Sorrento and Penrose Leathers

[lavenderjunkie]

Thank you for the info! I have the Sorrento satchel in the light pink and taupe colors that I bought early this year and the leather is really soft and supple. I was eyeing the double zip satchel in the dusty rose color but when I zoomed in on the photos it looked like a Saffiano leather to me and I do not like Saffiano leather at all (I previously had a shopper tote in a light grey color and it looked cheap to me and smelled a bit odd). Very strange as I would think Sorrento leather would be the same type of leather no matter what type of item it is?

It's great to hear that the Sorrento satchels you bought earlier in the year are soft and supple. The drawstring I bought this fall in Sorrento leather was also soft and supple.
That's why I was so disappointed that the double pocket satchel that I recently bought,
in the dusty pink, looked and felt like an entirely different leather. It was hard and
cheap looking. There was nothing 'wrong' with the bag, it didn't have any odors,
but the leather just didn't work for me.

I know it might be very durable (??) but the texture and feel of a leather handbag
is very important to me. I have given away bags
bought in past from any brand where I don't love the leather.
For bad weather, I have many pebbled leather handbags that just laugh at the rain.

I guess everyone has different needs and criteria for their handbag purchases.
And if you have a small collection, then each bag has to work in many situations...
so durability and weather resistance can be much more important.
And even for me, it's hard to pass up bags that seem like fantastic sale prices.
I can do lots of rationalizations and even deal with some features that might
not be my primary choice.... but I have to love the leather!

 

[G.Allyn]

I got caught up in the sales and the lure of some of the small batch 'odds and ends' leathers
that Dooney was selling on both the main site and ILD. I had visions of really high end leather.
My fantasy was not fulfilled. Based on my experience, and comments of others here and on
YT videos I'm going to conclude that each piece of leather could be different, some may be
great and others, not so much. And the styles and construction will also vary.
And, it is possible, that the items sold on the main Dooney site are superior to the ones on ILD.

I had previously bought a Sorrento drawstring. I loved the leather, it was soft but had enough
body so the drawstring handbag looked and felt great. I returned the bag because I didn't
like the construction details. So when I saw a double zip satchel in Sorrento on ILD for a great
price, I decided to give it another try. The bag is well made and the style is great. The leather
however feels like Saffiano leather or coated canvas to me. It's just not my vibe. It's very different
from the Sorrento leather drawstring. Both were ILD purchases within a few weeks of each other.

I also ordered the Penrose 2 satchel from ILD in the Royal Blue. It's a bright navy and looks
really nice. The accent stitching is white and there is dark whip stitching on the handles. But, I'm not
impressed with the leather. The bag I got has a very fine grain leather that isn't soft to the touch.
The satchel style looks fine, the back of the tassels are a lighter blue and look fantastic. The zipper
top folds over into a smile that I hope will deepen with time. And the leather may soften if I use the bag enough.

I haven't decided if I'm keeping this Penrose 2 bag. I think it will be a workhorse bag.... good size and
really scratch and weather resistant leather. But the tactile feel of leather is important to me
and this bag doesn't satisfy that criteria. But then neither do lots of other bags, like the embossed
exotic leather from Dooney and Brahmin. I love those bags for the look. I like this Penrose
in royal blue for the look. No wonder I have so many handbags. 🙄🙄🙄

I am caught up in the sales as well. The sales seem the best in a long time. Is it my imagination?

When everything arrives, the total is 1 Alto, 2 florentine, my first pebble leather and 3 cosmetic cases (2 are coated cotton/another first). I sent one damaged bag back and returned 2 others. One too small and one too big. I know the measurements are usually on the site and I measure bags I own before I place my order, but some bags still don't work.

I just put in an order for the Alto small Callista(?) in saddle. I have purchased at least 60 bags over the years and only have one saddle. It is the very tiny Alto Ella.

As LJ suggests, checking all 3 selling sites for the best deal is important, because prices really differ from D&B, ILD and eBay. The small Callista was $399 at ILD and $273 at D&B. D&B took the CYBERMONDAY promo code on 12/3.

Also, a few of us purchased the pebble leather Blair for a good price and it currently comes up as "not available".

Yes, the good deals get me every time. I want to thank everyone for their input when I asked questions during my D&B shopping spree.

 

[lavenderjunkie]

I am caught up in the sales as well. The sales seem the best in a long time. Is it my imagination?

When everything arrives, the total is 1 Alto, 2 florentine, my first pebble leather and 3 cosmetic cases (2 are coated cotton/another first). I sent one damaged bag back and returned 2 others. One too small and one too big. I know the measurements are usually on the site and I measure bags I own before I place my order, but some bags still don't work.

I just put in an order for the Alto small Callista(?) in saddle. I have purchased at least 60 bags over the years and only have one saddle. It is the very tiny Alto Ella.

As LJ suggests, checking all 3 selling sites for the best deal is important, because prices really differ from D&B, ILD and eBay. The small Callista was $399 at ILD and $273 at D&B. D&B took the CYBERMONDAY promo code on 12/3.

Also, a few of us purchased the pebble leather Blair for a good price and it currently comes up as "not available".

Yes, the good deals get me every time. I want to thank everyone for their input when I asked questions during my D&B shopping spree.

G: enjoy all your new treasures. That is the bottom line... over time we forget the exact prices we paid, even if we keep notes. And what was a great price, at the time, may
seem high when another sale comes along. We can't always get the lowest price, but we
can try! And that helps fuel the insane buying sprees that some of us get caught up in.

I'm impressed with your restraint. I'm done for a while.... unless there are some really great colors or prices on Alto or Florentine. Or an even lower price on a pebbled leather
bag I already have and love. 🙄🙄🙄

 

[G.Allyn]

G: enjoy all your new treasures. That is the bottom line... over time we forget the exact prices we paid, even if we keep notes. And what was a great price, at the time, may
seem high when another sale comes along. We can't always get the lowest price, but we
can try! And that helps fuel the insane buying sprees that some of us get caught up in.

I'm impressed with your restraint. I'm done for a while.... unless there are some really great colors or prices on Alto or Florentine. Or an even lower price on a pebbled leather
bag I already have and love. 🙄🙄🙄

I'm laughing! The old, "I'm done... unless" thought.

I really wasn't restrained, but I did keep the bags that were the perfect size for me and where I had color gaps in my handbag wardrobe.

I spent a crazy amount of money this month on clothing and handbags. So crazy, and it seems a bit strange, but I purchased a winter coat off eBay from Ukraine. Actually, it goes perfect with my Alto dark grey bag.

You have to buy clothes to go with the great D&B bags.

 

[lavenderjunkie]

I'm laughing! The old, "I'm done... unless" thought.

I really wasn't restrained, but I did keep the bags that were the perfect size for me and where I had color gaps in my handbag wardrobe.

I spent a crazy amount of money this month on clothing and handbags. So crazy, and it seems a bit strange, but I purchased a winter coat off eBay from Ukraine. Actually, it goes perfect with my Alto dark grey bag.

You have to buy clothes to go with the great D&B bags.

Styling outerwear as part of an outfit is something not many people focus
on these days. Good for you! I like to coordinate the color of my coat with
my handbag and outfit when I can. Sometimes it's a challenge to dress for
style and weather at the same time. 😁 But I prefer a pulled together look
to the rainbow approach.