A handbag and waist pouch to carry lightly, without a second thought. Autumn/winter bags made with A&C's lightweight horse leather

What kind of bag should you carry when you want to head out unencumbered in autumn and winter?

Once autumn and winter arrive, the cold inevitably makes us bundle up in layers, and that alone can leave the body feeling heavy and stiff—a sensation any adult will recognize. Even if you think you've chosen sweaters and coats that are light and place no burden on the body, that feeling doesn't always go away. For those in this situation, it may be worth reconsidering your bag.

By its very nature—holding and carrying things—a bag tends to become heavy. Each individual item may not weigh much, but once you put in a long wallet, a plastic bottle, and a pouch, it all adds up to quite a bit of weight.

Of course it helps to reconsider what you carry, but at the very least, we wanted the bag itself to be light and free of unnecessary burden—ideally made from a leather that still complements the weightier look of autumn and winter outfits.

With that in mind, this time we commissioned a custom design for a bag we ourselves would want to carry, using horse leather known for its lightness.

The horse leather from ARTS&CRAFTS, prized for its elegant sheen and lightness

The horse leather used by ARTS&CRAFTS comes from Shinki Hikaku in Himeji, a tannery famous for its cordovan. This is horse front leather that has undergone vegetable tanning—a process said to be possible with horse leather only at this one tannery in all of Japan—which brings out a beautiful sheen and rich aging over time.

The defining characteristic of horse leather is, above all, its lightness. It's said to weigh only about 30% as much as cowhide, so much so that it barely feels like leather at all. Of course, this is partly due to differences in the original thickness of the hide, but the maker also goes so far as to skip oil in the finishing process entirely, in order to preserve that lightweight feel.

Another point users will appreciate: because horse leather has a fine-grained fiber structure, it feels supple to the touch, staying soft and comfortable to hold right from the start. With stiffer leathers, the lack of flexibility to conform to the body can make a bag feel awkward and hard to hold, but with this leather, there's no need to worry about that.

The custom-order items: a handbag and a waist pouch

This custom-order collection was designed around the concept of "carrying lightly, without a second thought."

What came out of it were two types of items: a "handbag" and a "waist pouch." Both make the most of horse leather's lightness, coming out small and easy to carry.

A tote that's light, simple, and easy to love for years

【Custom Order】HORSE LEATHER MINI TOTE

The 【Custom Order】HORSE LEATHER MINI TOTE is a square-shaped mini tote bag with a slightly polished feel. We chose the square shape because, despite its compact size, it lets you pack your belongings in efficiently.

Inside there's a pocket for things you want to grab quickly, like your phone, lip balm, or pass case. The main compartment fits a long wallet, a folding umbrella, and even a 350ml plastic bottle.

At each of the four corners of the bag's opening, stitching has been added so the fabric folds slightly inward, preventing the mouth of the bag from gaping open untidily. This also gives the bag's silhouette a rounded shape, lending it a nicely polished look. The tote's handle features a leather charm stamped with the brand logo, giving this simple bag a distinctive accent.

This mini tote goes with skirts, pants, and dresses alike, making it a bag you'll likely reach for often, regardless of the season.

A waist pouch you can carry with a polished look

The 【Custom Order】HORSE LEATHER WAIST POUCH is a leather waist pouch that avoids feeling overly casual.

These days, as our belongings become more compact and digital, the amount we carry when heading out has shrunk considerably. Even women can slip valuables into a jacket pocket, but a pocket bulging with too many items never looks good. We wanted something with a simplicity and sharpness that works equally well for women and men—and it was with that thought that we requested this custom design.

Waist pouches tend to carry a strongly sporty impression, and many on the market are made of nylon or canvas. These work fine with casual outfits, but they can feel out of place when paired with dressier clothing. So we made a waist pouch in leather—one you'd actually want to wear with a more polished look.

As for how to wear it: you can fasten it around your waist like a belt over a dress or skirt style, or wear it shortened and crossbody, fitting snugly against the body.

Since we wanted this to be worn slim, there's almost no gusset, and it holds only the bare essentials—a phone, a slim mini wallet, lip balm, and the like.

You can also remove the bag body and use the strap on its own as a belt, so it can switch roles depending on how you want to use it. This piece also features a leather charm stamped with the brand logo, which adds a nice accent point to an otherwise simple bag. 

Both the tote bag and the waist pouch come in four colors: BLACK, CHOCO (dark brown), TAN (camel), and NAVY. Each is a classic color that's easy to pair with any outfit, and the glossy leather has an elegant feel that lets you use it comfortably for years to come, no matter your age. 

▼See the full lineup of ARTS&CRAFTS products here