About 20 minutes into my routine nighttime TikTok scroll, I stumbled upon my third video about the same handbag. Not the Bottega Jodie, not Telfar’s “Bushwick Birkin” – it was The Coach Tabby bag.
I clicked on the hashtag #coachtabby where I shuffled through hundreds of posts before stopping on a particularly interesting unboxing video. The user, while pressing into her plush-looking Pillow Tabby, explained she was “brainwashed into buying the Coach Tabby.” Later in the video, while admitting her love for the bag, she resolved, “it’s fine, I deserve this bag.”
After further inspection into Coach’s latest craze, the “I have to have it” sentiment surrounding the Tabby seems to be widely shared. But where is this all coming from?
The Tabby stepped into the spotlight with Coach’s “Courage To Be Real” campaign which featured Lil Nas X photographed in baby-pink faux fur, custom Coach grills, and the Tabby bag. From that point forward, the Coach Tabby was reborn with an updated meaning: this bag is made to grow with you and represent your authentic self.
Since its reintroduction to the market, the Tabby has gained valid celebrity co-signs from the likes of JLo, Ice Spice, and Larray, effortlessly staking its claim as the season’s It Accessory. It's even appeared on tour with Lizzo in macro and micro sizes.
Now, months past its initial hard launch, the Coach Tabby has proved to live well past its 15 minutes of fame. Men, women, NYC vloggers, and fashion aficionados have all found a common interest and identity in the Tabby, perhaps partially due to its dynamic evolution.
Securing its position as a mainstay across popular culture with longstanding mass appeal, we can’t help but wonder if this bag is all it’s chalked up to be. Here’s what we’ve found:
Coach’s original Tabby dates back to the 70s. Its first iteration featured a classic style silhouette, similar to today’s bag, that provided a modern, but sophisticated, shoulder bag that can alternatively be worn as a cross-body bag. Though the OG silhouette is iconic in its own right, Coach has taken the Tabby to new heights in its most recent releases.
Today’s Tabby features Coach’s historic signature hardware with a few modern twists. The Tabby is now available as a messenger, clutch, shoulder bag, wallet, cross-body, and wristlet, to name a few. This means whether you’re heading off to work or stepping out for a date night, there are multiple styles of Tabby to choose from.
The Tabby also experiments with fabric and textures like never before. Making waves, the Pillow Tabby (the bag responsible for the current plush handbag trend???), is made from ultra-soft Napa leather and comes in a handful of colors from sleek black to millennial pink.
Adding to its “no ceilings” approach to design is Coach's recent release, the Jelly Tabby (yes, my inner 2000’s kid is screaming.) The Jelly Tabby retains its classic structural silhouette with candy-colored transparent nostalgia, resulting in the perfect balance between practical and playful.
Have we mentioned that all Tabbys are 100% customizable? You can design your Tabby with leather decals, studs, and much more. Also, the “C” hardware is interchangeable. As you can probably imagine at this point, the personal design options are overwhelmingly limitless.
The bottom line is, it’s not just your FYP, the Coach Tabby is everywhere – and we understand the hype. The bag’s ability to transform with its wearer throughout its various styles makes for an always-unique and quality bag.
Are you also seeing the Tabby pop up everywhere? Odds are, you probably are. Kicking things off in Sydney and Singapore, Coach has created unique activations, like the Tabby Truck, so that you can get up close and personal with all of its styles. Stay updated on where the Tabby may be traveling to next here.
In the meantime, you can get your hands on these silhouettes IRL at Coach SoHo on 143 Prince Street, or just about anywhere else near you, and you can always check it out online at coach.com.
