My LV alma bb vernis noir magnetique...cute to look at but not functional for my lifestyle. I bought it last year and have NEVER used it.:shame:
What's the most disappointing bag you've ever bought?
- Thread starter heather123
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LV Alma in Mono. It is not functional al all, the zip is quite stiff and the bag does not look good crossbody on me...but when I was 16 and in Paris with my parents, I was sooo in love and so happy when my mom bought it for me at Galeries Lafayette.
Maybe I should just resell it, have not worn it for years...
Maybe I should just resell it, have not worn it for years...
Apart from bags which didn't end up suiting me / my lifestyle / my usage*:
- Foley + Corinna Jet Set Jr tote: The leather (Chocolate, from a couple of years ago) was a huge disappointment. It looked nice and pebbled from the online pics, but ended up being (i) glazed and shiny for some panels, and (ii) even worse, dry, matte and rough on other panels.
Yes, the leather wasn't even properly matched on the same bag! And to boot, the bag wound up being way heavier than I thought. (I originally bought it for everyday use during a holiday, but wound up having to buy an MZ Wallace shoulder bag halfway through the trip just to lighten my load!)
I had to intensely condition the rough parts of the leather to even get it usable, and it's now one of my "basher" bags, including occasionally for lugging my laptop on planes. (I figure, it can't get any heavier anyway!
)
- Rebecca Minkoff Matinee: Horrible experience with the quality that I had early on, as one of my first designer / contemporary designer bags. The bag came with a patch of badly-damaged leather, about the size of a quarter, and I never got an explanation for how that patch of leather could've even passed QC. The leather (Light Grey) also seemed like it'd be prone to potentially discolouring, even after just a few months of use, and I ended up selling it as soon as I could. From the recent posts in this thread, doesn't seem like the quality has improved much either...
ush:
- Belen Echandia: These are more from second-hand experiences that my friends had with buying BEs (pre-loved), but the ones my friends bought did not do well... The key problem I remember them mentioning was that the hardware (rings, magnetic closures, etc) all tarnished really badly. Glad I escaped any first-hand experiences with the bags...
The most recent Botkiers (last year or 2) that I've seen in person haven't impressed me much leather-wise either... Thin, glazed, even rubbery to the touch -- a pretty far cry from some of the leathers of past years (even as recently as 2011!) I still love my older Botkiers (2009 to 2011-ish) which have great leathers, but haven't bought anything larger than a small crossbody from their more recent years' of collections...
* - If I included these, this list would be much longer!
- Foley + Corinna Jet Set Jr tote: The leather (Chocolate, from a couple of years ago) was a huge disappointment. It looked nice and pebbled from the online pics, but ended up being (i) glazed and shiny for some panels, and (ii) even worse, dry, matte and rough on other panels.
Yes, the leather wasn't even properly matched on the same bag! And to boot, the bag wound up being way heavier than I thought. (I originally bought it for everyday use during a holiday, but wound up having to buy an MZ Wallace shoulder bag halfway through the trip just to lighten my load!) I had to intensely condition the rough parts of the leather to even get it usable, and it's now one of my "basher" bags, including occasionally for lugging my laptop on planes. (I figure, it can't get any heavier anyway!
)- Rebecca Minkoff Matinee: Horrible experience with the quality that I had early on, as one of my first designer / contemporary designer bags. The bag came with a patch of badly-damaged leather, about the size of a quarter, and I never got an explanation for how that patch of leather could've even passed QC. The leather (Light Grey) also seemed like it'd be prone to potentially discolouring, even after just a few months of use, and I ended up selling it as soon as I could. From the recent posts in this thread, doesn't seem like the quality has improved much either...
ush:- Belen Echandia: These are more from second-hand experiences that my friends had with buying BEs (pre-loved), but the ones my friends bought did not do well... The key problem I remember them mentioning was that the hardware (rings, magnetic closures, etc) all tarnished really badly. Glad I escaped any first-hand experiences with the bags...
The most recent Botkiers (last year or 2) that I've seen in person haven't impressed me much leather-wise either... Thin, glazed, even rubbery to the touch -- a pretty far cry from some of the leathers of past years (even as recently as 2011!) I still love my older Botkiers (2009 to 2011-ish) which have great leathers, but haven't bought anything larger than a small crossbody from their more recent years' of collections...
* - If I included these, this list would be much longer!
I may get hate for this but my black patent medium lady Dior. I loves the look, it's a stunning bag but it is so hard to get my hand in and out. I have one in lamb skin and it has softened a tiny bit and is much easier to get into but the patent hasn't softened.
Chloe Paddington! I loved the leather and look of the bag, but the hardware made the bag much heavier than necessary. Sold her and started buying Bals which are so lightweight and a similar size. Perfect for me.
This large Anuschka tote that I paid over 450 for. I thought it would be so cool to have this uniquely painted bag, and I ordered it online. But when it arrived I couldn't believe my eyes, it was like a costume piece; so gaudy! The lovely fresh green online was this yucky barf color since it was painted on orange leather (yes, their tanning was like Orange!). And the lining was some baggy nylon that didn't fit right ugh. Now it's just gathering dust under my bed; I listed it twice but no takers...
Saint Laurent Monogramme Studded Tote Bag in black. Absolutely gorgeous, chain strap -- but the closure was so inconvenient (a single skinny overlapping snap weighed down by a metal YSL logo, leaving the rest of the tote wide open) - it made a terribly loud noise whenever opened or closed. I loved the bag so much, but the racket it made every time you opened the bag (I mean, this was LOUD) & the risk of objects falling out due to the ill-designed closure... Thankfully, I realized this pretty much immediately & was able to return it. But I loved the look of it so much that it pained me to have to let it go 
I'm so glad I stopped myself from buying one, and then saw your post. After spending my time on the forum, I now have more awareness in what to look for with bags; when I saw how the handles are thin, sewn directly on to the bag, and the leather was lambskin, I thought it wasn't going to hold up. Thank you for confirming my suspicions! This thread is really a great one-going through it saves me a lot of $$!
ALEXANDER WANG SMALL LIA
It's such a gorgeous bag, but my god is it frustrating. You can barely fit anything inside because it's so stiff and small, and the curved edge makes it weird for things to sit in it. You can't fit a full size wallet in there. It's just deceivingly small and frustrating when you are trying to use it as a practical bag. There are only two real upsides to the bag, it's pretty, and you can set it down on the ground.
The workmanship just isn't there, and TBH I probable never will buy another alexander wang bag again since this one was just a nightmare.
It's such a gorgeous bag, but my god is it frustrating. You can barely fit anything inside because it's so stiff and small, and the curved edge makes it weird for things to sit in it. You can't fit a full size wallet in there. It's just deceivingly small and frustrating when you are trying to use it as a practical bag. There are only two real upsides to the bag, it's pretty, and you can set it down on the ground.
The workmanship just isn't there, and TBH I probable never will buy another alexander wang bag again since this one was just a nightmare.
A Minkoff "Nikki" briefcase. It was beautiful in the pics. And when I got it, the leather was INCREDIBLE. So soft, yet durable.
BUT. It would not stayed closed. The magnetic closure only worked when the thing was basically empty. Any weight in it and while it would stay closed pretty well when worn crossbody or on the shoulder, it would fly open from time to time. And forget about carrying it by the handle. It WOULD NOT stay closed.
I thought about taking it and getting a more secure snap applied. The leather was that nice. And it had matte black hardware. It was spectacular to look at. But I could not use it in daily life. At all. I really tried.
I ended up listing it and it sold within a couple of weeks. I got back what I paid and a bit more.
BUT. It would not stayed closed. The magnetic closure only worked when the thing was basically empty. Any weight in it and while it would stay closed pretty well when worn crossbody or on the shoulder, it would fly open from time to time. And forget about carrying it by the handle. It WOULD NOT stay closed.
I thought about taking it and getting a more secure snap applied. The leather was that nice. And it had matte black hardware. It was spectacular to look at. But I could not use it in daily life. At all. I really tried.
I ended up listing it and it sold within a couple of weeks. I got back what I paid and a bit more.
I hear you, JustLuvLeather. Once I actually saw one I was underwhelmed as well. They seem decidedly flimsy and garish. Definitely one of those bags that look a lot better on tv than IRL.