If you've been following the Discontinued Styles page here on Totes Dagne, you
may have noticed quite a few items crept their way onto the list. Many
of them happen to be my all-time favorite styles! Instead of writing a detailed
review for each style (if I haven't already), I'd like to share a few photos and thoughts about all of them in one post. This post has been well over two years in the making, by the
way 🌚
As much as I love Dagne's leather bags, I understand the shift to neoprene. I
know I couldn't have built the collection I have without buying their leather
bag styles second-hand. Zero of my Charlies (or Simones!) were purchased through
Dagne Dover directly, and the two Avas I did purchase through the website were
heavily discounted during a sample sale. Although the leather bags will always be my favorite, I only found myself purchasing
consistently from the brand itself after the focus shifted to small leather
goods and neoprene styles. (The referral/rewards programs have been vital for me in that
regard as well.)
Jan 2019: To give you some perspective on what a bad customer I was
while these bags were still available: after adding up all of the
discontinued styles I own, I discovered I only purchased 21% of those styles
from Dagne Dover directly. If you remove the Elle Clutches from the
equation, it drags that percentage down to a measly 9%.
I'm long overdue for a Lola review! I decided to go the video route with this one, and I've included some additional information and thoughts in this post. The video has no narration and includes packing tests, size comparisons, and instructions for adding a strap to your Lola (to create a "Frankendagne"—more on that here if you're interested!) Consider setting the video quality to 1080p for a better viewing experience.
Small Lola
8”L x 5 ¼”H x 3 ¾”W
MSRP: $75.00
Although I recently moved to a small Scout pouch for this purpose, I found the Small Lola to be an excellent holder for smaller items I want to easily switch between purses: hand sanitizer, pills, Kleenex, individual wet ones packs, lipglosses/chapsticks, pens, earbuds, purse hook, a regular-sized BAGGU bag, and other essential items. It also fits nicely in Dagne Dover's other leather bags (including the Ava and Small Allyn).
Large Lola
10” L x 6 ½”H x 4 ½”W
MSRP: $105.00
I've seen the Lola advertised as a clutch sometimes over the years, but I didn't really 'get' the appeal until I tried it. I'm a musician and use an Onyx Charlie Tote as an instrument bag and a Large Lola to hold supplies on stage. My husband offered to take my instruments home after a recital so I could get lunch with my fellow musicians unencumbered, so I loaded my phone/iPad/wallet in the Large Lola. It was surprisingly nice to carry as a clutch and easy to keep on my lap during the meal.
I use my Large Lola in Haze Camo to store my reed-making supplies. It fits on top of my instrument case inside the Charlie Tote if I need to take my supplies with me.
The Large Lola in Onyx made its on-stage debut in April. I love that it matches my Charlie and looks less conspicuous on stage than the Graphite Lola I used previously.
Frankendagnes
Coach offers chain straps for $35 in Light Gold, Silver, Black Copper, and Dark Gunmetal. For more information about adding a strap to your Lolas (and other strapless DD bags), click here!
Additional Packing Test Shots
Small Lola in Small Landon
Small Lola in Ava Bucket Bag
Small Lola in Small Allyn
Small Lola in Small Dakota
Thoughts
While the Lola Pouches might not be an "essential" Dagne Dover piece to own (the neoprene Hunter pouches do have a similar silhouette at a lower price point, after all), they're versatile and elegant and I would absolutely recommend you try one out. Keep an eye on the Sale page for seasonal colors at a steep discount—when I wrote my original draft of this post several months ago, the costs for the remaining FW19 colors were $49 for the Small (normally $75) and $59 for the Large (normally $105).
Did this post help you choose a Lola Pouch? Let me know what color you got! Leave me a comment here or on Instagram (@totesdagne).
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.
If you're looking to buy used Dagne Dover items, please consider using my Poshmark, Mercari, Tradesy, and/or thredUP referral codes to receive sign-up bonuses for yourself AND to support me and my shopping habit. Your support is greatly appreciated!
