Pattern Postulation

Normally my policy is "If you can't say somethin' nice, then don't say nuthin' at all". Unless of course it's laced with dripping sarcasm and irony and cloaked with an awesome parody photoshop. Never mind my evil twin. I have NO idea how she escaped.

I've been following a bunch of sewing bloggers [cough] Gertie, Peter & others [cough] for quite some time now and I keep seeing references to Colette patterns. Maybe I'm missing something since I don't actually own any, but for some reason they just don't appeal to me. I'm trying to figure out what exactly it is, but I just can't put my finger on it. And as MANY of you know, I LOVE me some sewing patterns. To the tune of nearly 1000 of them at last count. Yes, that was One Thousand. A one with THREE zeros after. Ahem.

Mens', Womens', Childrens', Toys and other things.

      Vintage, Vintage Repro, Modern, all eras.

            Downloadable, Printed, Non-Printed, Self-Drafted.

                  Big Four, Independents, Mail Order and More.

So it's not a case of "I ONLY sew [insert pet pattern type here]".

What is it about a sewing pattern that draws you in or turns you off? How do you decide whether to try a new pattern company or take a pass? Do you have any special criteria? Or is it just a gut feeling? What say you dear readers?