Bridget Davies Handmade iPod Covers
Review

Bridget Davies Handmade iPod Covers
Price: £32 ($55 US), including postage and packing to UK
Sizes: Currently the classic iPod and iPod mini, other sizes available soon
Web site: http://www.bridgetdavies.co.uk

There was an article in a recent issue of Cosmopolitan that indicated that the majority of British women would spend any little windfall they came into on an iPod. The iPod has certainly become an essential fashion accessory, combining amazing functionality with dazzling good looks. But as any iPod owner knows, the iPod needs some protection from the outside world if you want to keep it all sleek and shiny, and to fill that market dozens of different companies have produced a huge variety of iPod covers. Most of the cheaper ones are fashioned from synthetic fabrics, and while they might do the job, they totally ruin the look of the iPod.

Now, with Christmas around the corner, any guy who wants a bit more than coal in his stocking is going to need to come up with something good for his significant other. Assuming your good lady already has an iPod, Bridget Davies might have just the thing for her: handmade iPod covers. Each is a unique work of art, produced from suede and silk, stitched and embroidered by hand, and available in a range of colours to match any outfit. In short, these are fashion-house quality items.

But what really makes them special is the price: at £32 (about $55) a piece, these things only cost marginally more than the mass-produced ones you can pick up at PC World. So not only do you get something that wife or girlfriend is going to adore, you do it without breaking the bank, a plus in anyone’s book!

As well as iPod covers, Bridget Davies produces a variety of other handmade items including cushions and jewellery wraps; her line of handbags in particular would complement the iPod covers very nicely and would make exquisitely indulgent presents. Besides Christmas presents, these iPod covers would make excellent gifts for birthdays, and the ones made from white fabric look to me like absolutely wonderful presents for bridal showers.

OK, now to the specifics: the iPod cover I ordered was charcoal grey with lilac trimmings cut to fit a fourth-generation iPod. Bridget Davies does have a web site, but ordering is done by e-mail. Prices include delivery within the UK, but she will ship internationally though postage will add slightly to the final price. I got my iPod cover within two weeks of ordering, but since these are handmade items made to order, you probably want to place your orders as soon as possible.

As far as features go, these covers adopt a minimalist approach. They aren’t toys for geeks, and what you get is a padded suede pocket embroidered on the outside with the design of your choice. The suede is durable and easily thick enough to keep the iPod from being scratched. It is sized to be a very slightly tight fit, so that the iPod is held in place. A silk ribbon forms the tie that stops the iPod sliding out, and if you need to see the iPod screen or press any of the iPod’s buttons, you’re going to need to open the ribbons and slide the iPod out. Bottom line, these covers are really for lightweight use, and I wouldn’t use one while cycling or playing sports, where one of the more heavyweight iPod covers would make better sense.

All in all, I’m glad I came across these iPod covers, and warmly recommend them to anyone looking for a useful but very stylish and feminine gift this Christmas.