The Pack Hold | Men's Bags

Visvim has released new versions of their Ballistic backpacks, this time in 23 and 20 liter sizes. The Japanese brand is one of my favorites; their Ballistic collection of bags is famous for its heavy duty materials and user-friendly design. Season after season, I’ve seen Visvim release amazing bags from this collection, but I think the latest grey and brown 20L backpack is my new favorite. I should focus on finding a job before looking at four hundred dollar backpacks…

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With the Americana trend taking the menswear world by storm, Woolrich and all of its sub-brands that I can’t keep track of are seeing a huge spike in popularity. Blackbird recently received a new wallet from the Woolrich John Rich & Bros brand and despite all the attention its gotten, I’m not very impressed by it. Sure, it’s handmade in Italy with premium leather, but one look at the inside and you’ll notice its lack of slots, pockets, and therefore, functionality. My current wallet has three slots somehow housing about thirteen gift cards, credit cards, and club cards (CVS what it do), so I can’t see the above wallet being very useful. Bottom line: I’ll ignore this wallet and continue drooling over Woolrich’s chinos and work shirts.

JOYCE iPhone Cases

February 24th, 2010

As a part of their “Truly Gifted III” program, Hong Kong retailer JOYCE has teamed up with some notable designers for a line of iPhone cases. The participating designers are (from left to right): Anna Sui, Rick Owens, Marni, Dries Van Noten, Etro, and Bless. iPhone cases have recently become a popular canvas for artists, but some of these cases (specifically Rick Owens and Bless) take it to the next level by modifying shape and materials. As deformed as it looks, the Rick Owens case is the only one I’d use.

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Altadena Works 901 Hold-All

February 10th, 2010

My first impression of Altadena Works’ latest bag was that it looks like a fancy grocery bag. And apparently, that’s what it was originally designed to do. They say it’s not limited to this function, and although this is true, grocery shopping is really the only thing I can see myself using this bag for.

The bag is made of Horween Chromexal leather that is hand-dyed for a unique look. If you’re in the market (pun intended) for a new tote, I’d say this is a good choice.

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Undercover’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection, entitled Less But Better, includes a backpack and rucksuck, both very unique in form and color. As implied by the name, the bags are minimalistic but eye-catching. I’ve recently been loving the combination of grey and brown, and the above backpack just fuels this passion.

Available at Zozovilla

Checkout the rest of the accessories from the collection at Highsnobiety

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Check out this review of the Porter Street Bags Waxed Cotton Duffel at Components of Enthusiasm. (Not to be confused with Japanese brand Porter)

Oak Large Twill Tote

February 3rd, 2010

The “large” in the title is an understatement. This is something I’d never use, but I admire Oak’s boldness in creating such an impractical bag. It does come in medium and small, but large is the only one worth noting.

Available at Oak

MISMO Wrinkle Collection

January 23rd, 2010

Mismo presented their latest collection at last weekend’s (capsule) show in New York and will be showing it again this weekend at (capsule) Paris. The bags feature a Mismo-exclusive full grain leather, which exude quality. The laptop briefcase is easily the most exciting bag from the collection.

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Ever since grade school, I’ve thought of Jansport bags as reliable but ugly. But their recent offerings (especially their collaboration with HUF) have started to change that last sentiment. Jansport’s Urban Framework collection takes the brand back to their outdoor roots while giving the bags an urban look. Oddly enough, the pictures I’m showing you (which are from Hypebeast), feature a beautiful charcoal/brown/brass colorway that isn’t on the official website. And the two colorways that they decided to show on their website happen to be terrible. Marketing flaws aside, I like the direction that Jansport is going with their products and I’m excited to see what else they have in store.

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