BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

Review: JCOS Messenger Bag With Lock

by

JCOS-bag-2

I recently purchased this JCOS crossbody bag, a knockoff of the ubiquitous Chloe “Drew” bag. Now that I’ve been using it for a month (outfit photos coming soon), I wanted to share my thoughts on the piece for anyone interested in snagging this trendy style for a fraction of the price. (Though, I’m jealous of those who have $1,850 laying around for the original!)

  • Shipping took a ridiculously long time. I placed my order on July 29. It shipped on Aug. 21 and arrived on Aug. 24.
  • The quality is fantastic. The leather is thick, the hardware is sturdy, and the stitching is uniform. The metal clasp is attached with screws and, as you’ll see in a photo below, there’s a leather strip under the flap that reinforces the handles.
  • The clasp didn’t get as scratched as I thought it would over the course of the month.
  • On the original bag, there’s a turnlock that secures the bag before you slide in the metal bar. That’s not the case here. Sometimes the bar slides out and the bag hangs open. It’s not often enough to be a nuisance and nothing has fallen out when it happens. I’ve found that putting more items in the bag makes it less likely to occur.
  • The knotted chain at the handles can sometimes undo itself if the bag is tossed around too much. It’s easy to retie.
  • Of course, there’s the concern about “being inspired by” (::cough::knocking off::cough::) an iconic design. I struggled with this a bit, but decided that it didn’t bother me too much because it doesn’t pretend to be an original and, as I said, I’m in no position to spend almost two grand on the original. You can judge my questionable ethics, though.

Bottom Line: If you’re crazy about the design, but can’t fork out $1,850, go for it. It’s a fun ’70s-inspired saddle bag for fall.

JCOS-bag-9
JCOS-bag-3
JCOS-bag-1
JCOS-bag-5

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Comments

  2. Its a beautiful pieces – through the pictures is looks very qualitative and like Megan said, if it does not say Chloe on it… its not a knockoff!

  3. I’m not going to lie – I’m in love with the original version of this bag but can’t justify the purchase price. Knowing there is a dupe out there that is made of real leather has me very, very tempted. (But the 14-21 day wait time makes me a little more hesitant to purchase.) Thanks for an honest review!
    xox,
    Cee
    http://www.cocoandvera.com

  4. OOO you did buy it! Thanks for the review now I’m even more tempted to buy one. I can’t EVER justify spending thousands on a bag…even if I had the money. Sorry I would much rather spend that on traveling or something else.

    Thanks again for the review!
    <3
    heather
    fashionistanygirl.com

  6. It looks like a lovely bag, even with those few downsides! 🙂

    I don’t think there are any problems buying inspired pieces – like you said it lets people who like the look of the real deal enjoy it without breaking the budget! 🙂 It’s not pretending to be the Chloe Drew, it just looks similar, so that’s perfectly legal! 🙂

    Away From The Blue Blog

  7. I suppose there is always a bit of blurred line when it comes to stuff like that, but again, it’s not a design that is so ubiquitous the average person you pass in the street is going to either think you are carrying a designer bag, or think you have a dupe. Your enjoyment is the bottom line.

    Chic on the Cheap

  13. I’m wanting to order the bag. In your pictures is this the bag color MUD or light navy? I would like to get it in the light grey color.