. See the photo below. I need to hold the bag with my hand for some help. It looks great in the photos, but it's not very practical if you have to walk far. I mainly hold this bag by the top handle. 

This bag does come with a crossbody strap. The strap is about one inch wide and the leather is thick. It's a solid strap. I have it on the shortest setting in these photos and the length is too long. Plus, since I'm very short, the size looks a bit ridiculous on me carried this way. Do you agree?

Coach Empire 40 Merlot

Let's take a closer look at the bag.

Coach Empire 40 Merlot

This bag is crafted from natural grain leather. The website doesn't state exactly which animal it comes from. You can tell in certain lighting and angles that this leather isn't overly processed. I can see the natural leather striations on the bag which I think are lovely. Plus, it adds to the distressed lived-in look I'm after. I can't state how much I love the burnished edges on this bag. The Navy color also has burnished edges, but it's not as apparent as it is on the Merlot. That said, I haven't seen the Navy in person, but from the photos on the website, it's very hard to tell.

Back of the bag.

The front of the bag has a small Coach stamped in gold and comes with a Coach hangtag. I was a little disappointed it wasn't the 1941 hangtags that came with the Rogue bags. Those are just lovely. I do have a bag charm on the way that I will replace the hangtag with. 

Both sides of the bag have real working interior buckles. They are difficult to access to adjust, so I would leave them as is. But it is a nice touch. The hardware is brass and on the sides of the bag have an O ring to attach the crossbody strap. 

There are four feet on the bottom of the bag and overall the craftmanship on this bag is top tier. Every stitch is perfect. Edge coating is smooth without any lumps and bumps that I have seen on high end designer bags. It's nice to see the attention to detail and quality control is top notch.

This bag does have a zip top closure. The zipper pull is a good size and weight and appropriate to the size of the bag. I can't get over how lovely the leather is. It's soft, but still structured. This is a bag that will keep it's shape.

The inside has one snap pocket that can fit card cases, wallet, and key holder. That's what I usually put in there when I use this bag. The inside lining is fabric and feels similar to microsuede. It's soft and lush. I do recommend having a pouch or small organizer as this bag is big and doesn't have any compartments besides the snap pocket. 

This also has an interior key strap. This actually comes in handy. Instead of fishing around the large compartment for your keys, just grab the strap. I actually use it for my work badge. I need it in the mornings to get into the building. It's still dark outside when I arrive so knowing exactly where my badge is just by feel. This bag retails for $695 which I think is an absolute steal. This color is currently sold out, but I have seen it restock. Just keep checking the website. That's it for me! Hope you all enjoy your Monday!

New Charm!

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