The Definitive MANBAG Thread, Part II: 2014~

[Kira]

@rach2jlc , what exactly is the Pink Dolphin Society? I'm guessing it isn't a conservation group?

Do you know any good trade shows in Texas?

Those Ferre bags are awesome!

However, they got nothing on this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/11142238246...49&var=410407972793&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


I was thinking about spending more $ on a nice tan or exotic briefcase, and keep my cheapo handbags as beaters.

On a serious note, here's one that I'm considering:

 

[cyc wid it]

I wish Drew's helmet bag had gone into production.

 

[fazalmajid]

Slightly off-topic question: how do you store/organize your bags? I have 45, and have a spreadsheet to keep track of them all, organized by size and color. I used to have a ledge in my man-cave I could just line them up against, but since I moved I lost that feature, and I can't afford to go all Imelda Marcos and build a storage room just for bags, specially at San Francisco real estate prices.
I've been thinking of picking up a commercial rack, the kind shops use to display women's handbags, like this one, but I was wondering if SF members have more creative solutions.

 

[sepp]

The rack seems like a good idea. Just a thought: do hanging bags like this 24/7 by their handles will cause some permanent indents into the leather?

 

[jorijori]

Hi Majid, wow 45 bags with spreadsheet file, my wife would kill me if I have that many bags. I have only 2 bags now & waiting for my Linjer order. My previous bags were a Coach satchel in cognac & 2 LV serviette ambassador (black & brown) briefcase bought in SF Union Square. I always grab a slice of Blondie pizza each time I visit Union Square. SF is my favorite city & I left my heart there

I store my bag I didn't use in its dust bag with silica gel for moisture in a closet )

 

[rach2jlc]

Kira... I forgot not everybody read all the old "Dumb" threads. Pink Dolphin Society means gay men (or women). There's a much longer story to it than that, but anyway...

Ostrich is fun, but honestly you'll find its versatility limited. It's such a standout that it'll get noticed everytime you use it... and not necessarily in a good way. It's sort of like if you have a flashy garment... even if you wear it only once a month or two, it'll be remembered each time so people think you wear it all the time.

I love exotics (check out my exotic hide page) and have had lots of strange bags over the years. My SS09 Ferre tricheco (walrus-skin) suitcase was probably the craziest. In addition to being a very rare hide, it was also my most $$$ bag (at retail). Thank goodness I got it for a song at a sample sale... but the tag read 15,000 Euro or something close to it. Even picked up reasonably it was a dumb purchase that I didn't need... it sat unused in my closet for a year or two until I sold it.

For storing bags, I tend just to have them in dustbags on a wide shelf I had built in my closet. It keeps them safe without the indentations mentioned above (hanging them up can put a mark/depression on the handles if the leather is soft).

I'm not opposed to the rack idea, though; honestly I don't have 45 bags and so wouldn't really need one. I've had hundreds of bags over the years, but I'm not a collector. If a bag doesn't get used within six months like I hoped when I bought it, I either sell it or give it away to friends/family. At any one time, I probably have 8-10 bags, not counting accessories like folders/portfolios.

Found this old "blast from the past." This was the first Tom Ford for YSL briefcase he did back in 2002. He recreated this for his current TF line with a few tweaks. These things were built like tanks; when Gucci bought YSL they intended it to be their premier line, produced above/beyond Gucci and the others. Prices and quality were stellar. Nothing like the crap today.

(on the right is his current TF version... the "Buckley" Suede brief at $3500.

 

[sepp]

Guys, what are your thoughts on Mulberry especially those for daily use (backpacks or messengers)?

 

[rach2jlc]



Guys, what are your thoughts on Mulberry especially those for daily use (backpacks or messengers)?

I was waiting for somebody to ask about Mulberry. I find them ludicrously overpriced. At one time, they were a nice "under the radar" brand priced less than the "big" brands. Last time I saw them on MrPorter, however, I saw that they are now at ultrapremium pricepoints.

In fact, I was hoping LInjer would talk about them... because I'm curious if they use the same tanneries/factories. Most of the recent mulberry I've seen was made outside of Europe (Turkey/China/etc) with leather sourced accordingly. I'm guessing they can't actually say what other brands use the same factories (non-disclosure!) but I'm admittedly curious...

The difference? The mulberry briefcase is $1800+. I like the styling, though, and they make decent quality stuff. The prices are wildly crazy, though. Others with more knowledge please chime in, though. I've never actually purchased a Mulberry bag for the above reasons, though I've checked them out often enough in Japan (where they are very popular).

ps. another brand to watch is Givenchy. A LOT of their bags are now made in China/Turkey/Morocco, but still at ultrapremium pricepoints. So, be aware that your $1900 backpack might be made in China of so-so leather and really cheap hardware.

 

[sepp]

Sincere thanks for the response.


Pricing aside (someone can get me staff purchase price), I do like their toned down designs as opposed to some of the current loud designs (LV? MCM?) favored by rich Asians.


There was an article that mentioned Mulberry is pushing its prices too high and had alienated a whole group of its loyal customer base.

 

[rach2jlc]



Sincere thanks for the response.

Pricing aside (someone can get me staff purchase price), I do like their toned down designs as opposed to some of the current loud designs (LV? MCM?) favored by rich Asians.

There was an article that mentioned Mulberry is pushing its prices too high and had alienated a whole group of its loyal customer base.

+1. I like Mulberry styling as well. They have some very nice men's totes and such.

I think my credit here is good enough I don't sound like a shill... but go look at the Linjer page. I didn't mention Mulberry specifically to avoid any conflict, but I find them in the same quality/styling arena. Are Mulberry or LInjer like LV Nomade or Hermes Barenia? Nope.

But, like I said above, I'd not be surprised at all if the truth came out that Linjer and Mulberry were produced in the same factories or tanneries. That should shock brand bag buyers to see how much markup the big players can sustain.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/417448/...fficial-affiliate-thread/100_100#post_7417661

My mom used to work in the office of a food plant; they made brand stuff for famous companies (Nabisco and such) and then on the SAME lines made the generic stuff for grocery stores. While you'd pay $3.50 for the nabisco thing... you'd pay $1.90 for the generic stuff, produced exactly the same. I wonder how much is like that here with bags.

 

[rach2jlc]

Just to illustrate what I mean above, and how much has changed in the last decade, here are a few of my bags and the retail prices paid. My basic thesis to bag buying is that while I'm not a "high roller," I will pay good money for a bag that is worth the money. MOST of the brands these days are not, so I've sought alternatives.

Prada AW2000 canvas/cinghiale (wild boar) messenger. Retail was less than a thousand bucks. You'd pay north of $2000, and the bag wouldn't even be "real" cinghiale these days.

LV Damier Bastille (look online for pics). I paid $840 in 2003. Nearly twice that now.

Jil sander SS05 buffalo bag. Believe it or not... retail was $1155. How much now? You don't want to know.

LV Runway tote from AW2006. I think it was $1690 retail. Can't even imagine how much now.

Jil Nappa messenger from 2001. Retail was $800. You can't even get a wallet for that now.

Hermes Porte-ordinateur Victoria from 2003-ish. Retail was $2200, amazingly. The Victoria bags now are north of $5000.

SO... when I recommend searching for good "under the radar" alternatives, there is a reason. Unless you are exceedingly wealthy and willing to put up with subpar products for your money... be creative and find the smaller guys providing nice bags at REASONABLE prices.

 

[qubed]

So what luxury brands do create high quality products? It seems every fashion house out there has a $2000+ briefcase, and some of them have recently caught my eye (in particular Burberry & Dior). But since these brands don't really focus on leather goods, I'm wary I'd just be buying an very overpriced, outsourced, shoddy product.

 

[rach2jlc]



So what luxury brands do create high quality products? It seems every fashion house out there has a $2000+ briefcase, and some of them have recently caught my eye (in particular Burberry & Dior). But since these brands don't really focus on leather goods, I'm wary I'd just be buying an very overpriced, outsourced, shoddy product. 

The two you mentioned (Burberry and Dior) are the worst of the bunch. Believe it or not, price notwithstanding, Gucci and LV make lovely stuff at the "top end." It's pricey, but it's quite good. Prada, too, at the very top end luggage line still makes a nice bag, if you don't mind the price. Margiela also still makes good stuff, though I like to check out in person.

If I wanted a brand bag at $2000+ I'd probably go for Bottega or Loewe. Bally (typically) isn't bad as well.

The worst of my list are Ferragamo, Dior, Burberry, Mulberry, Paul Smith, Bvlgari, Mont Blanc, Dunhill, and Givenchy. Unless at drastic discount I wouldn't even consider them.

 

[qubed]

The two you mentioned (Burberry and Dior) are the worst of the bunch. Believe it or not, price notwithstanding, Gucci and LV make lovely stuff at the "top end." It's pricey, but it's quite good. Prada, too, at the very top end luggage line still makes a nice bag, if you don't mind the price.

If I wanted a brand bag at $2000+ I'd probably go for Bottega or Loewe.

The worst of my list are Ferragamo, Dior, Burberry, Mulberry, and Givenchy.

It's not so much that I want a branded bag, it's that a particular bag will catch my eye with it's color/style that you can't find anywhere else. So it's either buy it from them, or not at all.

I've been a big fan of what Frank Clegg is doing. I think my next bag will be from them.

 

[rach2jlc]



It's not so much that I want a branded bag, it's that a particular bag will catch my eye with it's color/style that you can't find anywhere else. So it's either buy it from them, or not at all. 

I've been a big fan of what Frank Clegg is doing. I think my next bag will be from them. 

Oh, style-wise all of the brands I mentioned are great. The $1800 tote from Paul Smith on mrporter is lovely LOOKING. The style is great. Up close, though, the quality is crap for $1800. Same with Dior. Same with Ferragamo (10 cent zippers and cheap fabric lining??? Retail : $1740) Great style... horrible quality. I've said this often before, but I had a good friend who worked for LVMH and used to tell me directly to avoid Dior like the Plague unless I wanted to buy a new bag after six months.

The thing is... you CAN get those bags elsewhere. You can go bespoke for nearly the same money. Or you can search out a smaller "under the radar" brand. It takes a little more research/time... but it's worth the effort.

Unfortunately I know next to nothing about Clegg, so I hope others will chime in.

Short message is that if you have the $$$, who cares? Buy whatever you want. If you are on a limited budget, you have to get creative and smart in order not to get a ****** bag. Just because it says "Made in Italy/UK/USA/France" means next to nothing.