I have two very close friends that are SAs. One used to live here and has transferred up north and the other is still close by. Accordingly, I kind of remain in the honest "in the know" about the bags. I was steered away from the neverful by both when one of my daughters was looking at it. The SAs don't care for the bag. It's kind of a running joke actually. One of my friends just rolls her eyes when you mention it. They have SO many complaints they say they don't even like to sell this bag because while they don't get commission, their pay is affected by their numbers and unhappy customers do not make for happy SAs.
Also, I don't need to have actually purchased a bag to have an opinion on how it looks. I get to my boutique once a week on average because I'm often at the mall where the boutique is so I've seen it in person many times. I just don't think the bag is luxurious, pretty or up to the standards for what LV is known for. Even absent all the quality problems which are well-known (and a girl in the office next to mine went through the cracking straps with the ebene MM), but even without that, it's just missing the za za zoom (as Carrie in SATC might have put it -ha ha!) is missing.
My one friend (SA) put it best when he said that this bag is marketed heavily towards a certain clientele that want a huge monogram palate, but aren't looking for classic, luxury LV. When one of my daughters asked her about the neverful, she started literally laughing and said, "Oh no, no, no! Not that one!"
it's funny. If you have a close friend working for LV, you not only hear all the bad and good, but it's really fun hearing what bags the people who work day in and day out, who make their livelihood with the company, feel about style, versatality, quality, and luxury.
In making my decisions, I factor in my own love for LV since my first bag in the mid-70s, many years of experience with enough bags I'd hate to count them, my two friends (one of whom has been with LV over 10 years), my daughters opinions (which factors in the youth vote - LOL!), experiences that I hear about and modeling pics here as well as seeing this bag IRL on so many people.
Mostly though with the neverful, for me anyway, it's the lack of luxury and the fact that there's just nothing to it. If it didn't have the canvas, would this be a bag that you would feel was worth $700? With other LV bags, there is care and hard work, luxury, beautiful leather, hardware, attention to detail. They look like they are worth what they cost. I have a babylone that is many years old that is utterly gorgeous. My daughter stole it for college to carry her laptop. The work that went into that bag with it's cowhide lining, gorgeous trim, beautiful straps - that's what LV was known for. While they are shifting a tad to reach a more mainstream clientele and sell lots of bags, I think it's important not to lose the soul of the brand, the luxury and what used to set it apart, what drew the exclusive clientele years ago, and fostered the lovely bags that last for years. To me, the neverful (and some other newer bags) are a stark and disappointing departure that makes me sad.
How can you resist, especially since part of the cost will be a present. You can always get a NF, it'll be there. I have the Damier NF GM as my tote and love it, although I do not like the NF as a hand bag/PM&MM sizes.
since u barely carry any school books anyways, no need for the neverfull eh? alma in rose florentin is preeeeety. Can't wait for ur reveal and maybe even modeling pics!? happy shopping!