The Definitive MANBAG Thread, Part II: 2014~

[sepp]

@goobus,

Please report your bag hunting in Tokyo.

I will be there next April/May too.

 

[rach2jlc]



Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I will definitely check out Isetan!

Do you have any brands I can look out for? I'm quite inexperienced when it comes to checking out bags, so I'm not quite sure what to look for, or how to differentiate good from bad leather, etc. If you have a few Japanese brands which you vouch for, that would be very helpful for my shopping experience.

There are TONS. Also be sure to hit up the "UNITED ARROWS" stores in Shinjuku. SHIPS and BEAMS are also nice, but they are mostly clothing (with a few bags here and there). One JP domestic brand I like is called "Somes" (Soam-ayes). Classic, high quality, and fairly priced.
http://www.somes.co.jp/store/

Somewhere on here is a thread about various JP brands; edit; I found my old post and will paste it here.

A few off the top of my head:

Aniary, Somes, Bravura DelT, Wild Swans, Fujitaka, Yukino X United Arrows, Tomorrowland, Hergopoch, L.E.D. Bites, Baggy Port (AWFUL name but nice bags), Borsa Casa

http://cou-shop.jp/
http://www.aniary.jp/
http://www.borsacasa.com/products/detail47.html

Keep in mind that with the current yen-dollar exchange rate, adding proxy fees and shipping, these bags are no longer really affordable or a "great buy."

If you do a google search, you can generally find the pages adding the Japanese word "bag" in there (because obviously "borsa casa" by itself will probably give you a million unrelated sites.) If you don't speak Japanese, just copy and paste バッグ　into google with the brand name you want. (like "Fujitaka バッグ")

 

[joeamerican]

Nanamica

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I will definitely check out Isetan!

Do you have any brands I can look out for? I'm quite inexperienced when it comes to checking out bags, so I'm not quite sure what to look for, or how to differentiate good from bad leather, etc. If you have a few Japanese brands which you vouch for, that would be very helpful for my shopping experience.

26-13 Sarugakucho Shibuya-ku Tokyo
150-0033 Japan
TEL/FAX：03-5728-6550
OPEN：11:00〜20:00
MAIL：

Bring me back some Purple Label size L

 

[Kira]

Are there any decent offerings from Versace? I don't even think @rach2jlc has ever discussed the brand..

 

[rach2jlc]



Are there any decent offerings from Versace? I don't even think @rach2jlc
has ever discussed the brand..

We've talked about Vurr-sayce before (haha "Showgirls" reference); several of us have (or have had) Versace pieces. Members @designervalet and especially @spoopoker know it very well, too... and I hope they will see it and chime in.

IMHO, the trouble with Versace mainline is not quality, alas; the mainline bags are usually built like tanks and will probably last forever. Unfortunately, the styling sometimes borders on the garish/hideous... or changes in style so rapidly season by season that it's hard to call it a "go to" brand. Consistency, not quality, is my issue. Pricing is up there with the other "big" names, but the quality is generally a good bit better than Gucci/Prada.

My final assessment for Versace in 2014 is of a brand that has been on creative life support for a long time. They have made several strides to be relevant again (hiring Plokhov from CLOAK for a few seasons to reinvigorate), but it wasn't really enough. Like Gianfranco Ferre, Helmut Lang, or Claude Montana, they are a brand that just never really could survive the passing (or retirement) of their namesakes.

 

[Kira]

I went to an outlet mall on 'Black Friday', and there was a large crowd at the Michael Kors store... it would give @rach2jlc a heart attack!

 

[kevlovlevis]

Hi people, especially @rach2jlc !

I'm usually a backpack person, ranging from SLP, Gucci, and Givenchy. I recently am considering converting to messenger since I am growing older and slouchy messenger looks nonchalantly cool IMO, especially when you're walking in the city (and plus you know where your bag is at, compared to backpack). I've been loving this Balenciaga Day Men, price point isn't that bad considering it's all leather, but friends said it is a girly bag, while I completely think it's not and if it is indeed girly, I believe I can pull it off without looking like a tryhard fashion diva. Here is the link, any input is appreciated muchly!

http://www.balenciaga.com/us/shoulder-bag_cod45222028tb.html

 

[DesignerValet]



IMHO, the trouble with Versace mainline is not quality, alas; the mainline bags are usually built like tanks and will probably last forever. Unfortunately, the styling sometimes borders on the garish/hideous... or changes in style so rapidly season by season that it's hard to call it a "go to" brand. Consistency, not quality, is my issue. Pricing is up there with the other "big" names, but the quality is generally a good bit better than Gucci/Prada.

This. I've owned two Versace bags and have been impressed with the quality: nice leathers, good hardware, solid construction. If you can find one you like secondhand, the value is great; they keep very little of their value (maybe 10% of original retail). Of course, they don't have near the production or distribution of a bigger house, so they're few and far between.

Yeah, the styling can be tacky. I do weirdly like the quilted leather "Couture" bags, even though I'm unlikely to ever buy one.

 

[Peter1]



Hi people, especially @rach2jlc !

I'm usually a backpack person, ranging from SLP, Gucci, and Givenchy. I recently am considering converting to messenger since I am growing older and slouchy messenger looks nonchalantly cool IMO, especially when you're walking in the city (and plus you know where your bag is at, compared to backpack). I've been loving this Balenciaga Day Men, price point isn't that bad considering it's all leather, but friends said it is a girly bag, while I completely think it's not and if it is indeed girly, I believe I can pull it off without looking like a tryhard fashion diva. Here is the link, any input is appreciated muchly!

http://www.balenciaga.com/us/shoulder-bag_cod45222028tb.html

No, hardly "girlly." My concern would be that it's not really a messenger bag, because the strap isn't long enough to go across your body. Otherwise, nice sleek bag in what looks to be a useful size. Can you buy and return?

 

[DesignerValet]



I've been loving this Balenciaga Day Men, price point isn't that bad considering it's all leather, but friends said it is a girly bag, while I completely think it's not and if it is indeed girly, I believe I can pull it off without looking like a tryhard fashion diva. Here is the link, any input is appreciated muchly!

The Bal messenger is a solid, seasonless piece; not girly at all, IMO. I love a good zip-top messenger myself, and have considered that exact bag in the past. Price isn't bad either, and I'd take it over any canvas bag Gucci/LV/Prada is selling these days.

 

[kevlovlevis]



No, hardly "girlly." My concern would be that it's not really a messenger bag, because the strap isn't long enough to go across your body. Otherwise, nice sleek bag in what looks to be a useful size. Can you buy and return?

Yea I actually can, Balenciaga online allows me to do that...

 

[rach2jlc]



Hi people, especially @rach2jlc !

I'm usually a backpack person, ranging from SLP, Gucci, and Givenchy. I recently am considering converting to messenger since I am growing older and slouchy messenger looks nonchalantly cool IMO, especially when you're walking in the city (and plus you know where your bag is at, compared to backpack). I've been loving this Balenciaga Day Men, price point isn't that bad considering it's all leather, but friends said it is a girly bag, while I completely think it's not and if it is indeed girly, I believe I can pull it off without looking like a tryhard fashion diva. Here is the link, any input is appreciated muchly!

http://www.balenciaga.com/us/shoulder-bag_cod45222028tb.html

Agree with the above; Balenciaga is usually a good bet and they've been fair on pricing. Star/asterisk/qualification to that remark...

I'd avoid Givenchy; I have no idea how they get those prices for made in china (or Romania, Bulgaria, etc.) stuff. I liked the old Boateng days, but I was one of the very few. Tisci gets a lot of hype... but I find it unwearable and costumey, not to mention the pricing and quality.

What is SLP? It's been a long day, so maybe my brain is just slipping.

In other news, visited Chicago for work last weekend and took some visits to check out the goods. Went to Saint Laurent... yikes. Prada was a joke. Jil sander, interestingly, looked nice (designed by a team as their new director will start next season). Quality was good and the prices were a bargain compared to the others (a great rucksack/large shoulder bag for $1300).

Found Serapian at Barneys, which I reviewed after Pitti Uomo last year. Overall, though, I was left largely unimpressed with the "big" brands, which has been my mantra/repeated theme the past few years. Go for the smaller, under the radar brands. Ignore all the big players. Their day is past.

 

[kevlovlevis]



What is SLP? It's been a long day, so maybe my brain is just slipping.

It's YSL, Saint Laurent Paris now

 

[rach2jlc]



It's YSL, Saint Laurent Paris now

Oh, ok. Sacrilege! You are banished from my thread. (haha j/k)

 

[kevlovlevis]



Oh, ok. Sacrilege! You are banished from my thread. (haha j/k)

Lol! I thought people started calling SLP since 2012. Anyway, I got my backpack for $500, it's no big deal for lugging around things to class. Why is the brand so bad tho? It got the hype for rtw and shoes around here. Sorry for my mainstream brand bags, I just can't shell out money on Margiela bags, it just doesn't "LOOK" well designed to me and plus for some reason I tend to buy more popular brands for accessories, not at all the case for clothing.