Hey, remember when Dooney & Bourke made classy, durable leather bags instead of overpriced bullshit like this?
Yeah, me either, but before Lindsay Lohan was even born, they totally made gorgeous stuff. Lately I’ve been seeing some awesome old bags on Etsy that are way cheaper (and less likely to be passé after one season) than this initial-encrusted bullshit. Some examples:
Personally, I prefer the bags without the duck logo, because I hate big logos, but the leather duck is still way better than the all-over initial print.
I’m not the type to have any kind of brand loyalty, with the possible exceptions of L.L. Bean and Doc Martens, but I am dismayed that brands that initially became popular due to craftsmanship and timeless style are now popular just for being popular. The bags I posted above would be covetable even if all the logos were removed. The same cannot be said for most of Dooney & Bourke’s recent bags.
if you removed the logos from this bag, you'd be left with just handles
Coach has had the same problem in recent years. Can you believe that the people who brought you these multicolored monstrosities:
…also created these gorgeous, buttery soft purses?
Everything I’ve posted here is less than a hundred dollars, some of it way less, and that’s just for these two brands. There’s so many more awesome vintage and handmade handbags on Etsy alone, not to mention stores like Find, Material Objects, Good Cause Thrift Shop, Ferdinand, and Goodwill.
So let's give shit like this a rest, okay?
Sweet Disorder 
hey, send that story that you said i should read when we last were together at xmas
check yer email
yea, that colored shit is hideous. but it’s more about letting people know that you bought a LV, coach, or d&b bag than it is classic style. it’s like when people leave the coach tag on their bags- my mom always compared it to the beverley hillbilly who left the price tag on her hat.
and i just sent this to my mom, b/c i thought she had one of those bags, and sure enough, she had the one in the 3rd picture down. i didn’t even know it was d&b- when i was younger i thought it was hideous!
yay for buttery leather!
Word. I carry a small vintage dooney that I love (here: http://sweetersalt.com/2010/09/20/apple-picking/). I believe I paid $25 for it and its made of actual leather (not multi-colored poo) and has some style to it. If there’s one thing I hate its logo prints – eiw.
Laura
Back when I was in high school in the 1980’s Coach bags were amazing. Of course coming from poor folks I didn’t have one until I was a real adult, but their old bags were fantastic. Then in recent years when they went over to the colored C bags it was like why?
I had quite a Coach collection that sadly I ebayed back in 07 after getting laid off and being in dire need of cash…wish I had them back.
I do have a Dooney that my brother got me a couple of years ago but its a tad too gaudy for my taste. I was always on the fence about that brand.
Yeah, I don’t get the C bags. I don’t really want some company’s name all over my pocketbook.
That’s such a bummer about your Coach collection! Maybe you will find some similar ones on Etsy for less than eBay.
my old coach bucket bag and baby bucket bag were under $30 at find and are my favorites. new coach looks like barforama.
love the handbags.. a girl can never have to many handbags. my favorite are the toots.. large over size bags.
I used the carry all my kids cutest things in coach.. how fun was that.