Every time I think that all the holes have been filled in my bag family, out comes another that I could make justifications for. I should just give up on this insane notion of the perfect collection. My most recent acquisition is the Coach mini Borough bag in retro colorblock leather in gold/tan white/warm grey (sold here).

Prior to this purchase, the honor of that everyday brown bag went to the H&M snakeskin clutch that doubled as a crossbody bag. Space was extremely limited, but the cheap price won me over. I've actually gotten a decent amount of uses from the clutch, but am now happy for an upgrade. Although the Borough I chose isn't a solid brown color, there is enough in the color scheme (the colorblocking was actually the first thing I fell in love with). So that, along with the mini size, was what convinced me that this bag will work well for casual days.

Coach named this bag after NYC's five boroughs, and the number is also reflected in the five interior compartments (two opened sandwiched between three zippered) of the larger size. In the mini [photo below] the number was reduced to three zippered compartments only. Thank goodness because multiple space dividers just limit the amount (and size) of items that one can place inside.
I'd say the leather on this bag  is fairly high maintenance and is not the type that will stay pristine for long. If I look closely enough, there are already slight creases along sewn edges/corners and visible scuff marks. Eh, this doesn't bother me as I think they add character to the bag. Coach does use other types of leather throughout their Borough line, pebbled (low maintenance), polished calfskin (looks quite luxurious), boarskin, etc. But for this exact bag, this is it.

Bag dimensions:
9.75" length / 6.5" height / 2.75" width / 3.5-4" handle drop / 23" long strap drop

Options:
The colorblock Borough bag comes in two sizes: the mini and the regular. I actually had a hard time deciding between the two initially, before I took a hard look at my lifestyle and the bags I already own. I did have the chance to see and compare both sizes in person, but I forgot to take photos. Sorry :( However, here is a comparison photo of the two on a Coach model.




Where to buy:
Retail price is $598 for the regular size and $378 for the mini.

Online: Coach [mini, regular] / Bloomingdale's [regular - 20% off w/code FF14 through 4/6] / Dillard's [mini] / Lord & Taylor [mini, regular] / Macy's [mini, regular]

Coach has been excluding the Borough line from their PCE coupons (usually 20-30% off I believe), but according to the TPF ladies, it looks like the restriction was recently lifted. So it may be worth waiting for a steeper discount than the current Bloomie's F&F 20% event.

For other colors/styles from the Borough line:
In stores: All the aforementioned retailers from above should also be carrying Borough bags at their brick and mortar stores, with varying inventory. I ended up purchasing my mini at a Bloomingdale's store (not available online... yet?) because my aunt used her employee discount to help me get the bag. I ended up paying $260, so about 30% in savings.

Lastly, I'll leave you with better (non-iPod, non-dirty mirror) modeling photos of the bag.