Kate Spade vs. Michael Kors: Which One Is Better and Why? Do you wonder whether Kate Spade is better than Michael Kors and vice versa? To help you decide, I did a complete review of both designer brands to understand their pros and cons and, by the end of this post, to come to a conclusion.
For years, fashion lovers have asked and debated this question: which brand takes the crown between Kate Spade and Michael Kors? Which brand has the best quality, is more innovative, and the more stylish of the two? If you’re preparing to buy your next favorite bag and want to know which of these two brands to splurge on, we have all the insights for you below!
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links, which means I might receive a commission if you choose to purchase from my referral link at no extra cost to you.
Brand Histories:
Before diving into the intricacies of their products, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and explore the origins of these fashion giants.
Kate Spade New York brand overview?
To understand which of the two brands is better, let’s begin by delving a bit into their backstories. In 1993, Kate Spade launched her fashion label with a vision of designing contemporary bags that filled the gap between attractive and practical.
Right from its inception, while refined, Kate Spade’s style of the bags leaned toward captivating and whimsical with a play on bold colors and outlines. The combination of quirky and sophisticated was the perfect way to snatch attention in a crowded market. Stylish women’s eyes and interest quickly turned over to the fashion label, and soon, the brand became a favorite of even the casual bag buyer.
As the brand’s consumer base grew over the decades, Kate Spade launched footwear, clothes, and home décor lines. Each of these branches continues to display the Kate Spade aesthetics, which is vibrant and eccentric on a classy backdrop.
Tapestry Inc. acquired Kate Spade in 2017, and in 2018, Kate Spade passed on. However, her heritage lives on through the brand. Now, the brand continues to see remarkable growth, evolving with the times while maintaining the heart of Kate Spade, which made people fall in love with the brand.
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Michael Kors brand overview
Whether it is from your comfort movie starring fashionistas in New York or from entertainment magazines, chances are that you’ve already heard the name Michael Kors. But while most people know the famous brand for its timepieces, Michael Kors is also a fashion powerhouse, and this is how it all began:
Michael Kors first joined the fashion industry as a design assistant for Lothar’s, a fashion label. In 1981, he launched his own design label with a goal in mind: to provide clothes that were highly fashionable, modern, and of prime quality while making them available to everyone. His fashion label was sleek and contemporary, with a nod to some tried-and-true classic designs.
For decades, the brand thrived amongst the most iconic names, procuring Jimmy Choo and Versace between 2017 and 2018. Now, it has grown into a giant corporation.
Which is better?
Kate Spade and Michael Kors are both decade-old brands that have acquired and maintained prime reputations since their inception. However, if you trust the quality of older brands more than newer ones, Michael Kors has existed for a decade longer than Kate Spade.
Kate Spade’s Designs
The overall theme of Kate Spade’s bags is fun and unique, breaking down traditional fashion barriers to create bags that add verve to a woman’s day. Unlike the typical square and rectangular silhouettes, Kate Spade bags also take on playful shapes depicting animals and objects such as dogs, circles, hearts, crescents, and more. The striking colors also go beyond the usual black, white, and brown, playing with animal skin patterns like zebras and giraffes.
One fascinating thing about Kate Spade bags is that you can find one that uniquely fits specific occasions. For a wedding event, you’ll find fluffy white and beige bags that match perfectly. For Valentine’s Day, there is a wealth of red or heart-shaped bags for you to choose from. For safari trips, there are animal designs available.
So, for any woman who loves unusual bag designs for their wardrobes, you will surely fall in love with Kate Spade in no time. If you prefer the classic style of bags, the brand also presents options that aren’t too quirky and can be worn casually. However, these are not as plentiful in supply as the whimsical Kate Spade accessories.
Michael Kors Designs
As mentioned above, Michael Kors’s bag aesthetics settle more on the traditional side with clean lines and sleek modern designs that appeal to a broad audience. What does not appeal to everyone, though, is the M.K. design imprinted into the canvas of many of the brand’s bags. Like Louis Vuitton bags, not every woman wants a wardrobe filled with bags spotting the M.K. monogram.
Thankfully, the Michael Kors collection also includes glossy leather textures with a minimalist, contemporary feel. Their modest designs also make them perfectly dynamic, fitting any look and occasion. If you like elegant and chic bags, you will lose your heart to these understated beauties.
Which is better?
For women who want to add striking and fun aesthetics to their wardrobes, Kate Spade is the place to look. Who doesn’t want to carry a bag with dragon prints out every once in a while? Life shouldn’t be taken too seriously, and Kate Spade shows us how to bring excitement into any environment.
The criticism here is that sometimes, the brand relies too much on eccentric designs, and it doesn’t cater enough to the minimalist buyer. On the contrary, Michael Kors crafts bags that are less whimsical and more practical for the average buyer. Many women love to haul tote canvas bags that are flexible yet fashionable, and that’s what you’ll mostly find in the Michael Kors collections!
So if you want quirky and fun, Kate Spade takes the crown in this round. And if canvas bags are your Achilles heel, then Michael Kors is where you want to put your money.
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Quality
The best part about buying luxury bags from renowned fashion designers is the assurance of good quality. Kate Spade and Michael Kors bags are known for their solid quality, but for this post, we’ll show you which quality is superior to the other!
Kate Spade Quality
The embellishments used to craft and design Kate Spade bags, such as beads, sequins, and hardware, are generally sturdy. The bags also have decent quality overall, with good leather bases. However, the aspect of durability is where the quality of Kate Spade bags starts to lag. Users of Kate Spade bags have given criticisms on the lifespans of the bags. Usually, the bags stay sturdy for the first year, and afterward, the ornamentations begin to wear or fall off.
For the modest prices of the bags, the discounts, and the dexterity that goes into making them, we believe that the quality is good enough. To own Kate Spade bags that are sturdier and longer-lasting, you should be ready to pay a bit more.
Michael Kors Quality
Michael Kors bags are typically made with canvas and leather materials of the finest quality. Everyone knows that leather is the best material for bags because they are durable. Canvas is more susceptible to wear, but the material also lasts long before that happens. With the modern and sleek designs of Michael Kors bags, there are fewer ornaments attached; therefore, you don’t have to worry about embellishments wearing out or falling off in a few months.
Some customers have complained that the closures of their bags, like zips and clips, fell apart after a while. But this happened after the bags had been used for a long time, and while Michael Kors’s bags are durable, their lifespan is not eternal.
Which is better?
Michael Kors wins as the brand with the best quality of bags between the two. Michael Kors bags are made using classic and more dependable materials, which means you can enjoy your Michael Kors for months and even years without any qualms. On the other hand, Kate Spade puts a good deal of effort into appearance, sometimes to the detriment of the bag’s durability. This isn’t to say that Kate Spade bags do not last, only that Michael Kors bags last longer!
Price Range
Cost always comes into play when deciding on a favorite because your preferred brand is also one you can afford to buy from while also receiving the best quality. And one of the reasons these two brands are beloved is because of the fair prices both offer for their luxury products. Still, which is fairer?
Kate Spade’s Price Range
Most Kate Spade bags fall under the $300 to $500 price range. Considering the bags’ high quality, smartly crafted, and unique designs, the price range is among the best in the market. The brand also provides discounts through its frequent sales. So you can sign up to get newsletter updates or check out their sites regularly during holiday periods. There are other outlets where you can get a Kate Spade bag for less than $300.
Michael Kors Price Range
You will find most of Michael Kors’s bags between the $200 to $400 price range. This also nods to the vision behind the inception of Michael Kors, which is to create fashionable accessories and apparel accessible to everyone.
The price range means that even women with modest salaries can occasionally save up and splurge on a Michael Kors bag. Even better, the retailers hold sales during holiday periods and other events. So you can also get a Michael Kors bag for less than $200 during sales periods!
Which is better?
In this aspect of cost, Michael Kors wins for being less expensive and more accessible to customers than Kate Spade. So, if you’re shopping on a strict budget, the Michael Kors collection is where you should look.
Market Resale Value
Rather than abandon a designer bag in their wardrobe because they’ve worn it too frequently or aren’t excited about it anymore, many women decide to take the smart route of reselling the bag either to secondhand stores or directly to acquaintances. This is also a more lucrative option than throwing it away. Therefore, if you like to resell fashion items you don’t use anymore, the secondhand value of a bag is an essential factor to consider before choosing it!
Kate Spade Market Resale Value
The resale value percentage of Kate Spade bags is thirty percent. This is because the whimsical nature of some of the bags leaves them very specific to a fixed time or scenario. For instance, the bags made decades ago when sequins were the big trend wouldn’t appeal to many in the current market, where more women are going for sleek bags with simple silhouettes.
Also, if you buy a lip-shaped red bag for the Valentine’s period, chances are that style will be out of trend in the next few years. Kate Spade bags are timely and modern, but this doesn’t always translate to a timeless piece.
However, we did mark its resale value to thirty percent, which means that some of the accessories have solid resale value. Firstly, because some of the brand’s bags are understated and dynamic. Secondly, Kate Spade is a beloved fashion name; fashion lovers collect the brand’s bags.
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Michael Kors Market Resale Value
Michael Kors bags resale value sits at seventy percent, and this has to do with the universal designs that appeal to all kinds of women. The bags are made of high quality and will serve you for months, and if you get tired of carrying them, there are secondhand stores that will trample over each other to buy an original Michael Kors for their stores. Some women can’t afford the new bags and are eager to purchase the secondhand version.
The only reason its market resale value isn’t a complete one hundred percent is that big brands like Michael Kors often have copious bags already in the secondhand market. This might mean selling your bag at a lower cost than it is worth. Still, if you can find a good secondhand store to do business with, the resale value is impressive!
Which is better?
For market resale value, Michael Kors once again wins over Kate Spade. Many Kate Spade bags are quirky and whimsical; while a particular bag appeals to you enough to take it home, the chances that others will share your peculiar taste are not very high. This means having a smaller audience pool to sell to if you move on from the accessory.
Conversely, Michael Kors’s bags have more universal designs that most women will fall in love with. With the popularity of the brand’s name, there is a high chance of having the bag snatched up once you put it on the market. Hence, if you want a bag with a good resale value, we advise going for Michael Kors!
So in conclusion, which brand is better Kate Spade or Michael Kors?
This depends largely on you and what features you prioritize in your bag! However, based on the match conducted above, Michael Kors takes the most winning points for quality, price, and resale value! But that’s just our opinion. You can buy whatever your heart feels as long as it ticks all the points from your list.
