I broke down and ordered the Selleria flap crossbody in tan. Was really drawn to the minimalist styling of the bag. Very classic and reminded me of several classic bags that I used to own. When Q marked it down, i was so excited. The presence of only two reviews didn't deter me. Not everyone writes a review good or bad.
Picked it up on Friday and brought it home. Someone had returned it, I could tell Hmm.... From an aesthetic standpoint, it's a stunning bag. Wasn't overloaded with contrast stitching--I'm of the opinion that less is more. It's not a saddle, it's a bag. I even like the Dooney & Bourke tag and passionately wish they had done the same for the rest of the Selleria collection. It's probably why I like the Florentine collection.
One reviewer called it a "cinderblock." Yes, it's structured and makes it look larger than it is. I think the key, though, isn't the structure. It lies in the design and construction of the strap. I compared it against the mini crossbody strip and it's essentially the same strap. I think it needed to be the same thickness and width of the Coach City bag and I couldn't see that until I carried the bag. I did show the bag to my roommate and her daughter and we all agreed that the short shoulder option was the best for this bag--except that the strap is too thin. The Small Brenna (not the Small Barlow--that strap is wider and of a different type of leather.) suffers from the same problem, but it's not as structured and you can at least use as a satchel.
I like the bag so much that I was willing to see if another strap would be appropriate. Of course, wouldn't you know that I didn't see the review left on dooney.com until after I had opened the package? What makes the switching out of straps a little tricky is the small hole and the smaller lobster claw clasp. You know, the part where the strap attaches to the bag is structured leather and might make it a bit harder to use another strap. Kind of frustrating. I really think it's a lovely bag, but since it's a cross body, having a good strap is a big deal.
Picked it up on Friday and brought it home. Someone had returned it, I could tell Hmm.... From an aesthetic standpoint, it's a stunning bag. Wasn't overloaded with contrast stitching--I'm of the opinion that less is more. It's not a saddle, it's a bag. I even like the Dooney & Bourke tag and passionately wish they had done the same for the rest of the Selleria collection. It's probably why I like the Florentine collection.
One reviewer called it a "cinderblock." Yes, it's structured and makes it look larger than it is. I think the key, though, isn't the structure. It lies in the design and construction of the strap. I compared it against the mini crossbody strip and it's essentially the same strap. I think it needed to be the same thickness and width of the Coach City bag and I couldn't see that until I carried the bag. I did show the bag to my roommate and her daughter and we all agreed that the short shoulder option was the best for this bag--except that the strap is too thin. The Small Brenna (not the Small Barlow--that strap is wider and of a different type of leather.) suffers from the same problem, but it's not as structured and you can at least use as a satchel.
I like the bag so much that I was willing to see if another strap would be appropriate. Of course, wouldn't you know that I didn't see the review left on dooney.com until after I had opened the package? What makes the switching out of straps a little tricky is the small hole and the smaller lobster claw clasp. You know, the part where the strap attaches to the bag is structured leather and might make it a bit harder to use another strap. Kind of frustrating. I really think it's a lovely bag, but since it's a cross body, having a good strap is a big deal.