Vera Bradley and Greek Life

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

double ditto

Ditto her ditto. I think Vera Bradley are Fugly.

[NUBlue&Blue]

It's funny to see the different levels of popularity in different pockets of the country. They've been big here for a long time, but were much more exclusive before everybody and their brother carried them. Only small gift retailers or boutiques could get them (hence the Hallmark stores, although here no Hallmark stores carried them it was higher end boutiques). They were all the rage among my Longaberger lady friends back in the late '90's.

I think here they were waning in popularity amongst the collegiate crowd about the time my oldest daughter graduated from HS in 2005, because I only saw a few people carrying them at her orientation. I know more girls probably used the luggage at that time than as a purse. My daughters had a few in high school and they have the duffle bags for luggage, but they told me they are "over" Vera Bradley.

In our area now, when I'm sitting in the carpool line, every middle schooler I see walking down the sidewalk is carrying one, which we all know is the end of any trend. I think it cycled through here earlier than some places.

[dukemama]

The only people I know personally who carry Vera Bradley bags are my mom and my mother-in-law, who are 74 and 65, respectively.

'Nuff said.

[UGAalum94]

I think they will hang in there, just that the big trend may have peaked in some areas where they got really huge.

They may end up doing better with other parts of the line that aren't so obviously Vera, and of course, will continue with the old lady and diaper bag markets. I think the luggage also makes a lot of sense for any kind of auto travel.

There are some things about VB that I really like. The fact that they are usually washable is one of them.

[NUBlue&Blue]

It totally depends on where you live. My mom is 65 and she thinks they look like young girls' purses.

Maybe they're more common among younger people in the South and seen as old lady purses in the North. Who knows.

I only have 4, three of which look like the Pierre Deux patterns that have been around forever. I have one Java Blue bag, but it's not my favorite.

But it's like everything that becomes trendy--once everybody's got access to it, the early adapters don't want it anymore. I just thought it was interesting in the difference in levels of popularity depending on where you live.

[dukemama]

Originally Posted by NUBlue&Blue

It totally depends on where you live. My mom is 65 and she thinks they look like young girls' purses.

Maybe they're more common among younger people in the South and seen as old lady purses in the North. Who knows.

You may have a point there. My mom and mother-in-law were both born in New York State, and my family also lived in CT for many years.

[Sister Havana]

I'm in the Chicago area and see Vera all over the place, carried by people of all ages.