(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- For the past year and a half, the one accessory that's always made it into my purse is a hefty can of bear spray.
Before the pandemic, a bag built for lugging grizzly deterrent wasn't really a priority. While I've never been one for ornate logos or seasonal trends, my handbag collection at times favored aesthetics over practicality: A graceful handle drop resting in the crook of an elbow, rather than a bulky shoulder strap, was well worth losing the function of an arm.
Five months after Covid-19 hit, I was living in Montana, hiking Big Sky country most weekends and spending rowdy evenings dancing outside to live music. Suddenly the mental checklist of what makes for a smart day-to-night bag looked quite different. A decade of pulling out my subway card one-handed might have trained my dexterity and reflexes, but what I really needed during those days was a CamelBak with an easily accessible side pocket for that bear spray.
Now, I'm back in a hybrid urban lifestyle, out of my hiking boots and into loafers (on some days, at least). And my bag requirements have changed yet again. With a longer, more laborious commute from deep in Connecticut into New York City, any outing is pretty much a day trip.
Which means there's more to consider when it comes to what gets packed and what's left behind—and the type of bag best equipped to handle it all. The post-pandemic lifestyle remains rife with uncertainty and last-minute pivots, so a smart satchel needs to be a workhorse, not a show pony. Zippers, for example, are a must for a carryall that gets shoved under Amtrak seats and houses a laptop and other pricey electronics. If it can't be tossed around and set on the ground without a cautious inhale, then it simply doesn't make much sense.
Enter the bespoke, made-to-measure handbag—the personalized answer to every seasoned purse-lover's prayer.
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Ian Clegg, the co-owner and son of the founder of Frank Clegg Leatherworks, discovered during the pandemic that “new clients found us because they had more time to do their own research,” he says. “They knew the other brands, but they wanted something that wasn't influenced by PR.”
Mary Lotuff Feeny had a similar experience. “People became very aware of what they were choosing to have in their world,” says Lotuff Leather's chief executive officer. “They were shedding the superfluous in their lives and becoming conscious of the items that would stand the test of time.”
To help you build your own bag, brands will let you pick leather, interior lining, the type and length of strap, hardware, and the color of the edge paint. But the first decision you'll have to make is the type of bag you want—crossbody, messenger, tote—as well as its size and silhouette.
Here are four ideas to get you started.
The Convertible Crossbody
New York-based 1 Atelier has been making bespoke-only creations, direct-to-order from a Garment District studio, since 2016. Prices start around $700, and a finished bag will be in the mail within three weeks. “Our clients prefer to wear a bag that no one else is wearing,” says Stephanie Sarka, co-founder and CEO. The brand has more than 20 styles that can be customized—handles made of python, for example, with gold edge paint and fuchsia suede lining—in a range of nappa, haircalf, suede, and exotics. The most popular post-pandemic requests, however, are for bags with interchangeable straps, some of them less than eight inches long. “Hands-free is the most prevalent trend,” Sarka says.
The Secure Tote
Frank Clegg first started working with leather in 1970. Now, with the help of sons Ian and Andrew, Frank Clegg Leatherworks operates out of a restored mill in Fall River, Mass., with every piece made in the U.S. from Italian leathers and exotic skins. (Prices begin below $1,000 but can reach tens of thousands, depending on the level of customization.) Sales almost doubled during the pandemic, even as the bespoke side of orders came in for totes and duffels rather than traditional handbags. Requests for longer straps (an 8-inch drop is often bumped up to 10) are a popular modification. “A lot of clients contact us to add a zipper,” says Clegg. “Everyone wants a secure tote bag.”
The Compact Carryall
Based in Providence, leather goods maker Lotuff accommodates unconventional dimensions as part of its bespoke program and will make any existing style in alligator. “A broader percentage of the market is becoming aware that a label itself isn't determining the quality,” says newly minted CEO Feeny, two of whose brothers founded the company 10 years ago. During the pandemic, customers were interested in a more casual weekender that would carry a computer as well as a change of clothes. As travel rebounds, others are adding an exterior strap, for about $100, that will attach to wheeled suitcases. A fully bespoke tote starts at $3,500.
The Mini Evening Bag
British heritage brand Tanner Krolle, fresh off its 165th birthday, is no stranger to a very specific clientele. “David Attenborough came in the other day and had all of his suitcases from his 21st birthday party restored,” says Victoria Aspinall, managing director. In September the brand will expand its bespoke offerings to include women's handbags, but one option available before then is a personalized take on the Annabel, a structured miniature crossbody modeled on a vanity case and named after the Mayfair members club. Hand-painted in 22-karat gold by gilder-artist Lucie Monin, it's a fitting option for the post-pandemic trend Aspinall has seen take off in London. “In the last six months, people are looking for that special, decorative piece and investing a lot more,” she says.
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