The Definitive MANBAG Thread: Post Feedback/Brands Here. - Page 13

Counting Prada-made Jil, Helmut, and Miu Miu, I've had probably 30-35 of their bags since the late 1990's. As such, IMHO I find that they actually make a really extensive, quite lovely men's collection. It's just that very little of the really good stuff is distributed outside of their major flagships. SO, if (like me) you don't live in NYC, Milan, Paris, or Tokyo, you often get stuck seeing the crappy Nylon garbage and red stripe "sport" junk at upscale department stores. As well, they have various levels of quality and materials, so not all items are created equal, even though both APPEAR to be made of the same material. Prada fabric/leather designations (this will be on the tags/cards) and my comments on the ones I've had: * Bufalo - Buffalo Leather: Holds up well, very soft but thick and rugged. * Canapa - Canvas: Very sturdy, but soft and gets softer/better with age. Not stiff. * Cinghiale - Wild Boarskin: Thick, structured, stiff, but holds up well and has an interesting grain/texture. * Coccodrillo - Crocodile: What's not to like about Croco? But costs about $10K for a bag or more. * Daino - Deerskin: I like their deerskin a lot; soft and shows wear, but gets better with age. * Nappa - Full Grain Leather: Nice, but soft and kinda delicate. Be careful if you can't stand marks on your bag. * Saffiano - Textured/grained calf: The above VS0088 bags are Saffiano. Holds up well. * Spazzolato - Polished Calf: Looks nice at first, but over time I think it starts to look dirty and dull. Wouldn't recommend for a daily use bag. * Tessuto - Woven Microfiber: The better travel items tend to use this on the nylon bags. Holds up FOREVER. * Vela Sport - Nylon: Tends to be on the cheaper/more accessible and sport-like nylon bags. Holds up, but not as nice as the tessuto. * Vitello - Calf Leather: Holds up well, looks great with age, though it can show marks and scratches. * Vitello Pocket- Calf Leather: Not sure the difference between reg. Vitello, but seems to be a little softer. I had a document case/portfolio in this and it felt softer than the standard vitello items. Shows more marks than the regular, too, so be careful. LINK to website with illustrations of each kind: http://pursewatch.blogspot.com/2007/...ials-list.html

Anybody need a 28,000 euro weekend bag? What a great color, though... Ferragamo Crocodile Weekender: Or this black Zegna one: Bamford (at Bergdorf Goodman) And leaving them all in the dust for absurdly overpriced bags... is the Chanel giant Biarritz... which in 2007 was nearly $50K (IIRC):

You're welcome; it's been fun to add pics and see those of others as well. In my opinion, every guy needs at least three bags: 1) Brief or top-handled tote: good for work. (get leather and keep it simple... like black, brown, or MAYBE navy) 2) Messenger Bag/Mail bag: good for going out/non-work occasions/when carrying a laptop (or for school) (canvas, nylon, or leather, and make sure it doesn't look like something the US Army gave you) 3. Duffle/weekender: travel with it and use as a carry-on. (canvas or leather, dark brown or black is great, but lighter natural canvas looks nice, too.) After you have those three for "basics," you can get some fun ones that aren't that durable/useful, but you just "like." You'll notice I didn't put a backpack/rucksack in there; IMHO, if you're over the age of 20, or not a student anymore, and you're NOT a mountain climber, then it's time to LOSE the backpack.

+1. Of course, backpacks have their uses and I freely admit a slight bias in my opinion. BUT, I just think that it's such a shame to see a guy wearing an otherwise decent outfit and have a big-ass nylon knapsack, better suited to climbing the Himalayas with a Sherpa, on his back, like a tumorous unsightly growth or some sort of Quasimodo-like hump. It just seems that many guys fail to see their appearance as an inclusive package; they worry about the jeans and shoes, then match it with a cheap, dorky bag or backpack that looks totally out of place. From socks to fragrance to watch to bag, God is in the details. And, fellas, there is life outside of Filson, too, btw.