Anne Hathaway and ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ prove a vintage Coach bag is the best fashion investment

Prada has its time and place, but there’s something particularly special about a vintage Coach bag.

For proof, look no further than the set of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” where Anne Hathaway’s been spotted scurrying out of office buildings and across city streets toting an archival Metropolitan Briefcase from the heritage brand.

First introduced in 1999, the structured style is crafted from glove-tanned leather, finished with a turn-lock closure and spacious enough to hold anything a hardworking city gal like Andy Sachs might need — her laptop, snacks, back issues of Runway, etc. She could probably even squeeze a spare pair of flats or flip-flops inside (for days when Miranda Priestly isn’t around to judge her footwear choices, of course).

Tragically, Hathaway’s flap-front version of the Metropolitan Briefcase is no longer in production — but if you’re lucky, you might be able to snag one via Coach’s Re(Loved) program, where you’ll find an abundance of beautiful pre-loved styles from the brand.

Many feature the signature Coach design details Bonnie Cashin introduced during her time at the company in the ’60s and ’70s, like kiss-lock clasps and the aforementioned brass turn-locks.

And as anyone who’s ever owned a vintage Coach bag can attest, their quality and craftsmanship is truly beyond compare.

My personal collection currently stands at two; I’ve had my vintage cream-colored Regina Bag since college, when I found it at a flea market, and added a cognac Willis Bag to my closet in the early 2010s. Both ’90s styles have only gotten softer and more luxe-looking over the years, and have held up better than many of my much-newer bags.

What’s more, while “It” bags come and go, Coach’s sleek leather satchels stand the test of time; in fact, many of the brand’s newer bestsellers, like the Empire and Tabby bags, draw inspiration from the house’s past-decade designs.

For someone like Andy Sachs — who appears to have ascended the ranks at Runway since we last caught up with her in the mid-aughts and could thus carry any designer bag she wanted — selecting a vintage Coach carryall over a flashier, ripped-from-the-runway find tells us she cares more about classic style than chasing trends. And what could be more fashionable than that?

Below, browse a handful of Hathaway-inspired options from Coach’s (Re)Loved assortment — along with a few modern standouts that capture the same archival aesthetic.

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This article was written by Elana Fishman, founding editor of Page Six Style. Elana applies her celebrity fashion and beauty expertise to shoppable content for fellow fans as the host of video series including Style Trial, Heart to Cart and Beauty Scoop — and by tracking down every Taylor Swift-worn style so you can shop it, too. Elana consults celebrity stylists on the latest street style and red carpet trends, researches which celebrity-backed brands and products are worth it, and chats with the stars themselves for beauty and fashion recommendations. Prior to Page Six Style’s inception in 2018, Elana covered celebrity fashion at Vox Media, Lucky, Marie Claire and Teen Vogue.