Dooney Florentine and Pebble Domed Satchel

[lavenderjunkie]

I saw this at tjmaxx

That's one of the beauties I had to get.
Interesting that TJM has so many nice Dooney handbags.
When I go there, I never find anything worth buying.

 

[NikkiMD]

I have two of them,they were my late mom's whom passed in September and they are sedimental to me. She loved Dooney & Bourke

 

[pmart031]

That's one of the beauties I had to get.
Interesting that TJM has so many nice Dooney handbags.
When I go there, I never find anything worth buying.

Yeah i hardly ever find anything good so it was crazy since I’ve been into dooney lately and watching videos and reading, that i found them at timax, i guess the universe was listening 🤣 cus i have never seen dooney before at tjmax. I didnt get the domed because of the little gap you mentioned w the zippers meet and also i like when the straps at attached at the sides of the bag not on the handles

 

[lavenderjunkie]

Yeah i hardly ever find anything good so it was crazy since I’ve been into dooney lately and watching videos and reading, that i found them at timax, i guess the universe was listening 🤣 cus i have never seen dooney before at tjmax. I didnt get the domed because of the little gap you mentioned w the zippers meet and also i like when the straps at attached at the sides of the bag not on the handles

Good point about the attachment of the shoulder/crossbody strap.
I was glad to see that on the domed satchel they added D rings behind the
handles for the strap. But you are right, attaching the strap at the ends
of the bag is so much better.

We have to check each bag for all the little details to see how the design will
work for us and not get blinded by the excitement of the find.
I hand carry all my bags, so I often overlook the longer strap length and placement...
except when I'm writing a review and want to be as complete as possible for
someone else to make a decision. If I was using the crossbody strap then
the satchel you chose would be a much better option for me.

 

[pmart031]

Good point about the attachment of the shoulder/crossbody strap.
I was glad to see that on the domed satchel they added D rings behind the
handles for the strap. But you are right, attaching the strap at the ends
of the bag is so much better.

We have to check each bag for all the little details to see how the design will
work for us and not get blinded by the excitement of the find.
I hand carry all my bags, so I often overlook the longer strap length and placement...
except when I'm writing a review and want to be as complete as possible for
someone else to make a decision. If I was using the crossbody strap then
the satchel you chose would be a much better option for me.

Yeah i know you hand carry so for sure it’s not a big deal for you. But i feel like it distorts the look of the bag when I’m wearing it, I’ve turned away so many beautiful bags for that. I like the straps to be separated lol i guess I’m picky so when i love something, i really really really love it. I decided for Christmas i want the Florentine toggle crossbody in black waiting to see if a good deal pops up. And I’m really loving the pebble satchel w Florentine trim in caramel, might get another color. Love the Monty linning, that beige is pretty lux but i did see you mentioned that dooney tag isn’t leather so i right away checked mine and same it’s not a leather tag, that really deserved a leather name tag for that pretty interior but i guess they try not to make any bag too perfect or have every little thing we like so we buy another bag and keep feeding their bank and striving to have purse peace. What’s your name? I’m Priscilla

 

[NikkiMD]

I do use my mom's as well. They were her only two that she loved with a little big bag of some of her ashes in them.

 

[lavenderjunkie]

Yeah i know you hand carry so for sure it’s not a big deal for you. But i feel like it distorts the look of the bag when I’m wearing it, I’ve turned away so many beautiful bags for that. I like the straps to be separated lol i guess I’m picky so when i love something, i really really really love it. I decided for Christmas i want the Florentine toggle crossbody in black waiting to see if a good deal pops up. And I’m really loving the pebble satchel w Florentine trim in caramel, might get another color. Love the Monty linning, that beige is pretty lux but i did see you mentioned that dooney tag isn’t leather so i right away checked mine and same it’s not a leather tag, that really deserved a leather name tag for that pretty interior but i guess they try not to make any bag too perfect or have every little thing we like so we buy another bag and keep feeding their bank and striving to have purse peace. What’s your name? I’m Priscilla

The placement of the D rings for the strap is very important for the balance of the bag
when using the longer strap. I know that many upscale brands put the D rings behind the
handles on satchels, so Dooney didn't originate this 'design' detail.

With the zip zip or
bags where the zipper extends down the sides of the bag, I can understand the tradeoff...
if the D ring is too low (below the end of the zipper) the bag will tilt and turn. So I guess
they decided putting the long strap attachment on the top of the bag was better.
But even then, I never liked attaching them to the handle rings itself. The handles didn't
lay flat when the strap was used. Then again, lots of bags have fixed upright handles
that never lay down, and people still carry them cross body or on the shoulder with
the handles poking up.... not my idea of great looking and also not very comfortable
to have the handles poking into your body.

Glad to see that at least Dooney has added D rings behind the handles.
But cheaping out of the interior logo was not a good decision, in my opinion.
Sometimes I don't understand their strategy at all. Dooney is a high quality brand.
Without the marketing investments they will never be recognized in the fashion
world where they belong. But to remain a successful, if under the radar brand,
they can't let little things detract.

I wouldn't mind a different exterior logo....
either a well done leather patch (like they have done before and now use on the
Florentine collection) or the silhouette duck
metal logo plate (like they used on the Dillen collection) or even the gold lettering
from the original City collection, or the embossed/debossed (?) lettering from
some of the early Florentine or the Alto collection. But what ever they choose should
look well made and intentional. I'm not into logos, I appreciate understated, but elegant.

The interior logo patch isn't seen by anyone but the handbag owner. But most often
we are the ones spending the money to buy the bag. And we see that, along with
the lining, when ever we open our handbag. It detracts from the joy. It might not be
a show stopper, in terms of the purchase decision. But it does affect how we feel about
the handbag and the brand. And, after enough little things, customers start looking at
other brand alternatives.

I'm sure it's hard for small companies to compete with much larger mega brands owned
by big corporations. And it's even harder when the leadership evolves/changes as the
original owners/creative directors get older. As consumers, we have no visibility as to
what goes on in private companies. Not that it is really our business. We just get to
see the end product and decide where to put our purchase dollars.

Without the big
marketing programs, smaller brands have to rely on reputation and repeat buyers and
word of mouth, and sales channels. And Dooney seems to be reducing its sales
channels, or at least drastically changing its channel strategy. The Dooney retail
boutique stores have disappeared. Very few department stores carry Dooney anymore.
And the number of Dooney outlets is also shrinking. So what are they/we left with....
online sales (the main site and ILD), QVC, a few outlets, and even fewer department
stores).

Channels like QVC offer many advantages...large customer reach, distribution
infrastructure, high volume, and the opportunity to educate/sell customer on the benefits
of the products. That depends om having really good brand representatives on air and
getting enough airtime to present the products. I still miss Sue Clifton, but the current
2 Dooney reps on QVC have become pretty good. I just wish they would spend more
time pointing out all the design features of the handbags and less time chatting with the
hosts. And this is not necessarily all their decision... the network has a big say in
what the focus should be, in real time, based on how they see sales going.
But I remember 'the old days' when Sue would point out all the exterior detail
of the handbag... the belting, the stitching, etc. and you could really see the craftsmanship
of the handbag. Today they fill the time with prattle and pulling irrelevant items
out of the bag to show the interior space.... how about what fits in the bag using
Dooney accessories.... wallets, credit card cases, cosmetic cases, coin purses, along
with cell phones, ad other electronics that people carry. And don't forget to give us the
measurements.... and remind us of how you are measuring....there used to be a standard.... length and depth measured at the base of the bag.... not the top or the
widest point. And height measured at the point under the center of the handle/strap,with the smile of the bag relaxed.

And while we are on bags that 'smile'.... what's with displaying the bags with
the zipper pointing to the ceiling instead of the top relaxed and the zipper facing
down so the top is smiling (as the designer intended). Not only does the bag look
strange with the top pointing up, but often the space between the top of the zipper and
the handle is only 1-2" when it's shown this way, as opposed to 4-5" when the top is
relaxed and smiling. Carrying a bag with a 1-2" handle drop isn't very comfortable.
Rant over.

I've been buying Dooney handbags for over 30 years, so I don't 'need' the education.
But even I still appreciate the information to allow me to make good decisions.
But from a brand perspective.... new customers don't know what I know, and the lack
of actionable consumer information can affect sales for the brand. If we weren't info fashion we wouldn't be buying so many handbags... so give us the information to make
decisions and then expand our horizons with discussions of details and quality and color pairings we might not have thought about or multiple ways to use the bag or styling tips.
The rainbows of colors may be gone (they used to display well over a dozen different
colors of the small Florentine satchel when they presented it and 2 dozen colors of the
pebbled leather double zip crossbody), but we can still play with color by pairing a red bag
with wine or pink or purple outfits, or a neutral bag with bright colors. But I digress...

 

[lavenderjunkie]

I was at Tjmaxx yesterday and i couldn’t believe what i found! I’ve looked at this bag online before but was worried about how it looked and measured and if it was heavy, she’s so beautiful! What do you think!

My Azure blue Pebble Satchel 30 with Florentine Trim finally arrived today. She is such a beauty. The Azure blue is a rich mid tone blue, but not quite as bright as on the photos
on ILD. I love blues, and I have other handbags in this color, but you can never tell.

This satchel is such a cutie.... big enough to be useful for me with it's 6" x 12" base,
but not too oversized or heavy. It's the same size as the original Florentine small
(now regular) satchel, but I suspect the interior is a little smaller due to the folded
corners. If my credit card wasn't hiding, I would be tempted to buy another color.

And before you ask, I don't know if I like this style or the domed style better....
I like them both. Generally I find the domed style easier to use since once the zipper
is opened the interior is visible. With the satchel style with the fold over zipper,
it's a little fussier to get things in and out with one hand. I don't have an issue with
the slightly smaller zip opening, just the extra leather that gets in the way when the
bag is on your arm and you are trying to get things in and out.

 

[pmart031]

My Azure blue Pebble Satchel 30 with Florentine Trim finally arrived today. She is such a beauty. The Azure blue is a rich mid tone blue, but not quite as bright as on the photos
on ILD. I love blues, and I have other handbags in this color, but you can never tell.

This satchel is such a cutie.... big enough to be useful for me with it's 6" x 12" base,
but not too oversized or heavy. It's the same size as the original Florentine small
(now regular) satchel, but I suspect the interior is a little smaller due to the folded
corners. If my credit card wasn't hiding, I would be tempted to buy another color.

And before you ask, I don't know if I like this style or the domed style better....
I like them both. Generally I find the domed style easier to use since once the zipper
is opened the interior is visible. With the satchel style with the fold over zipper,
it's a little fussier to get things in and out with one hand. I don't have an issue with
the slightly smaller zip opening, just the extra leather that gets in the way when the
bag is on your arm and you are trying to get things in and out.

Oh wow the blue doesn’t look as bright as on the online pics. Could you send another pic of the bag when you can? Wow i love it in that color. Do you still have space for more handbags ?

 

[pmart031]

The placement of the D rings for the strap is very important for the balance of the bag
when using the longer strap. I know that many upscale brands put the D rings behind the
handles on satchels, so Dooney didn't originate this 'design' detail.

With the zip zip or
bags where the zipper extends down the sides of the bag, I can understand the tradeoff...
if the D ring is too low (below the end of the zipper) the bag will tilt and turn. So I guess
they decided putting the long strap attachment on the top of the bag was better.
But even then, I never liked attaching them to the handle rings itself. The handles didn't
lay flat when the strap was used. Then again, lots of bags have fixed upright handles
that never lay down, and people still carry them cross body or on the shoulder with
the handles poking up.... not my idea of great looking and also not very comfortable
to have the handles poking into your body.

Glad to see that at least Dooney has added D rings behind the handles.
But cheaping out of the interior logo was not a good decision, in my opinion.
Sometimes I don't understand their strategy at all. Dooney is a high quality brand.
Without the marketing investments they will never be recognized in the fashion
world where they belong. But to remain a successful, if under the radar brand,
they can't let little things detract.

I wouldn't mind a different exterior logo....
either a well done leather patch (like they have done before and now use on the
Florentine collection) or the silhouette duck
metal logo plate (like they used on the Dillen collection) or even the gold lettering
from the original City collection, or the embossed/debossed (?) lettering from
some of the early Florentine or the Alto collection. But what ever they choose should
look well made and intentional. I'm not into logos, I appreciate understated, but elegant.

The interior logo patch isn't seen by anyone but the handbag owner. But most often
we are the ones spending the money to buy the bag. And we see that, along with
the lining, when ever we open our handbag. It detracts from the joy. It might not be
a show stopper, in terms of the purchase decision. But it does affect how we feel about
the handbag and the brand. And, after enough little things, customers start looking at
other brand alternatives.

I'm sure it's hard for small companies to compete with much larger mega brands owned
by big corporations. And it's even harder when the leadership evolves/changes as the
original owners/creative directors get older. As consumers, we have no visibility as to
what goes on in private companies. Not that it is really our business. We just get to
see the end product and decide where to put our purchase dollars.

Without the big
marketing programs, smaller brands have to rely on reputation and repeat buyers and
word of mouth, and sales channels. And Dooney seems to be reducing its sales
channels, or at least drastically changing its channel strategy. The Dooney retail
boutique stores have disappeared. Very few department stores carry Dooney anymore.
And the number of Dooney outlets is also shrinking. So what are they/we left with....
online sales (the main site and ILD), QVC, a few outlets, and even fewer department
stores).

Channels like QVC offer many advantages...large customer reach, distribution
infrastructure, high volume, and the opportunity to educate/sell customer on the benefits
of the products. That depends om having really good brand representatives on air and
getting enough airtime to present the products. I still miss Sue Clifton, but the current
2 Dooney reps on QVC have become pretty good. I just wish they would spend more
time pointing out all the design features of the handbags and less time chatting with the
hosts. And this is not necessarily all their decision... the network has a big say in
what the focus should be, in real time, based on how they see sales going.
But I remember 'the old days' when Sue would point out all the exterior detail
of the handbag... the belting, the stitching, etc. and you could really see the craftsmanship
of the handbag. Today they fill the time with prattle and pulling irrelevant items
out of the bag to show the interior space.... how about what fits in the bag using
Dooney accessories.... wallets, credit card cases, cosmetic cases, coin purses, along
with cell phones, ad other electronics that people carry. And don't forget to give us the
measurements.... and remind us of how you are measuring....there used to be a standard.... length and depth measured at the base of the bag.... not the top or the
widest point. And height measured at the point under the center of the handle/strap,with the smile of the bag relaxed.

And while we are on bags that 'smile'.... what's with displaying the bags with
the zipper pointing to the ceiling instead of the top relaxed and the zipper facing
down so the top is smiling (as the designer intended). Not only does the bag look
strange with the top pointing up, but often the space between the top of the zipper and
the handle is only 1-2" when it's shown this way, as opposed to 4-5" when the top is
relaxed and smiling. Carrying a bag with a 1-2" handle drop isn't very comfortable.
Rant over.

I've been buying Dooney handbags for over 30 years, so I don't 'need' the education.
But even I still appreciate the information to allow me to make good decisions.
But from a brand perspective.... new customers don't know what I know, and the lack
of actionable consumer information can affect sales for the brand. If we weren't info fashion we wouldn't be buying so many handbags... so give us the information to make
decisions and then expand our horizons with discussions of details and quality and color pairings we might not have thought about or multiple ways to use the bag or styling tips.
The rainbows of colors may be gone (they used to display well over a dozen different
colors of the small Florentine satchel when they presented it and 2 dozen colors of the
pebbled leather double zip crossbody), but we can still play with color by pairing a red bag
with wine or pink or purple outfits, or a neutral bag with bright colors. But I digress...

I love dooney.com gives no information on the bag, that’s why i like the dooney and Bourke website better because it gives that breakdown of the material, the details, if it’s embossed or vegetable tanned, aniline finish etc etc then i will check if i love dooney has it but im a sucker for knowing alll the details on a bag. I also wished the hardware had dooney engraved on it like other brands do, it adds this special touch. I feel like if it wasn’t for their Disney line and sports line and their returning customers they could easily cease to exist. I wish they did a better job, marketing and with their quality control. I got 8 bags with crazy issues that should have never made it through the cracks. I really love the quality of the actual leather, and at least their website does explain what type of leather it is and how it’s processed, most companies just say “leather” and we have no idea anything more about it, so that is very much appreciated that Dooney does. Also qvc why don’t they talk and try on all the colors!!! They pick 1 bag 1 color and that’s it! I want to see how the black looks against the clothes, the red, the blue! Geez! I cringe when I’m like please grab the other colors and show us lol. Idk if it’s to not overwhelm the customers or what! Yeah i saw some videos don’t even mention the measurements. I saw dooneys YouTube was active with videos for some time and they were cool videos about how the satchel is made etc and they have NOT posted in YEARS! I got confirmation from Dooney last week, NO bag is made in the USA anymore, not a single item anymore.

 

[lavenderjunkie]

I love dooney.com gives no information on the bag, that’s why i like the dooney and Bourke website better because it gives that breakdown of the material, the details, if it’s embossed or vegetable tanned, aniline finish etc etc then i will check if i love dooney has it but im a sucker for knowing alll the details on a bag. I also wished the hardware had dooney engraved on it like other brands do, it adds this special touch. I feel like if it wasn’t for their Disney line and sports line and their returning customers they could easily cease to exist. I wish they did a better job, marketing and with their quality control. I got 8 bags with crazy issues that should have never made it through the cracks. I really love the quality of the actual leather, and at least their website does explain what type of leather it is and how it’s processed, most companies just say “leather” and we have no idea anything more about it, so that is very much appreciated that Dooney does. Also qvc why don’t they talk and try on all the colors!!! They pick 1 bag 1 color and that’s it! I want to see how the black looks against the clothes, the red, the blue! Geez! I cringe when I’m like please grab the other colors and show us lol. Idk if it’s to not overwhelm the customers or what! Yeah i saw some videos don’t even mention the measurements. I saw dooneys YouTube was active with videos for some time and they were cool videos about how the satchel is made etc and they have NOT posted in YEARS! I got confirmation from Dooney last week, NO bag is made in the USA anymore, not a single item anymore.

That is sad... no more bags made in the USA. I always bought them when ever I could.

Here's another picture of the Azure bag

 

[G.Allyn]

Good point about the attachment of the shoulder/crossbody strap.
I was glad to see that on the domed satchel they added D rings behind the
handles for the strap. But you are right, attaching the strap at the ends
of the bag is so much better.

We have to check each bag for all the little details to see how the design will
work for us and not get blinded by the excitement of the find.
I hand carry all my bags, so I often overlook the longer strap length and placement...
except when I'm writing a review and want to be as complete as possible for
someone else to make a decision. If I was using the crossbody strap then
the satchel you chose would be a much better option for me.

Yeah, I think I got caught up this morning in the excitement of the find. I mentioned that I have been hunting for a light colored satchel.

A doorbuster on ILD was a good price. It's the pebble grain (my very first pebble grain bag) called the Blair in bone. I hope it was an okay purchase. The price was good $408.00 on sale for $109.00. I could not find good pics or reviews and I think the long strap is stationary. That's strange! I've never had a bag like that before.

Also, some of you have noted weird strap placement. Dooney isn't as clear with online info as they could be with their customers. I guess I can always return for the $10.00 return charge.

Additionally, LJ has mentioned checking all prices at D&B, ILD and eBay. ILD on eBay had the bag at a sale price of $298.00 and on ILD it was $109.00. Thanks for the tip LJ.

 

[lavenderjunkie]

I ordered the Blair in navy a few days ago. I thought it was a great price,
but I paid more than you did. No price adjustments on ILD, and it doesn't
pay to return a bag for just a few dollars after you deduct the return shipping.
I haven't gotten my bag yet. I think the bone is stunning, but when I ordered
it was much more money. At that time, only the navy was at a good price.

I hope you love your Blair satchel. It's an older design. It reminds me very
much of Alto designs.... structured and understated.

I've never been disappointed in Dooney pebble grain leather.
I don't love every handbag style or color, but the leather is
consistently good.