Top 10 Vera Bradley Patterns with Placement Issues

The concern of pattern placement is very real. Patterns with large designs and/or blocks of color can be tricky. Bigger bags have fewer placement issues, but small items can totally leave off your favorite part of the pattern.  I do think some ladies are too concerned with pattern placement, but who wants a bag with a decapitated bird on the front? The top 3 patterns below I would always request to see the actual item you are getting, if you're buying them online.

1. Yellow Bird –
   

   

   as I've mentioned before, when Vera Bradley's Chinese factory made a lot of items in this pattern upside down and these are available at the outlet sale. So on top of the high possibility of getting a decapitated bird, the bird could also be upside down!
2. Floral Nightingale –
   
   this pattern didn't have the upside down issue like Yellow Bird, but the chance of having decapitated birds on this pattern is also very high.
3. Midnight with Mickey –
   

   

   pattern placement with all the Disney patterns with characters on them really make this list: Disney Dreaming, Bouncing Bouquet, Just Mousing Around, Mickey's Magical Blooms, and Plums Up Mickey. Even Mickey Meets Birdie and Perfect Petals can be an issue. However Midnight with Mickey tops them all. You can get items with no characters on them (and some ladies prefer that), or with bad placement. The characters on this pattern are the largest of the Disney patterns; therefore, making Midnight with Mickey the most difficult Disney pattern for great placement.
4. Canterberry Cobalt/Magenta –
   
   
   
   
   the dominant colors on these twin patterns are black, white, and gray. Sometimes getting the cobalt or magenta colors on smaller items like the Zip Id Case and Lanyards is really hard to find. Also, the symmetry of the circles and where they cut off on the bigger bags like the Tote can bother fans of these patterns.
5. Twirly Birds Pink/Navy – two more bird patterns with the same decapitation issue. However, the birds are swirled into the design, making them more abstract and the issue less prevalent.
6. Animal Kingdom – just even looking at the fabric swatch in the Retired section online at verabradley.com shows you the potential decapitation issue! The giraffe's head is cut off by the border!
7. Heather – this pattern is intricate but the florals and paislies are large, combined with large sections of solid colors. One bag can have more of a purple look while another has more teal. Some ladies aren't fans of the yellow flowers in this pattern. I love all items in this pattern, but I can see where someone can be stuck with a swatch of the pattern they don't like on a bag.
8. Imperial Toile –
   

   

   another pattern with large designs, so placement can be tricky. I have the hard laptop case in this pattern, and I picked it because of the full pagoda on the front.
9. Baroque –
   

   

   although a popular pattern, many do not like the bright yellow/neon green color in the pattern. There are others who want less white in the pattern. It's much easier to hide the dirt that comes from normal wear on the black and gray than the white.
10. Pink Elephants –
    
    the elephants are small, so on bigger items decapitation isn't much of an issue. I have seen it bother ladies on smaller items like the Zip ID Case. The rows of elephants can make the pattern look crooked, or exaggerate if there really is crookedness. This is an issue with the border on the Turn Lock Wallet in particular.