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Candace's Guide to Authentic Dooney & Bourke IT Collection Bags
I wrote this guide because I haven't seen any guides that deal with the IT Collection and ONLY the IT Collection. I own six IT Bags. The IT Collection consists of the original IT bags line, the IT Chain Collection, The IT Tapestry Collection, and the Tartan, Hearts, Stars, and Doodle lines. These were created by Dooney starting in 2003 to get younger shoppers interested in Dooney & Bourke.
Characteristics of all Dooney IT Collection Bags
All Dooney and Bourke IT Collection bags have a heart keyfob, with an exception of the Tartan line (excluding the Tartan tassel tote, which has the heart keyfob) and the IT Chain line. The Tartan and IT Chain line have a different kind of heart keyfob--theirs is a blue circle leather keyfob with a pink heart sewn on and of which contains three brass dots in it. The basic heart keyfob is brass tone with pink enamel paint color and contains the words "Dooney and Bourke." On tassel totes, the keyfob is attached via a knotted leather strap; on the bucket bag and doctor bags its a sewn zipper pull; and on the gym bag it is a sewn and attached leather that connects to the keyfob. The keyfob on ANY it bag is never, ever attached via chain--it is either sewn as a zipper pull or knotted so that it dangles from the bag, and it is always leather.
As with all designer handbags the Dooney and Bourke the stitching is perfect all the way through, both inside and outside. Nothing is EVER glued to an IT bag; it is always sewn! Look for immaculate stitching and attention to detail. Stitching is yellow on the outside around the leather and matches the rest of the bag if it is on the all weather PVC portion.
Leather: the leather on all Dooney and Bourke IT bags is vachetta leather, which darkens with age. New bags should have a faint smell to them. If a person is selling a used Dooney it should be darker in color than a new one. Even the blue leather on the Chain and Tartan bags darkens with age. Bags with tassels--the Tassel Tote, Tassel Satchel, and Mini Tassel Totes, should have immaculately trimmed leather tassels on them that do tend to bend outward with age. These are sewn to the bag, not glued.
Piping and interior: All IT Collection bags are lined in blue and have blue piping; the only exceptions are the IT Chain and Tartan lines, which contain blue piping and white on blue checked cotton lining. Lining is cotton, and usually contains some leather around cell phone pockets. Some bags, such as the Bucket Bag, contain an inner keyfob to attach car keys; with the IT bags this keyfob should always consist of a vachetta leather strap attached to a brass tone keyfob. If there are any zipper compartments inside, these usually have a vachetta leather pull that has reinforced stitching down the middle. The logo appears inside all lined bags; it is sewn and perfectly centered on all authentic bags. On tassel totes, there should be four side pockets and the lining is white on all bags except for black tassel totes, where it is black. Piping should be blue. Inner pockets should have on facing side the same design as the outside of the bag. Underside may vary, as for some reason Dooney did not match a few of them. All leather is trimmed in blue, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Zippers: Zippers on all IT Collection bags are rainbow in color and should open with ease; they pull back nicely. They should also be metal and the cloth surrounding the zipper should match the rest of the bag, with an exception for celery colored bags, in which the lining is blue. They should never be plastic or basic metal. Inside zippers typically match the lining, and are reinforced with sewing around the edges and a leather zipper pull (mentioned earlier.)
Outside: the exterior of all IT bags except for the DB IT Lunch bag is Poly-vinyl. Authentic bags are supple and yet sturdy; go visit Meier and Frank, Macy's, Nordstrom and feel them to know what I mean.
As with all designer handbags the Dooney and Bourke the stitching is perfect all the way through, both inside and outside. Nothing is EVER glued to an IT bag; it is always sewn! Look for immaculate stitching and attention to detail. Stitching is yellow on the outside around the leather and matches the rest of the bag if it is on the all weather PVC portion.
Leather: the leather on all Dooney and Bourke IT bags is vachetta leather, which darkens with age. New bags should have a faint smell to them. If a person is selling a used Dooney it should be darker in color than a new one. Even the blue leather on the Chain and Tartan bags darkens with age. Bags with tassels--the Tassel Tote, Tassel Satchel, and Mini Tassel Totes, should have immaculately trimmed leather tassels on them that do tend to bend outward with age. These are sewn to the bag, not glued.
Piping and interior: All IT Collection bags are lined in blue and have blue piping; the only exceptions are the IT Chain and Tartan lines, which contain blue piping and white on blue checked cotton lining. Lining is cotton, and usually contains some leather around cell phone pockets. Some bags, such as the Bucket Bag, contain an inner keyfob to attach car keys; with the IT bags this keyfob should always consist of a vachetta leather strap attached to a brass tone keyfob. If there are any zipper compartments inside, these usually have a vachetta leather pull that has reinforced stitching down the middle. The logo appears inside all lined bags; it is sewn and perfectly centered on all authentic bags. On tassel totes, there should be four side pockets and the lining is white on all bags except for black tassel totes, where it is black. Piping should be blue. Inner pockets should have on facing side the same design as the outside of the bag. Underside may vary, as for some reason Dooney did not match a few of them. All leather is trimmed in blue, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Zippers: Zippers on all IT Collection bags are rainbow in color and should open with ease; they pull back nicely. They should also be metal and the cloth surrounding the zipper should match the rest of the bag, with an exception for celery colored bags, in which the lining is blue. They should never be plastic or basic metal. Inside zippers typically match the lining, and are reinforced with sewing around the edges and a leather zipper pull (mentioned earlier.)
Outside: the exterior of all IT bags except for the DB IT Lunch bag is Poly-vinyl. Authentic bags are supple and yet sturdy; go visit Meier and Frank, Macy's, Nordstrom and feel them to know what I mean.
Colors
The original IT Collection consisted of two colors that are the "core colors" of the line: white and black. Other colors have come and gone: Raspberry (shown on bucket bag), Tangerine, Celery, Bubblegum, Periwinkle, Lilac, Grape.
The Tartan Collection consists of four colors: White Tartan, Red Tartan, Black Tartan, and Taupe Tartan. As of this writing, Dooney is discontinuing the Taupe and Red colors.
The Hearts Collection colors are white and black. They discontinued Celery and Bubblegum.
The Stars Collection colors are white and black.
The Doodle Collection colors are: white, black, Jeans, Aqua, Pink, and Taupe.
The IT Chain Collection Colors are white and black.
The Grape, Raspberry and Tangerine colors are shown here (depicted on the Mini Gym bag.)
The Tartan Collection consists of four colors: White Tartan, Red Tartan, Black Tartan, and Taupe Tartan. As of this writing, Dooney is discontinuing the Taupe and Red colors.
The Hearts Collection colors are white and black. They discontinued Celery and Bubblegum.
The Stars Collection colors are white and black.
The Doodle Collection colors are: white, black, Jeans, Aqua, Pink, and Taupe.
The IT Chain Collection Colors are white and black.
The Grape, Raspberry and Tangerine colors are shown here (depicted on the Mini Gym bag.)
Most Commonly Faked It Bags
Beware if you are buying any of the following bags as they are the most commonly faked bags in the IT Collection:
The IT Lunch bag: fakes are usually glued, not sewn. Even this basic plastic lunch bag from Dooney should be sewn and the sewing should be perfect. Authentic versions come wrapped (its the only one that comes like this) in plastic, their handles wrapped in plastic. Brand new ones often cannot stand properly as they have not been used. But look for the sewing; this is usually the giveaway. The authentic Lunch bag does NOT come with a registration card. The second version of the DB IT Lunch bag is shown below:
The IT Barrel Bag: the fake versions usually have the heart dangling from a chain; the poly-vinyl does not look right; the bag is not long or short enough; the inside is not blue as it should be and the biggest giveaway is the lack of rainbow colored zipper. The real barrel bag is long and but very short height wise in appearance; it looks like a very well detailed bag. The fake versions don't look as pretty. The most commonly faked colors are the white and lilac versions. An Authentic Periwinkle Barrel Bag is shown below.
The IT Pocket Zip-Top: The black and periwinkle versions are the most faked here; the biggest giveaway is off centered and non-brass hardware, plus the pockets are usually cockeyed. Fakes of this one usually have the right blue piping but the poly-vinyl does not look right and the heart zipper pull is not right, its often seen dangling from a chain. Stitching is usually marled and not as clean as it should be. Leather is not the right kind and usually does not age like it should if it was authentic. The pic below is of an authentic Pocket Zip-Top.
Tartan Tassel Tote: The Red, Black, and White versions are the most faked; the tassels are usually cheaper looking and may even be glued. Piping is most often brown, not blue as it should be. Tartan does not look right; the pattern is off. Heart keyfob is usually the wrong one: the one used for the rest of the Tartan line, not the IT heart keyfob as it is supposed to be. The red tartan tassel tote is depicted above, to the right of the Raspberry Bucket Bag.
Hearts Bucket Bag: the pink one is usually the culprit here; it usually has a brown lining instead of a blue one, and the hearts pattern is off. the white hearts bucket is shown below.
The IT Lunch bag: fakes are usually glued, not sewn. Even this basic plastic lunch bag from Dooney should be sewn and the sewing should be perfect. Authentic versions come wrapped (its the only one that comes like this) in plastic, their handles wrapped in plastic. Brand new ones often cannot stand properly as they have not been used. But look for the sewing; this is usually the giveaway. The authentic Lunch bag does NOT come with a registration card. The second version of the DB IT Lunch bag is shown below:
The IT Barrel Bag: the fake versions usually have the heart dangling from a chain; the poly-vinyl does not look right; the bag is not long or short enough; the inside is not blue as it should be and the biggest giveaway is the lack of rainbow colored zipper. The real barrel bag is long and but very short height wise in appearance; it looks like a very well detailed bag. The fake versions don't look as pretty. The most commonly faked colors are the white and lilac versions. An Authentic Periwinkle Barrel Bag is shown below.
The IT Pocket Zip-Top: The black and periwinkle versions are the most faked here; the biggest giveaway is off centered and non-brass hardware, plus the pockets are usually cockeyed. Fakes of this one usually have the right blue piping but the poly-vinyl does not look right and the heart zipper pull is not right, its often seen dangling from a chain. Stitching is usually marled and not as clean as it should be. Leather is not the right kind and usually does not age like it should if it was authentic. The pic below is of an authentic Pocket Zip-Top.
Tartan Tassel Tote: The Red, Black, and White versions are the most faked; the tassels are usually cheaper looking and may even be glued. Piping is most often brown, not blue as it should be. Tartan does not look right; the pattern is off. Heart keyfob is usually the wrong one: the one used for the rest of the Tartan line, not the IT heart keyfob as it is supposed to be. The red tartan tassel tote is depicted above, to the right of the Raspberry Bucket Bag.
Hearts Bucket Bag: the pink one is usually the culprit here; it usually has a brown lining instead of a blue one, and the hearts pattern is off. the white hearts bucket is shown below.
Why Register Your Dooney IT bag?
The registration card that comes with most Dooneys here on eBay is part of what keeps Dooneys from being like an ordinary bag. The card enables you to get a warranty for any repairs for one full year, and if after that year you send your bag in and it is discontinued or they cannot fix it, they will give you half the cost of replacing it. During the first year they will replace it for free. So if it comes with a card, turn the card in!
An authentic Dooney and Bourke bag is meant to last a long time. It is meant to be an investment and something you will treasure for a long time. Dooneys are thankfully not faked as often as other designer bags, but about half of all the traditional leather bags are faked and many sellers also sell the fake versions of the IT Collection bags. I'll be adding to this page from time to time to keep things up to date and make sure I haven't left anything out.
An authentic Dooney and Bourke bag is meant to last a long time. It is meant to be an investment and something you will treasure for a long time. Dooneys are thankfully not faked as often as other designer bags, but about half of all the traditional leather bags are faked and many sellers also sell the fake versions of the IT Collection bags. I'll be adding to this page from time to time to keep things up to date and make sure I haven't left anything out.
Is there such a thing as a Dooney Factory Outlet?
Unlike most designers, Dooney and Bourke DOES have factory stores. Dooney and Bourke items that come from such stores (the Dooney website has more info on them) are usually backstock, not defective items, and the tag on the inside of the bag is usually marked by a tiny cut so that the bag cannot be taken back to a Dooney store or Department store. These bags do not qualify for the warranty that Dooney offers and thus do not have registration cards.
Dooney also sells clearance priced bags at TJ Maxx and Ross; these also do not have registration cards. They are often similar to the items on the Specials section on the Dooney website. To get a clearance priced item with the registration card, you will need to purchase it at a store, from eBayers who specify that the card is present, and from the Dooney website. This is a really great way to get a Dooney at a good price, especially for people who cannot otherwise afford a Dooney.
Dooney also sells clearance priced bags at TJ Maxx and Ross; these also do not have registration cards. They are often similar to the items on the Specials section on the Dooney website. To get a clearance priced item with the registration card, you will need to purchase it at a store, from eBayers who specify that the card is present, and from the Dooney website. This is a really great way to get a Dooney at a good price, especially for people who cannot otherwise afford a Dooney.
What's So Bad About Buying a Fake Dooney?
I get asked this question all the time: why is it so bad to buy a fake handbag? Why is it bad to buy a fake Dooney? Or better yet, "I can't afford one, buying a fake lets me look like I did."
I did a report on this for my digital media essentials class. It wasn't limited to handbags but to the counterfeit industry in general. What I found is that the counterfeit industry is part of the reason why things cost waht they do; these companies lose money to counterfeiters and they have to repair their trashed names. The counterfeit industry has a connection with child labor, drug trafficking, terrorism, and the mafia. To put it bluntly, buying a fake handbag may mean that you are aiding in the next 9/11. Real designer handbags cost what they do for a reason: they are made well and made to last, and they often come with warranties.
I don't know who people think they are fooling when they carry a fake handbag. Here in Utah half of all the Dooney and Bourke handbags I have seen are fake. Its very noticeable because a fake handbag is not made as nicely. You are not fooling anyone by carrying a fake handbag. Save up for the real thing or don't buy one at all. You are not fooling anyone.
Lastly owning a fake handbag, selling a fake handbag, and carrying a fake handbag can get you into trouble. There have been rings of normal, everyday working people busted for trafficking fake merchandise. The FBI investigates such crimes, and you may even be sued by the company that owns the copyright. Don't you think for one second that they will not prosecute you!
So bottom line is, buy the real thing or don't buy one; get a cheaper bag from a different brand.
I did a report on this for my digital media essentials class. It wasn't limited to handbags but to the counterfeit industry in general. What I found is that the counterfeit industry is part of the reason why things cost waht they do; these companies lose money to counterfeiters and they have to repair their trashed names. The counterfeit industry has a connection with child labor, drug trafficking, terrorism, and the mafia. To put it bluntly, buying a fake handbag may mean that you are aiding in the next 9/11. Real designer handbags cost what they do for a reason: they are made well and made to last, and they often come with warranties.
I don't know who people think they are fooling when they carry a fake handbag. Here in Utah half of all the Dooney and Bourke handbags I have seen are fake. Its very noticeable because a fake handbag is not made as nicely. You are not fooling anyone by carrying a fake handbag. Save up for the real thing or don't buy one at all. You are not fooling anyone.
Lastly owning a fake handbag, selling a fake handbag, and carrying a fake handbag can get you into trouble. There have been rings of normal, everyday working people busted for trafficking fake merchandise. The FBI investigates such crimes, and you may even be sued by the company that owns the copyright. Don't you think for one second that they will not prosecute you!
So bottom line is, buy the real thing or don't buy one; get a cheaper bag from a different brand.
Guide created: 07/10/06 (updated 08/13/08)
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