Pages

Monday, October 29, 2018

Review: Dagne Dover Accordion Travel Wallet in Bone


In addition to the small Allyn and small Dakota, another item from the FW18 collection that seriously piqued my interest was the newly released Accordion Travel Wallet. I'd been using my Lychee Accordion Wallet for eight or nine months by that point and was excited by the prospect of having a place for my coupons and my fat stacks of $1 bills to lie flat. I originally ordered two colors—Bone and Oxblood—and returned the latter because it arrived with a small but noticeable indentation. I came close to ordering an additional one in Sienna to match my Allyn, but I waited too long and the discount code I planned to use expired last night. #oops

I enjoyed using my small accordion card case, but the first time I whipped out the accordion travel wallet to pay for something, I remember feeling so...sophisticated. So adult-like.

Elegant AF.
Here are some factoids and observations about the wallet that you might like to know:

  • SpecsL 6.75” x H 4.25” x W 0.5”, .2 lb weight

  • It fits 1, possibly 2 cards per slot (although I would recommend sticking to one per slot to avoid over-stretching the card slots and leaving harsh intentions against the bottom flap);
  • The small center section is the perfect size for a small stack of additional cards (or other card-sized items);
  • The back compartment fits an iPhone 7 or similar-sized phone in a thin protective case;
  • Bills generally lie flat;
  • Opening and closing the magnetic flap = a most satisfying experience;
  • The wallet fits inside many of Dagne Dover's smaller items. (See the next part of this post for photos!)


I do, however, have an issue or two with the wallet—particularly relating to the card slots.

  • I find it can be difficult to slide the middle card back into the correct slot, as the slot sort of closes up while the card is out. (I imagine this issue will improve over time and with further use.)
  • The external card slot is becoming less and less secure by the day—my card will actually fall out of the wallet after a few upside-down shakes or with just one aggressive upside-down movement, but adding a small piece or two of a grippy under-rug texture to the inside of the slot might help. (I'll add an update to this review with the results if I try that.)
  • I'm a big fan of the Ava, and this wallet doesn't have a designated 'place' inside the Ava like the accordion wallet did; it's too large for the phone/card case slots. Pinning the wallet against the center divider using the small Lola will probably be the way to go.


That being said, I am impressed with this wallet overall and plan to keep using it for the foreseeable future. The loosening of the external card slot is my one big gripe—otherwise, my experience has been pleasant.

  • One new feature I'd be excited to see in future releases would be to have tiny D-rings either tucked/flipped into the accordion folds or placed just under the curve of the flap, which could potentially allow the wallet to be carried on a thin chain when flipped outward. (And if they ever released this wallet in the Geo Mirage print from their SS17 collection? OMG.)

Out of curiosity, I tried placing the Accordion Travel Wallet in my smaller Dagne Dover items to see if—and how—they fit. Here's what it looks like in the Small Elle, Large Elle, Small Andra, Medium Andra, Small Lola, Large Lola, Ace Fanny, the Original Clutch Wallet, and the Tiny Tote! (Click here to see how it looks in the Small Allyn, here to see how it looks in the Petite tote, and here to see how it looks in the Small Dakota.)


Small Elle


Large Elle


Small Andra


Medium Andra (fits horizontally)


Small Lola (unsnapped only)


Large Lola



Ace Fanny


Large Scout Pouch


Original Clutch Wallet (still zips!)


Tiny Tote 



Please let me know if you have any questions or requests for additional comparison photos—I'll do my best to help. If you decide to make a first-time purchase through Dagne Dover, please consider clicking this link for $20 off your first $100+ purchase! (If you make a qualifying purchase, Dagne Dover will gift me $20 in spending credit as part of their new Dagne Rewards program!) The link will take you to Dagne Dover's home page, where a unique $20 off code should pop up after a few seconds. 

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Review: Small Dakota in Heather Gray


I recently bought what can only be described as a small "haul" from Dagne Dover's FW18 collection, and one of the many things that had piqued my interest about the FW18 collection aside from the small Allyn was the announcement of the small Dakota. I don't use my regular-sized Dakotas often—just for travel, which I haven't been doing much of this year—and I remember wishing there were a smaller version I could use more often. Ta-da!


The contents of my small Dakota include a Dagne Dover travel wallet, Dagne Dover Lola pouch, sunglasses case, and a bottle of water. I put my phone in the front zip pocket sometimes (and/or shove receipts in there when I leave the post office 🙈); as for my keys, I either clip them to the outside of the backpack or stuff them into the adjacent small zip compartment on the back side. I carry the backpack by one strap over my right shoulder (unless I'm on a long walk) and still find it unobtrusive. The side slip pockets are also a decent place to tuck an external battery pack or a regular iPhone/similarly sized phone, although doing so might require two free hands and a surface since it's a snug fit.

6x9 paperback (in main compartment)
5x7.5 paperback (in main compartment)
I'm very impressed with the small Dakota—it's everything I hoped it would be. I particularly like that the small Lola and Travel Wallet fit inside comfortably, and I appreciate the overall ease of use. I even have a second small Dakota in Dune lying in wait with my neglected Avas (which is a shame because they, too, are excellent bags)! 

Hand sanitizer, external battery pack
A heads up: my "ideal for/not ideal for" breakdown of the small Dakota is similar to the one I did for the small Allyn.

  • Specs: 9.5" L x 5” W x 13" H, 1.8 lb weight

Ideal for: everyday use (errands, casual settings)

  • This smaller backpack size is great if you're looking for something that can hold a few larger items (like a water bottle) in addition to your essentials. If you have small humans or pets to wrangle, the backpack style is even handier than the cross body option on the small Allyn!

Not ideal for: toting large quantities of supplies/documents around, carrying larger/unsecured valuables around in high-crime areas

  • This is by no means a work or school bag. The small Dakota technically fits a 12" macbook sans case, but it needs to be tilted (lower front to top back) to prevent the corners from creating indentations at the top of the backpack—reference photo here. While I don't think I'd recommend it, it could technically work if you won't be carrying much else along with it (although you might want to take a look at the Ryan and Weston laptop bags that were recently released as an alternate smaller-bag option).

  • Depending on how you carry/zip the backpack, you can also minimize the risk of having your possessions pick-pocketed. For example, there's a larger interior zip pocket toward the bottom half of the bag that would be great for stashing wallets/valuables, and because the interior zipper stops right around the base of the exterior zipper, it would not be an easy zipper for a thief to find, let alone grab hold of/manipulate without you noticing. (The travel wallet fits in this pocket, FYI.)



Please let me know if you have any questions or requests for additional comparison photos—I'll do my best to help. If you decide to make a first-time purchase through Dagne Dover, please consider clicking this link for $20 off your first $100+ purchase! (If you make a qualifying purchase, Dagne Dover will gift me $20 in spending credit as part of their new Dagne Rewards program!) The link will take you to Dagne Dover's home page, where a unique $20 off code should pop up after a few seconds. 

Friday, October 19, 2018

Review: Dagne Dover Small Allyn in Sienna



I was stoked when I heard Dagne Dover released a small version of the Allyn. As much as I've enjoyed using my full-sized Allyns this year, they only emerge from their dustbags when I need to travel—I don't consider them 'everyday' bags.

Here are some of the reasons why the new small size is a game-changer:

• It comes with a longer shoulder strap (which can apparently be made closer to a crossbody length by pulling the grommets past the notches, although I can't speak to how comfortable the strap would be in that case);
• It fits a 12" macbook (sans case) in the padded tablet sleeve;
• It fits my essentials (laptop, sunglasses case, water bottle, small Lola pouch, and DD wallet);
• It's easy to get things in and out of their respective compartments;
• It's comfortable to wear and carry.

The Ava has been my favorite Dagne Dover style to date for everyday use, but the small Allyn might just take its place. Two minor annoyances I have with the Ava are the lack of interior compartments (either zipped or for larger items) and the overall bulk of the bag, and the small Allyn has neither of these issues—and taking into account the thinner silhouette and the external cell phone pocket, the small Allyn now feels like the more 'effortless' option of the two. (Which is saying something because I'm a huge Ava fan!)

Specs: L 12" x H 10.5" x W 4.75" (snapped), L 16.5" x H 10.5" x W 4.75" (unsnapped), 11.25" handle drop, detachable shoulder strap drop length: 13" - 15", 2.5 lb weight

Ideal for: everyday use (errands, social engagements)

I would absolutely recommend this bag if you're looking for a new everyday bag that can hold a few larger items in addition to your essentials, and I would also recommend the Sienna color in particular. It's one of those colors that shifts under different lighting and continues to look amazing.

Not ideal for: toting large quantities of supplies/documents around or for use in high-crime areas

I'm hoping to test out the medium Allyn as a work bag because I don't think the small Allyn would cut it for the purpose space-wise; for example, it just barely fits a thin standard binder. I wouldn't recommend this bag if you're in an area with a pickpocket epidemic, as the bag is very easy to get in and out of. (Update: I now have a comparison post featuring all three Allyn sizes! Click here to view.)


Did you know it even comes with a built-in cat toy?
Color comparison: Rust Suede and Sienna
Please let me know if you have any questions or requests for additional comparison photos—I'll do my best to help. If you decide to make a first-time purchase through Dagne Dover, please consider clicking this link for $20 off your first $100+ purchase! (If you make a qualifying purchase, Dagne Dover will gift me $20 in spending credit as part of their new Dagne Rewards program!) The link will take you to Dagne Dover's home page, where a unique $20 off code should pop up after a few seconds.