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【ZUTTO Special Order】San Gabriel, styled for every season and occasion. Points and tips for carrying a vintage bag with fresh, refined style.

A promotion at work, returning to the office after having a baby, moving house, a child becoming independent—somehow, at moments of change or when a chapter of life comes to a close, we find ourselves wanting a "bag." It's a bit different from jewelry like rings, earrings, or necklaces that we wear to dress up, and different too from a wallet, which we tend to replace every few years as something we simply use up. With a bag, we think about where we'll go carrying it, how we want to be seen, and how nice it would be to own something that lifts our spirits. In that sense, choosing a bag seems tied to an outward-facing energy and a forward-looking feeling of wanting to do our best going forward.

When choosing a gift to give yourself as encouragement for that next step, it only makes sense to want something you can use year-round and cherish for years to come. Classic, durable, useful in any season, and repairable if something goes wrong—a bag like this, one that will become a vintage piece over time, makes for the kind of investment that never turns into mere consumption. That's exactly what we'd recommend.

The key to choosing a bag today: timeless design and traceable, transparent craftsmanship

When people talk about a "vintage bag," they usually mean a secondhand bag from a high-end brand, often one that's quite rare. Bags like that, instantly recognizable to anyone at a glance, certainly have their appeal. But in today's fast-changing world, it's genuinely difficult to predict which brand's which bag you'll still be proud to carry ten or twenty years from now—especially considering that your own tastes are bound to change too. That's why, here at ZUTTO, we define a "vintage bag" a little differently: it's a bag that becomes your own personal vintage. It's a bag you use and love for ten, twenty years, one that gradually changes over time to match your body and your habits—a true companion you can walk through life with. If you're buying a bag today, wouldn't you rather it be that kind of partner, one you'll spend years together with?

There are two key elements needed to create your own personal vintage: a timeless design that isn't swayed by trends, and traceable craftsmanship—work with a visible, identifiable maker behind it.

A timeless design, unswayed by trends

A design that isn't swayed by trends is an essential condition for something you'll cherish and use for a long time. If you want to build your own vintage piece from scratch, it needs to be something you can carry unchanged for ten, twenty years.

Traceable craftsmanship, with a visible maker

One factor that raises the value of a vintage piece is the people connected to it and the story behind it—being able to see the face of the person who made it, understand their concept and beliefs, and learn about the item's origins, from how the leather was sourced to how it was made.

It might be easier to picture this as "being able to see the background of the person who made the product" and "being able to learn the story behind the product."

In other words, a product with solid, well-guaranteed traceability is one with high safety and reliability. For consumers, this means the peace of mind of being able to buy a quality product with confidence.

Points for keeping your vintage bag looking fresh and elegant for years to come

What are the key points for enjoying your personal vintage bag over the long term? Since it's a piece that's uniquely yours, preferences will naturally vary from person to person, but we'd like to offer a few points as a reference.

Choosing a bag

Design: Not an "icon" bag that clearly marks it to a particular era. Not one where the brand logo is front and center.

Material: A material and design where scratches and fading either aren't noticeable, or actually add character.

Size: Not extremely large or extremely small.

How you carry it

Don't stuff the bag completely full. Use it within a capacity that lets it keep its shape. If the shape collapses, it becomes much harder to use the bag for a long time.

How to coordinate it

Match the tone of the bag with your outfit, or match the color of the bag with your shoes (especially leather ones). You might also try using it as a deliberate accent against an otherwise casual outfit.

This time, what ZUTTO would like to recommend as your personal vintage bag is the 【special order】 San Gabriel by vasco. It's a wonderful piece, made with all sorts of thoughtful details so that women can enjoy it for years to come.

The ZUTTO special-order San Gabriel, sized for women

It happened during a visit to a vasco exhibition in Higashi-Nakano, Tokyo. My eyes were immediately drawn to a beautiful tote bag called "San Gabriel." Based on a vintage saddle bag, it combines rich, substantial Italian leather with canvas fabric, elevating the design to something truly luxurious. The standard San Gabriel that vasco normally offers is a fairly large tote bag designed for men. For women, it was difficult to style and had a somewhat rugged look. Drawn to the one-of-a-kind, vintage-like atmosphere created by San Gabriel's leather and paraffin canvas, we decided to place a special order for a version of San Gabriel made just for women—and that's how it all began.

What symbolizes this model is the brass twist lock hardware. It has a weight and sense of luxury that sets it apart from ordinary plated versions.

Rather than staying shiny gold, it takes on a slightly muted tone, and as you handle it, oxidation gradually deepens the vintage character. The result is a bag that feels refined yet also has a bit of an edge to it.

The materials are Italian leather and paraffin canvas. The Italian leather is "Toiano," an oiled leather made by the Tuscan tannery Volpi. Each piece is carefully polished by hand to bring out the material's natural sheen. Another feature is the canvas, chosen so as not to detract from the quality feel of the leather—a No. 9 canvas soaked in oil wax blended with paraffin (wax).

Paraffin has a long history—in the 19th century, English hunting coats were soaked in paraffin oil, said to be the world's first such use in clothing. The chalk marks that appear from friction are one of paraffin's unique charms; while its water resistance diminishes over time, it boasts a durability that withstands long-term use and possesses a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. The liner (interior) is made of cotton linen, rich in texture and breathability. With three pockets of different sizes, it's perfect for storing items you want to grab quickly, like a smartphone or pass case, as well as smaller odds and ends.

Inside, there are three pockets of different sizes.

Coordination catalog: Carrying San Gabriel by season and occasion, spring through winter

Because it's made with canvas rather than full leather, it doesn't become too heavy during warmer months, and because it's firmly shaped with leather, it doesn't feel too light during colder months. The [Custom Order] San Gabriel can be used year-round. Finally, we'll introduce coordinations for each of the four seasons.

Spring

Attending a ceremony or dining at a proper establishment

[Custom Order] San Gabriel (Beige/Brown)

San Gabriel looks properly put-together even at a ceremony where you're wearing a jacket, skirt, and heels. A bag with too much gusset depth or width would get in the way, so a bag of this size is just right. Since it won't hold A4-sized documents, it's also a good idea to bring an eco tote as a sub-bag.

■ Coordinated items

Cherry blossom viewing on a day off. Paired with a relaxed dress

[Custom Order] San Gabriel (Khaki/Black)

For cherry blossom viewing or a stroll on your day off, keep things light and relaxed with a casual dress.

■ Coordinated items

Summer

A drive to the sea, in a relaxed style of T-shirt and denim

[Custom Order] San Gabriel (Khaki/Black)

It also suits a relaxed T-shirt and denim look very well. A leather-and-canvas bag adds just the right spice to a style that might otherwise skew too casual. One tip for pairing a leather bag with summer outfits is to match the color of your sandals with the color of the bag's leather. Do give it a try.

■ Coordinated items

A washed shirt and skirt. Linking the sandal color with the bag color.

[Custom Order] San Gabriel (Khaki/Black)

In spring and summer, when you want to add bright colors, you might think a leather bag would feel too heavy—but once you actually coordinate it, it fits surprisingly well. When a gingham-check skirt and sandals are basically kept in "black," a leather bag can be incorporated without any sense of mismatch.

■ Coordinated items

Fall

Shopping around town in a long coat and hat

【別注】San Gabriel(Beige/Brown)

Its pleasant sense of substance and coloring make it perfect for autumn styling. Pair a long coat with a compact hat to balance out your overall silhouette, and enjoy seasonal colors like khaki and brown.

■Coordinating Items

Also pairs well with easy-to-move-in, stress-free clothing

【別注】San Gabriel(Khaki/Black)

With the long holidays over, there's the daily commute, school runs, taking the kids to and from places, and longer stretches of travel. Unlike the open, easygoing feel of summer, autumn makes you want to choose relaxed, stress-free clothing. This bag pulls that kind of outfit together perfectly.

■Coordinating Items

Winter

With a long coat on cold days

【別注】San Gabriel(Beige/Brown)

You might think canvas fabric would feel a bit too light for a winter coat, but this paraffin canvas and its coloring mean it doesn't feel out of place at all when paired with a substantial winter coat.

■Coordinating Items

【別注】San Gabriel(Khaki/Black)

■Coordinating Items

>>You can find the 【別注】San Gabriel featured here

投稿者: 村上 日時: 2020年09月12日 12:00 | permalink

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