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| Greenfield |
Here they are (and Delft may be my number one)...
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| Bees |
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| Provence |
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| Royal |
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| Delft |
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Five Favorite Vera Bradley Patterns
Here they are (and Delft may be my number one)...
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Here they are (and Delft may be my number one)...
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17 comments:
Muffy,
Maybe it's because I'm an avid photographer and while not interested in the girly things, I still have to say that I think your little Canon does a great job with product photography. It really did a great job of capturing the colors and texture in these latest pics.
I don't like the new VB either. Nantucket Red might be my favorite. I like the ones that look more like Provence patterns.
Provencal Red, Nantucket Navy and my latest Razzberry are my favorites. However, I love the Dogwood collection too. I just don't like how easily they seem to wear out. Maybe I'm too hard on my bags, but I find myself purchasing a couple of new ones aevery year.
I have purchased five VB items from eBay - wallet/strap and Medium Tote bag in Bermuda Pink, Villager in Apple Green, Miller in Classic Navy, and x-large Duffle in French Blue. All are gently used but I am really enjoying them. I especially like the bags with the six inner pockets for organizing items.
I had never heard of Vera Bradley before I started reading your blog. I do agree that the older patterns are much more attractive.
Thanks Muffy!
I've only purchased a couple Vera Bradley item new, but have purchased several (probably four) from eBay. This is not due to the price, but due to the frequent retiring of attractive patterns.
I agree with Susan R. - VB does not make the most durable products. In particular, the straps (even of brand new bags) become threadbare quickly unless you rotate bags constantly. In theory, you should be able to use one bag on a regular basis without it falling apart, but I have a number which are now unusable. I recognize that the quilted construction can't handle being weighted down, but the straps shouldn't fall apart by just rubbing on a shoulder.
To be honest, I just don't use VB anymore. I almost never see it on the streets anymore... it was very popular in Boston in the mid-2000s or so and "fit in" all around New England. I stopped using it when I moved to Montréal, and felt completely out of place with it. I returned to Boston a couple years later, to find that it was no longer a ubiquitous item.
This suggests that I follow trends and only want to use something if it is "on trend," and that is not the case. But, it raises an issue... if you (the general you) travel, do you modify your attire/accessories to fit in with the local culture and not stick out like a sore thumb as a tourist? Is there a middle ground in which one can remain true to his or own style, but blend with the locals and even evolve, recognizing the validity and merits of the style of other cultures?
I don't believe Vera Bradley is classic prep. I don't feel an obligation to keep using my bags when I and others have tired of the look... and I think the fact that one can tire of the look so easily indicates that it's not classic prep, which is timeless. I think of VB as a fairly long-lived "style" which complements classic prep but does not have the same staying power.
That's not to criticize anyone who still uses it and likes it... those are just my two cents!
Only 5 favorite Vera Bradley patterns?? That might be a little difficult!
If I had to choose, I think mine would be: Elizabeth, Nantucket Navy, Greenfield, Provence and French Blue.
Maybe you could do an "official" poll on your blog?!
I have a collection of Pierre Deux bags, etc., as well, and love the Provencal prints!
One reader mentioned that the VB bags don't seem to hold up well. My answer to this problem would be to increase the size of your collection and rotate your bags more often!
I do not care for any of the new VB patterns, unfortunately.
One can look for both prep aesthetics and fashion in Boston, but then again, one can also look for water in a desert. Boston has tried to copy New York in terms of clothes, but I fear it has missed by a few miles, and has managed to mostly copy New Jersey instead.
Anonymous @ 12:38... that's an interesting perspective, and I should point out that when I said "Boston," I really meant the greater area including Cambridge. I was working at Harvard at the time that I left the area and summering in Maine and on Lake Winnipesaukee (Wolfeboro) in NH. I no longer see VB in these places at anywhere near the level I did in the mid-2000s.
I don't have a sense that Boston has attempted to copy the clothing of New York. I do think a great number of people dress poorly, but that can be said of any place, including Manhattan.
Don't you think that maybe the fact that VB no longer makes any good patterns could be related to why you don't see as many around?
I believe that the VB target audience has shifted as the patterns have moved away from their Pierre Deux style designs. I see VB mostly carried by college students these days. I have a collection of Nantucket Navy (a striking resemblance to French Provincal Navy, as I discovered after my collection was established) and a "summer set" in a newer pattern that I reserve for holiday travel. While I'm not a fan of many of the newer designs, it is interesting to watch the brand evolve into something beyond its Provence-inspired roots.
I find it interesting that you have pronounced that (vintage) Vera Bradley is not classic prep. As a point of reference, do you consider the outfit and accessories you are wearing on your blog to be classic prep - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mi9gWui3lm0/T9zzEI6FBBI/AAAAAAAACIE/xlMilZyEwdo/s1600/DSC02785.JPG? BTW, I don't think everything has to be classic prep, I am just curious.
"Not classic prep"? Are you kidding me?? Look at the first picture. I cannot imagine a more classic prep picture.
Delft looks great. Muffy, are you familiar with Cath Kidson? I happened to discover this brand while I visited London a couple of years ago. I found their vintage English floral pattern much more attractive than VB. I am just curious what you and others think. Muffy, I have been reading your blog for a year and enjoy it very much. Thank you!
@Anonymous 8:18 - Yes, I have been familiar with Cath Kidson for many years and much of it I like very much. Now that she/they are branching out I will be curious to see if they go by way of VB.
I have never heard of Cath Kidson before. Now that I have seen her stuff, I like it much better than I like the current Vera Bradley. I sure hope Cath Kidson doesn't go down the same path as VB. Why don't the manufacturers of great products get it? If it "ain't" broke, don't fix it ;) ...it's really THAT simple.
Elizabeth, Nantucket Navy, Provence, Hope Toile!
I, too, dislike the more recent VB patterns. From the looks of their website, VB seems to be going for a trendier, "fashionista" customer base now, which is a shame as that demographic, while often innovative, is not known for its long-term loyalty to either brands or styles.
Not many people carry VB where I live (rural Massachusetts) or in the Boston metro area these days, as Liz remarked. However, not long ago I was delighted to find a very gently used mini-backpack in Elizabeth at our local Salvation Army, and it has become my go-to summertime bag. The gods of classic style were surely smiling on me.
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