Travelon - why did you change your fabric

A few years ago I got the greatest travel purse for my birthday. It has gone with me on every trip and recently it has started to look a little travel weary where I got some sort of black stain on the edges.

I decided I would buy a new one, perhaps in a new color, even though I do like the look of my red one. After researching hundreds of bags online and in the local stores, I concluded that there is nothing better out there on the market and I should just get a another of the exact same bag.

The features I like are:

• It is an over the shoulder bag so I don't have to hold onto it or risk losing it while traveling.
• Its strap is sturdy and lies flat making it both comfortable and a thief deterent.
• It has a slot for my cell phone on the strap that closes with velcro so the phone can't fall out but is instantly accessible when it rings.
• It has lots of space and zippered pockets, but isn't bulky and it lies flat.
• The fabric is a rich red suede with a black lining. It feels rich and sturdy to the touch.
  

Hundreds of websites carry this bag by Travelon, so I searched high and low until I found one with the best price and I ordered it in "espresso" color which looked like a dark brown on ALL the websites. They all described it as made out of "microfiber" which seems to be correct because my sister's microfiber sofa also feels like suede.

WELL, the bag arrived quickly and I was bitterly disappointed. I can't blame the retailer who sold it as it came directly from Travelon so it isn't some cheap copy even though I thought it was at first. Somehow in the 3 years I've had my bag, Travelon has ruined the product.

Firstly the bag that arrived was a pale brown color rather than a rich"espresso" color. Some genius paired this pale brown with a bright lavender lining, and what they are calling "microfiber" is a shiny nylon looking fabric that (although looks tough) also looks cheap. Surprisingly in the photo I took above, I can't tell much difference in the fabric which explains why I was fooled by the website photos.

Had the color been the deep coffee brown I was expecting and the lining a complimentary color, I probably would have kept the bag despite being disappointed in the inferior fabric, but I would never have been able to carry this bag in these awful colors. They clash with themselves, let alone anything I would be wearing.

I wish I knew how to find an original in the old fabric. Does anyone know? The picture above is my old bag next to the new one. You can't see the lining in the photo, but take my word for it - it is hideous paired with brown.

Travelon - Why did you do this? What were your designers thinking? I used to be a fan, but I want my old soft suede back.