Will You Add to My Baggage?

Will you add to my baggage?

Will you help me unpack?

Or will you just look at my things and take me right back?

Do you have the time to help me unpack?

To put away my baggage,

To never repack?

Evelyn Colbath (excerpt)

One of the great things that I have learned from my father is that smart people buy once while others live a lifetime buying. What my father wanted to have me understand is that quality should be one of the most important things I look out for throughout a life of purchases. One of the things that every respectable young man should own is a good piece of luggage. We are young, we travel a lot and we are more interested in adventure rather than comfort, which means our luggage should be there to withstand the most arduous of challenges.

Nik Palmer

Jack Palmer

When I first discovered Palmer & Sons, the first thought that went through my mind was, this looks like refined quality, I should look into purchasing one of their items. For good reason, Palmer & Sons, a Vancouver based, family-owned business is a great investment. All their items are hand-crafted by the Palmer men using traditional methods, heritage materials and vintage tools, turning into some of sturdiest and most fashionable pieces of luggage I have seen, They also allow for quite some freedom of customization, without the bill having to jump exponentially.

Examples of different finishing touches

1. For all of you who prefer a messenger bag to a backpack, me included, I recommend their Leather Suitcase No. 3 (Prices start from $435 - shipping included for the XXS model and go up to $545 for the M version)

- the XXS model can also be worn as a backpack or carried as a suitcase

2. For light to medium travelling I would recommend one of their Gladstone No. 10 pieces which also comes in different sizes (from XS - $450 to L - $700)

Notice the exquisite build and attention to detail. That's what will last you a lifetime!

3. Last but not least, there is an option for all you MacBook users out there, although I would not exclude other similarly sized computers from being carried in P&S's Leather Macbook Sleeve No. 14

Lightweight and quite manly thanks to the over-sized lock 

Whatever you might purchase in your lives, remember that quality lasts you longer than quantity and will always be much better appreciated by your peers!

Keep it in Style!

An Autochtonous Revelation

In spite of centuries of toil and trouble,

In wild Wallachian lands of old,

The people are still unabated,

And each day brings more wonders to behold.

It rarely happens that Western Europe, with its "Meccan" centers of fashion, Paris and Milan, looks to the East for innovation and beauty in the form of fashionable creations.

I have had the luck of stumbling upon a little shop in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, a former Communist country that is voraciously enjoying and devouring Capitalism. Few would stop and look for innovation in a place where imitation is so rampant, but Mihaela Glavan's new store, Sepala, breaks from the confines of its geographical location and brings new ideas to light by means of its exquisite Men and Women's Shoe Collections.

With its three distinctive collections: Mihaela Glavan, Sepala and RSM (Reconstructed Style for Men ), its designer, Mihaela Glavan has had the opportunity to experience with bold colours such as bright red, neon green or light blue, which most shoe designers avoid like the plague. She has also redefined the standards of prime materials used in her shoes and has often varied their respective combinations. For that reason some of her creations include leather and suede and velcro, nubuck and leather and even leather and PVC.

The best thing about Sepala is that all shoes can be customized in store and ordered to size if unavailable.

The Sepala Store can be found at "24 Intrarea Tudor Stefan (Dorobanti area), Bucharest, Romania" or if you would like to contact them regarding  an order, online here.

Gushing Gurgling Galoshes

With snow still faling in many parts of the northern hemisphere and spring rain soon to follow, my thoughts go directly to what shoes can I wear that will both cope with the inclement weather and survive the slush mush that is snow or the gurgles of rain while still preserving an ounce of style.

While looking into this issue, the first solution I found, though practical, and versatile, was not very pleasing to the eyes and was not even that affordable:



1. J&G Rain Bootie Shoe Cover
This specific Rain Bootie is clunky and seems more fit for a ski trip rather than a walk to the office. I give it an F because I hate both velcro and nylon by themselves, moreover in combination as is the case with this shoe cover.

If for some obscure reason any of you would be interested in purchasing it and therefore going against my dire wishes you can find it here.

2. Totes Rubber Footwear

The second item I stubmled upon held much more promise as it was not a shoe cover but a Galosh (et. Fr. galoche - clog) which by definition is "a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow". The Totes galoshes get a B for being very affordable (under $20) and versatile ( they offer men and women galoshes and they are the only company that offers a galosh for bigger work boots, working wonders for all you Timberland fans out there). The reason why I did not give the Totes galosh an A was that I found their lack of available colours disappointing and that they did not do anything to vary their designs.
Nonetheless, for someone who is practical and needs a good solution for rainy weather, Totes galoshes can be purchased here.

3. SWIMS Galoshes

Recently featured in GQ, the SWIMS galoshes are my absolute favourites. They come in different sizes, different colours, different styles and are deisgned with a style-savy consumer in mind (yes, women too :) ). They get an A+ for everything I mentioned above and for delivering not only to the U.S. but to Europe, Asia and the rest of the world as well. The + is for not forgetting, as most American retailers do, that there are just as many consumers, if not more, outside of the U.S.A. rather than inside.



The SWIMS website can be found here, while their online shop can be accesed here or you can purchase them from Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC, San Francisco, Chicago or Philadelphia. Enjoy the galoshes and the other items SWIMS are starting to sell, like these very cute cute slippers for men.


Caring for your shoes during Fall, Winter and Spring

Water is leather's worst enemy and unless your wearing pure cotton shoes most any other materials will suffer from water exposure. Here's a few tips that could save you money and your shoes their life.