ILD
- Thread starter lavenderjunkie
- Start date
Hi LJ! I think something was wrong with their system Sunday, or they were updating it. I was looking for wallets and there were only four listed. On Monday (and today) things were back to normal. Trying to convince myself I "need" a Pebble Grain Drawstring bag. We're going back (went on 08/11 and walked away from one), to the outlet this week and I'll give it a second look if the colors I want (red or pink) are still available.
RN: good to know, I think, that there are more bags on the site.
More bags mean more temptations.
Regarding the pebble drawstring..... check measurements and weight,
inside pocket placement, and strap length. Some straps are easily detachable,
and some are not. And some straps are very thin and others much wider.
I became obsessed with
drawstring bags last year and wanted them in every color.
What I discovered is that the size varies substantially from design to design,
even in the same collection (leather).... so check all the dimensions. A small base
length and depth can really limit capacity. While a deep base can mean the bag
is very large, especially if it's also tall.
Also some collections (like Dillen), while stunning, are extremely heavy.
The newer pebbled leather is much lighter because it its much thinner.
Some YT videos have pointed out that the internal pocket placement on some of the drawstrings is not very functional. Apparently on some designs the pockets are
shallow or small, and on some the pockets are placed far down so they are
not easy to access quickly.
While the names of the bags might help, since they are so similar you can't rely on them and make assumptions. Check the specifics on each bag you are considering.
Happy hunting.
More bags mean more temptations.
Regarding the pebble drawstring..... check measurements and weight,
inside pocket placement, and strap length. Some straps are easily detachable,
and some are not. And some straps are very thin and others much wider.
I became obsessed with
drawstring bags last year and wanted them in every color.
What I discovered is that the size varies substantially from design to design,
even in the same collection (leather).... so check all the dimensions. A small base
length and depth can really limit capacity. While a deep base can mean the bag
is very large, especially if it's also tall.
Also some collections (like Dillen), while stunning, are extremely heavy.
The newer pebbled leather is much lighter because it its much thinner.
Some YT videos have pointed out that the internal pocket placement on some of the drawstrings is not very functional. Apparently on some designs the pockets are
shallow or small, and on some the pockets are placed far down so they are
not easy to access quickly.
While the names of the bags might help, since they are so similar you can't rely on them and make assumptions. Check the specifics on each bag you are considering.
Happy hunting.
LJ, as usual thanks for your insight and information. You addressed my three hesitations: 1. Strap: Detachable is a must. Although thickness doesn't (seem to) matter at this point. 2. Weight: It can't be too heavy because I'd like to be able to carry it when I'm walking if I choose. 3. Capacity: I need a bag that holds what I want to carry without squeezing things inside.
I'm currently carrying a $45 Amazon drawstring bag (Ljoseind) It has two outside pockets (front and back), two inside zipper pockets (back wall, and one in front of the back wall that is as deep as the bag, and not a center zipper pocket so it doesn't take away space), two front inside slip pockets, and one deep back slip pocket in between the two zipper pockets, which I use for all my pens. I'm not using the two zipper pockets so do I really need this much capacity? It's not heavy but I wouldn't call it lightweight. Why don't I love it? Because it's too slouchy. It doesn't look good when I'm carrying it crossbody, and I didn't buy it to carry it on my shoulder. (Although the handles are 9.5" and it works that way.) It may seem petty, especially since I love the weight, capacity, and strap, but it just doesn't look "pretty" when I'm carrying it crossbody and it just puddles when it's sitting. To use @Sunshine mama's phrase, It's not giving me Purse Peace.
Last edited:
Since none of us 'need' another handbag.... when we buy one it should make us happy.... and that's function as well as looks.LJ, as usual thanks for your insight and information. You addressed my three hesitations: 1. Strap: Detachable is a must. Although thickness doesn't (seem to) matter at this point. 2. Weight: It can't be too heavy because I'd like to be able to carry it when I'm walking if I choose. 3. Capacity: I need a bag that holds what I want to carry without squeezing things inside.
I'm currently carrying a $45 Amazon drawstring bag (Ljoseind) It has two outside pockets (front and back), two inside zipper pockets (back wall, and one in front of the back wall that is as deep as the bag, and not a center zipper pocket so it doesn't take away space), two front inside slip pockets, and one deep back slip pocket in between the two zipper pockets, which I use for all my pens. I'm not using the two zipper pockets so do I really need this much capacity? It's not heavy but I wouldn't call it lightweight. Why don't I love it? Because it's too slouchy. It doesn't look good when I'm carrying it crossbody, and I didn't buy it to carry it on my shoulder. (Although the handles are 9.5" and it works that way.) It may seem petty, especially since I love the weight, capacity, and strap, but it just doesn't look "pretty" when I'm carrying it crossbody and it just puddles when it's sitting. To use @Sunshine mama's phrase, It's not giving me Purse Peace.
Bottom line... it should bring us some joy to look at it and to use it. How we satisfy that varies for each of us as our needs and criteria are
different. The more I learn about handbag leather and construction, the more picky I get. A bag that is soft and slouchy is often made of poor quality leather, and I'm spoiled by the better Dooney leather. Yes, I know not all Dooney leathers are created equally,
but I have learned that just because a bag is labeled 'genuine leather' does not mean it's quality leather. That term is often used for what I call 'baloney leather'.... leather bits ground up with plastics and extruded into 'sheets' of 'leather' Very low quality, won't last long, and they don't give me pleasure to look at or own.
Don't compromise, you will find what you want.
The word "vegan" reminds me of diet food.It's "vegan leather", meaning it's not leather. It'll do until I find want I reallyneedwant.
Sunshine: vegan is a marketing word to make us think it's desirable....
vegan sounds so much better than faux or fake or synthetic.
And yes, there is a debate about which materials are
better choices for the environment..... a complex subject
for many reasons. And we must remember that vegan leather is
not plant based.... it's manufactured and contains plastics/chemicals.
vegan sounds so much better than faux or fake or synthetic.
And yes, there is a debate about which materials are
better choices for the environment..... a complex subject
for many reasons. And we must remember that vegan leather is
not plant based.... it's manufactured and contains plastics/chemicals.
It stands for I Love Dooney. I believe it is a legitimate "sister site" of the Dooney and Bourke brand. I am not sure why the sales are different at the two online platforms. I by more from D&B, but purchased a bag today at ILD.
Many on here can give you a better explanation. I hope all are well.
P.S. I noticed lavenderjunkie made a good point above about buying a new handbag. She writes it should have function as well as looks. The D&B bag I bought today was based only on color and functionality. I have been on a hunt for a grey bag and I think I am 5 years too late. I hope I like the bag better in person. The photo is boring.
Debbini: ILD is I Love Dooney. It's the official Dooney & Bourke online outlet site.
We tend to take for granted everyone knows what we are talking about.... and
it's not a good assumption. I'm glad you asked.
Check out ILOVEDOONEY.com just to get familiar with the site and its products and policies.
I've bought a lot of Dooney handbags online from ILD over the years, and they
are generally equal in quality and condition (everything is new) to purchases from anywhere else. They have a decent return policy, as long as you follow their rules.
But their Customer Service isn't flexible nor very responsive.
Debbini: and don't forget to look on this forum for info on sales/coupons.
There is not official process to post the info, but the ladies here use either
the 'sticky' sale thread at the top of the tread list, or another thread in the
discussion thread area.
If you have signed up for emails on ILD and/or Dooney.com, they will
send you sale email info directly.
No sense missing out on a sale or coupon! A tip: often you can't figure
out the 'price' of an item until you put it in your cart and then apply the
coupon during the check out process. But you can cancel before you
buy, so it's just an annoyance to have to do this, but not a problem.
Also know that the 'sale' prices and discounts change all the time. So you really
have to figure out the final 'price' to know if it's a great deal. Also the list prices
have gone up a lot (across the handbag industry), so half off of todays list price
might sound good, but if the list price was a lot lower a year ago, the bag could still
be more expensive. I think the best thing to do is keep track of the price, sale price,
and final discounted price on bags you really want. Then become a handbag stalker
and watch for the price that makes you say ....'buy now'. Not every bag we buy will
be at the best price, but on average, we all want to score our treasures and think
we saved a lot of money.
Happy shipping.