Bordeaux

Era

classic-nyc-onward

Era code

E3-E4

Confidence

tentative

Status

published

Bordeaux

Lead

Bordeaux is a deep wine-red Coach color that may overlap with — or be identical to — Burgundy [yourgreatfinds-collectors-guide, vintagecoachie]. The colors/index.md palette overview lists Bordeaux as “sometimes catalog-listed as Bordeaux” alongside Burgundy, flagging the redundancy as an open verification item. Both names persist in collector references; whether Coach used both as distinct stock colors or the names are interchangeable is not yet primary-sourced.

Description

Bordeaux reads as a deep, slightly purple-leaning red on glove-tanned cowhide — named for the French wine region. On Coach’s drum-dyed-through NYC-era leather (see authentication/leather.md), Bordeaux’s cut edge matches the surface color, and worn examples should darken rather than reveal a brown or natural under-tone.

Distinguish Bordeaux (or Burgundy) from Mahogany (red-brown rather than wine-red) by undertone: Bordeaux leans cool and purple-red; Mahogany leans warm and brown-red.

Models documented in Bordeaux

Per-model attributions specifically labeled “Bordeaux” (vs Burgundy) are not yet compiled in the working research files. See burgundy.md for the deeper-documented sister entry; many bags described as “Burgundy” in dealer listings may correspond to “Bordeaux” in original Coach catalog copy or vice versa.

Authentication

• Bordeaux should pass the standard drum-dyed-through edge-color check: the cut edge reads the same wine-red as the surface (see authentication/leather.md). A contrasting under-color is a fake or reproduction signal
• A bag listed as “Bordeaux” or “Burgundy” should be treated as the same authentication problem until the two names are separated by a dated catalog page
• Reproductions sometimes match the surface color approximately while missing the depth and slight purple cast of original Bordeaux

Era anchoring

Bordeaux / Burgundy persists across the NYC era through the transition era. Color alone never dates a bag — combine with creed wording, serial format, hardware, and country-of-origin (see authentication/) for era placement.

Open verification items

1. Bordeaux vs Burgundy — same color, two names? Or distinct Coach color names? A dated catalog page or color-card scan would settle this. Currently tentative. See colors/index.md §“Open verification items” #4.
2. Catalog-anchored introduction date — when did “Bordeaux” first appear as a Coach color name? Currently tentative.
3. Per-model documentation in Bordeaux — specific silhouettes offered in Bordeaux (as distinct from Burgundy) are not yet itemized.

Sources

• yourgreatfinds-collectors-guide — primary dealer-compiled source for Coach color naming (Tier 3)
• vintagecoachie — collector reference (Tier 3)
• coachbagrehab-dating — leather and color context (Tier 3)