Dooney and Burke!
(Warning: Rant ahead!)
About six years ago, I made my first and only Dooney purchase. I bought a large tote - it had such a cute print and was just the right size, and looked sturdy as anything. What a pretty utilitarian bag, or so I thought!
I started wearing it, and a few days later it rained and the Dooney suddenly reeked of fish. I mean REEKED! I was shocked but I thought maybe it would just be a one-off. When I bought it, and when the weather was dry, it didn't smell, so it seemed ok. Every time it got humid or rained, the thing just STUNK. Two-off? No. Three-off? No. Months passed and the thing kept smelling like fish again and again (wake up to a humid day and a closet that smells like fish - wonderful!). It was unwearable on any day, because I'd never know if the weather was going to change and my bag would suddenly stink to high heaven. There's nothing like walking around smelling fish, having people think you smell like fish, and wondering if everything inside your bag or even your clothes will start to smell like fish.
I didn't want to throw out a basically brand new bag, so I put it aside (not in my home) for over two years (maybe 3 years) as a last ditch effort to air it out. I found it and it actually DID seem to have aired out, even though it had stunk so bad before I thought it never would (as if it had been made out of fish leather)! I started to use it. After a handful of uses, the stitching on where one of the handles attaches to the bag started to unravel. Soon enough the top portion of where that handle met the bag came loose. I got home one day to find I'd been walking around with a bag that had about 1.5 inches of handle that's supposed to be attached to the bag hanging loose, and there was a long, bright yellow ragged thread hanging beside it. Some other stitching on the bag started coming somewhat loose and ragged as well. It was once again unwearable, and still barely had been used at all. This bag was supposed to be sturdy but it was the opposite. I've had very delicate bags last through hundreds of uses and this bag I wore, what, 10 times? And many of those few times were bad experiences.
High cost per wear, not only in $ but in terms of hassle/upset!! I put it aside to get the stitching redone, because I still liked the print and the size, but haven't bothered. I know why, too: It seems like a total waste of time. If I did bother, probably some other stitching would come undone next, or there'd be a heavy rain and the fish smell would come back. Still, it's so hard for me to throw out a bag that still has been barely used and LOOKS like it would be such a useful bag. I also feel I can't sell it to recoup any of my cost, because what am I going to say? "Note: this bag has been barely used, but stitching has already come undone. This bag might have aired out but it might also start stinking of fish again, I'm not sure, so don't blame me if you open your package on a humid day and say I didn't warn you that you were getting a bag that reeks like a fish market. No, despite what you might assume, I've never used it as a chum bucket."
I was so frustrated with this bag, which was a complete waste of money and time, that I have not, and will not, buy Dooney and Burke again.
)
