Why are Radley bags so universally hated?

[AlpinePony]

I am currently in the market for a good, fairly staid winter work bag in the region of 100-150 pounds.

I bought a Radley "signature" bag back in 2002 - before I knew it was "signature" and it's been around the world and used every winter since and still looks great, no problems with stitching, no tears, etc. Biro leaks are not Radley's fault!

But I get the impression from S&B that Radley bags in general are detested, "boring" and "crap". Why is that?

I'm 37, not 7 - so I won't be needing a satchel for my school books any time soon. I don't like "fuss", so come on - tell me what's wrong with them, what is wrong with this ?

I have this radley bag. It's dead plain and I love it. I also have a red one that's a bit more slouchy and less structured but also dead plain.

I'm not generally a radley fan though. Can't stand the dog/applique/tassels.