Dolce & Gabbana Miss Rouche Distressed Tote and Satchel

I really want to like the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Rouche Distressed Tote. It’s punky, edgy, soft, and has a leopard-print lining. It’s not over-designed or overly complicated. The leather is simply left baggy instead of pulled tight at the seams. I bet it’s light, too. But something about this says ‘garbage bag’ to me, and I just can’t shake that thought when I look at it. Perhaps it’s a bit too wrinkly. Maybe it’s the extra strap (which does not look removeable – a pet peeve of mine) that’s coloring my perception. Does this ever happen to any of you? Do you ever look at a bag and really WANT to be impressed, and you just can’t muster it? Buy through Saks for $1,995.

Or maybe it’s just that it’s black. The very similar Miss Rouche Distressed Satchel is hitting a homerun for me (ok, well, sort of), but it comes in a greyish white that makes the purse not quite so…garbage bag. You can also see the slouchy details much more clearly with the lighter color, and the bothersome extra shoulder strap appears to be something that can be removed (thank you Jebus). A much better effort, all in all. It’s the kind of thing that I would be excited to carry – odd, unexpected, not everyone’s taste. I don’t just WANT to like it – I DO like it. Buy through Saks for $2,195.