Going Old School: Manhattan Portage Waxwear Bag

This is the last installment of my Commuter and Dad Bag Test. I have had the chance to examine and test numerous bags from a number of brands spanning a variety of styles. From nylon messenger bags built for urban transport to a classic leather mailbag ready to handle a lifetime of ageing. I have also gained an appreciation for the many companies out there looking for the next big thing in transporting your stuff.

I’ve tried some very cool bags that have so many pockets, flaps and zippers that I almost needed an instruction book to remember where I put my house key. One bag had no outside pockets at all, not one; so every time I needed to access my metro card, up came the giant flap and a panicked search would ensue. That one didn’t last long.

Perhaps because of all the impressive advancements in the bag market, I also have a much greater appreciation for the basics. The J. Peterman Counterfeit Mail Bag is an excellent example of what I consider mastery of common sense. It is simple, sturdy, beautiful and totally functional. Is it perfect for all your needs? Probably not, but that’s not the point. Every time I carry it, I get at least one compliment before I even reach the office.

The last bag I tested was another simple and timeless design by Manhattan Portage, one of the original messenger bag companies. The Waxed Vintage Messenger Bag (model #1605V-WP, $60.00) sounds slightly intimidating, but it’s really a wonderful bag that has real personality outside of its functional role.

The company itself can be described the same way. When it was founded in 1983, Manhattan Portage had a simple philosophy, “a bag for everyone.” 25 years later it still holds true. Across the globe, from Boston to Osaka, Manhattan Portage’s line of bags are indeed everywhere and carried by everyone. I even saw one on a barge trip in Provence, France.

As a company, Manhattan Portage remains loyal to its New York roots. Because their designs are functional and straightforward, the bags always seem to be in style - no mean feat in a city that’s constantly in search of something new and different.

Manhattan Portage has been able to avoid becoming another fleeting fad and withstand the test of time because their bags do. In fact, a fascinating April 2007 Esquire story documents the survival and subsequent examination of the writer’s messenger bag after making it out of lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001. That’s one tough bag.

The one I tested, under far less strenuous conditions, is nonetheless a robust bag that will be around for a long time. Constructed of waxwear, it is a little heavier than similar nylon-based bags. What is gained though, a natural and durable material, is worth the difference.

The fabric used by Manhattan Portage is from Herbert Rice, one of the top makers of waxed fabrics. Waxwear, a trademarked product, is a cotton-based fabric impregnated with a paraffin formula derived from recipes from the turn of the last century. Proofed against inclement weather, it maintains the breathability of cotton. And, as anyone with an old Barbour jacket can tell you, it ages really well.

Smaller in appearance than I expected, this bag is deceivingly large and its single main compartment comfortably swallowed multiple books, pads and other weighty stuff. There is a small zippered pocket on the rear inside panel well sized for pens, keys and loose change. My bag is lined with a day-glo yellow that makes it easy to find most anything in there – no dark corners.

Closure is achieved by a wide Velcro strip that extends across the front of the bag. The flap’s underside is outfitted with two vertical mating strips that hold the flap snugly in place; easy to open and close. The strap is heavy duty Cordura and sizing is managed by a strong metal buckle.

Overall, this is one of the most useful messenger style bags I have tested. Its size and design are practical and the waxed navy blue material blends well with most outfits short of a suit. It’s definitely a keeper.

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‘Would I Look Good in This?’

One of the things I am always aware of, being overly concerned with my appearance and wardrobe, is my ability – or indeed, inability as the case may be – to vary personal style. It’s certainly a good thing to have what one might refer to as a ‘uniform’; a safe combination of shirt, jacket, tie, trouser and shoe that you can always rely on but the risk with such uniformity is that you tend to avoid experimentation – as well as risking the affliction of peace of mind with sartorial boredom.

Many people are capable of identifying themselves with a particular mode or style: “It’s nice but it’s just not me…”, “I’d love to be able to wear that, but I have my way of doing things.” They appear content in the knowledge that contentment is illusory; after all, we’d all love to be able to do many things. I wouldn’t mind winning Wimbledon or discovering the cure for a widespread disease but I recognise my own limitations and the fact that those things are not going to happen is something I accept.

And the grass, so they say, is generally greener on the other side of the fence. Whilst the public lavish attention and adoration on the celebrity, the celebrity constantly seeks the shade, the private life; unable to comprehend the desire the anonymous have for a life in the bright lights of fame. A man of considerable style might pace the streets with apparent confidence but a glance in the direction of an alternatively attired chap might set the wheels of his mind whirring for the possibility of change.

In style, confidence and self-security are vital components. Without them the supposed man of style is a poseur and pretender; a charlatan who hasn’t conquered the infuriating tendency of fashionistas to tinker and tamper. However, it must also be recognised that the very essence of personal style is self-discovery. Experimentation and dabbling are important aspects of this discovery – the man of one suit might not lack funds, but imagination.

Maturation also plays a role. Roger Federer admitted he was always the shy teenager, forever in sports clothing, until he grew into his hidden passion for clothing, making friends with the movers and shakers of the New York fashion set, revealing his ‘embarrassing’ joy in shopping for clothes. Many men go through this period, some earlier than others, and some enter it without realising quite what they are letting themselves in for.

I believe in the idea of personal style; I believe it is detectable and identifiable. Or at least it should be. My fear of remaining too ‘uniform’ is a symptom of my interest in fashion. I am confident in the clothes I wear, and the clothes I choose to buy, but I am often afraid that I am only touching a percentage of the ‘style’ that is available to embrace. I fear that the ‘uniform’ has become my identity; someone recently complimented me on my usefulness in emotional situations as I always decorated my jacket pocket with a silk square. I was somewhat nonplussed. The very idea of predictability can either crack sartorial confidence, or it can strengthen and galvanise.

Naturally confident, even arrogant individuals will see this as an acknowledgment of their signature; Lagerfeld for example would have no problem in being identified as the monochrome man. However, this places external recognition and honour at the heart of one’s style and that can never do; if you dress for someone other than yourself, it is strikingly obvious that you are doing so.

I think the fear of wanting something that you do not have and being someone you are not is pointless; no collection, no matter how large, is ever complete or the owner satisfied. Imelda Marcos is an illustration, albeit an extreme one, of the minutiae in differentiation the collector can note. Such a collector never stops wanting what they do not have and acknowledging that weakness is important; ‘travelling’ in all it’s forms is a favourite pastime of the human being and we never seem to tire of it. The evolution of your wardrobe is just as remarkable as the evolution of your personality and at times, one often reflects the other.

The personal desire of variety is natural and, though I have issued rather stiff words on ‘confidence in personal style’ and written on achieving a peace with your own gut-understanding of ‘what style means to you’, the reality is that curiosity, though it has been distributed in different quantities, is in all of us.

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The Split Yoke

There is almost no good journalism about men’s style these days. Outside of this and a few other websites, no-one produces objective, informed and above all critical writing about clothes, brands and products.

I flicked through a magazine called Man About Town last week (a recent launch in the high-end fashion sector, only on its second issue) and found 20 pages about the business of fashion. Should be interesting, except that it comprised several double-page spreads on brands including Dunhill and Church’s, merely describing their luscious interiors, history of craftsmanship and key pieces.

Not one critical or substantive word about what differentiated this business, about how it communicates its value for money, or about different times and designers have changed what it does. Nothing on what its detractors say about it; or on how much water those detractions hold.

Each piece read like an advert. Which perhaps isn’t surprising, given that those companies advertise in the magazine. But this is what journalism is built on – the integrity that allows you to write fairly and objectively, if critically, about those that fund the magazine itself.

Another example this week piled ignorance onto paucity of journalism. The column Brummell in UK newspaper Financial News recommended a bespoke shirt service called Brass Bones, where you can get shirts made to your size by filling in a form online. Nothing wrong with that; it’s a good idea.

But there’s no journalism here. They haven’t tried the service or cast anything like a critical eye over it. There are several online shirt services that have been around for months, even years, yet they don’t get a mention – let alone a comparison. This service is presented as a one-off.

Such is the presentation of the piece, just like the examples in Man About Town, that it could be mistaken for an advert.

But the worst thing is ignorance about the product they are describing. Aside from a rather casual use of the word ‘bespoke’ (see previous post on Sartoriani), the boys at Brummell insightfully point out that the shirts have desirable details such as mother-of-pearl buttons, gussets and split yokes.

Mother-of-pearl is standard. If they didn’t have that you should send them back. The value of gussets is debateable. But split yokes are the worst. They are an anachronism.

Split yokes used to be a sign of quality because it showed that your tailor regularly adjusted his shirts, altering the length of each side of the yoke to fit the individual customer. This is unlikely to be the case today.

In fact, you could argue that having a yoke that is one piece demonstrates quality, as a bespoke shirt by definition doesn’t need to be split and adjusted. Either way, listing it as a feature hardly demonstrates incisive criticism.

I’d bet a decent sum of money the writers of that piece just copied the list from a Brass Bones press release, with little thought for what it meant. Oh well.

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The Garment Bag

On a recent business trip, as I wandered past the hoards of travellers, waiting to collect their cases at the carousel I closed my eyes in relief that I had packed a bag small enough to be placed in the overhead locker. I also congratulated myself, modestly, in choosing to wear the one suit that I would need. It would have been quite impossible to squeeze it into my Gladstone travel bag.

On that occasion, I had no need for further luggage. However, there will be occasions on which I will need more room to store the travelling items of my wardrobe. And, despite there being the option of laundry and dry cleaning at the destination, I would rather I save the cost and inconvenience by packing correctly.

Folding jackets and trousers is a tricky business and having looked into crease and wrinkle free folding methods in some detail I realised that there is no foolproof process; I always seem to cause abuse.

The rucksack is certainly the most important item of luggage for the backpacking tourist and many women cite the vanity case as their most treasured item. For the gentleman of style, the garment or suit carrier must rank as one of, if not the most important item of luggage. Jackets and trousers are placed securely inside, zipped up and folded over for carrying. A simple process, but such a vital one. The carrier is also compact and adaptable enough to push through the security scanners at even the most Draconian of international airports, favourable for the business traveller disinclined to see their precious garments disappear into the unseen and unknown of the luggage hold.

And keeping such garments close at hand is perfectly logical; a suit is often the most expensive item in a gentleman’s luggage, unless you happen to be a Berluti or Lobb aficionado, and it’s natural to keep such valued items at your side. The only thing is, the bag must be worthy of the suit; no fine threads should be carried in something that squeaks and rustles. Leather carriers are popular. They age exceptionally well and they offer more than adequate protection for fine cloths. However, some might find them a little heavy and if you’re carrying more than one suit, this can be a problem with those carting significant amounts of hand luggage.

Canvas carriers look very smart and have the added advantage of being waterproof (or at least water resistant); vital for those visiting less clement parts of the world. They are also lighter than all-leather bags and, due to the leather on canvas bags being small in area and merely decorative albeit marginally protective, they are consequently less expensive. However not all canvas bags are hard wearing and considering the significant ‘wear and tear’ involved with travelling, a bag should be selected with careful consideration of the quality of materials involved.

Pickett, Aspinal, Brics and Tumi manufacture high quality garment bags that will last for many years in high quality canvases and leather. Vuitton, though it hardly needs mention, also manufacture suit carriers – some of which can carry up to five suits at once – although they are considerably more expensive and it is advisable to avoid the ubiquitous Monogram and Damier canvases.

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Menswear Moving to the Front – Part 2

As we discussed in last week’s column, the New York menswear market is in the midst of renaissance of sorts. But it’s not just luxury brands that are focusing more on the men in their lives; mid market brands are making a statement in the Big Apple too.

J.Crew, a favorite everyday brand of Off The Cuff, is setting up a men’s only shop in the landmark Liquor Store building, at 235 West Broadway at White Street in Tribeca. The men’s store, which will be smaller than a typical J. Crew store, will carry the best of J. Crew’s men’s collection, including their unique collector’s items - upscale, limited-edition pieces like the $800 leather mail bag. According to CEO Micky Drexler, the store is “a very short-term lease,” with “very little investment and risk,” which will allow the company “to fool around and play with a men’s store.”

Additionally, the company has been sending out mini-catalogs that focus only on their men’s clothing and accessories lines. These targeted marketing efforts have been very well received and gives J. Crew the ability to sell its higher end wares directly to their male customers.

This emerging but strong trend toward menswear will likely spread across the retail market. As I have noted before, men are not like women when it comes to shopping, but there has been a distinct shift back toward guys appreciating and seeking out quality clothing and accessories. Though this is most true for “investment” level clothes like suits and other tailored pieces, J. Crew’s men’s store concept is an example of transferring the investment mentality to everyday dressing. It’s sort of a reverse approach to the commoditization trend that has effectively devalued many once exclusive brands. Instead of making their wares more accessible to average consumers, companies like J. Crew are developing limited edition products at very outsized price points and targeted at discerning shoppers.

The company is also taking marketing cues from luxury brands that have long touted things like the prestigious family mills which supply their fabric. J. Crew is busily developing relationships with companies like Baird McNutt, an innovative, family-owned Irish mill in Ballymena known for incredible linens.

What makes this type of strategy successful is that they’re not faking it. J. Crew is seeking out real manufacturers who make really good, exclusive products. It’s authentic and fits very well with their customer base. The real stories and premium price tags are providing the boost that the company wants in menswear. They have also made serious efforts to improve the construction quality of their products, and adding additional practical value to their wares.

“Women’s got turned around, and now it’s time for men’s,” says Todd Snyder, senior vice-president of men’s design for J. Crew. And one way to sell the ongoing J. Crew story of original lifestyle brands is through collaborations with designer-frequented mills. “We say, why spend $1,000 at Bergdorf Goodman for a jacket you can get for $300 here? It’s the same thing.” Customers are recognizing quality fabrics, so Snyder has made it his mission to work with the best in the business. “We’re becoming the biggest customer of mills like Moon and Mallalieus, who work with Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Ralph Lauren,” he says. “We’re after quality.”

This movement to get men in better sartorial shape isn’t limited to the selling floor. In July, the MTV network is premiering it’s version of a male finishing school. Dubbed, “From G’s to Gents”, this reality-format show to be aired on Fox, is being produced by Hollywood heavyweight Jamie Foxx and hosted by uber-gent Fonzsworth Bentley.

The idea is to try and mold 14 players/tough guys from the street into modern day gentlemen; sort of a realty version of My Fair Lady complete with cash prize and a smart new wardrobe. While as a general rule I despise these types of shows, I find this one curiously interesting. If nothing else, it’s getting on the air speaks to a real societal desire for men to be gentlemen again. I have no illusions about top hats and walking sticks, but for an Academy Award winner like Foxx, a pretty sharp gent in his own right, to see the value in this show makes me want to check it out.

By moving the topic and marketing approach of high-end menswear and gentlemanly etiquette to the everyday guy-cum-MTV generation, the message that dressing well and having some class will reach a heretofore untapped market.

It’s a stylistic approach to vertical integration; to try and capture all socioeconomic levels of the men’s lifestyle market – from Gap to Hermes. That’s the holy grail of any retailer or ad executive, but it seems that our culture may now be at this mythical point. We’ll have to wait and see if the trend truly takes hold, but it appears that while doing so more men will be better dressed and know which fork to use.

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