If you don’t mind, I’d like to be blunt and be done with it: I hate Vera Bradley. Along with other “Fashion Trends I Will Never Understand” (e.g. non-prescription eyeglasses, nude panty-hose, purse-riding Chihuahuas, etc.), the phenomenon of Vera Bradley has been a source of perpetual confusion for me.

I myself had never heard of the American design company until perhaps a year ago. Now, I am amazed by how many Vera Bradley bags I can spot in a day. With their overload of floral patterns and Play-Doh themed colors, these quilted cotton bags hardly blend in with the crowd. In fact, they fall perfectly into a similar category: “Fashion Trends That Hurt My Senses” or perhaps, “Top Ten Fads of the Anti-Chic”.