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Vera Bradley is a brand I’m sure we all know and love. For me, this brand has defined my childhood and much of my teenage years, although even now the backpack I use for school is still a Vera Bradley bag. This company is best known for their use of colorful, distinct patterns which appear most popularly on duffel bags, small purses, wallets, and lanyards. However, they reached peak popularity during the mid-2000s and 2010s, and since then, these cutely patterned bags have faded somewhat from the public eye. How does Vera Bradley’s popularity stack up then versus now? Keep reading to find out.
Company Founding
Back in 1982, friends Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia Miller had the idea to use colorful, printed fabrics to make luggage more interesting. Since then, the company has expanded to sell all sorts of items in their iconic prints, such as bags, backpacks, accessories, apparel, and travel essentials.
Peak Popularity
In 2004, the company expanded and entered the online market. This propelled them into the spotlight, as now they were more accessible to the public than ever before. Everyone around the country and around the world had access to Vera Bradley’s line of funky fun luggage and baggage, and the spread of the products this company offered expanded from there.
Popular Patterns
One of the most unique aspects of Vera Bradley’s products is that they come in such fun patterns. Since their beginning, they’ve added new patterns yearly. Currently, their website offers specialty collections such as the Peanuts, Harry Potter, Disney, collegiate, and military collections. Additionally, they currently have 42 patterns from both their Winter 2021 and Fall 2021 lines that are available. One cool feature of the Vera Bradley website is that you can take a peek at all of the retired patterns too, and there have been over 396 patterns in the company’s history.
Still Popular Today?
So, what’s the consensus? Is Vera Bradley still as popular today as they were during the early 2000s and 2010s? That’s a tricky question to answer, but in my opinion, not really. While I still love to rock my Vera’s and routinely check out their new patterns and collections, they aren’t the huge commodity they once were.
What do you think about the brand Vera Bradley? Do you own any of their products and do you like them? Let me know in the comments below!