Leather goods for gentlemen

February 25th, 2010 at 08:07pm Ryan Darragh

I cannot tell you—I don’t think I can even begin—how much I dislike the word “murse.”  It’s not even a word, really.  It’s just a fake word somebody made up because they didn’t want to say “man purse.”  And you can see why, but still.  I mean, why does it have to be a “purse” of any kind?

Because I do like bags, and men often do really get the short end of the stick when it comes to things to contain and carry their stuff in.  Women of course have purses, which are (in Western culture, at least) universally accepted not just as a utilitarian necessity but as a legitimate fashion accessory, and often a quite beautiful one.  They take a variety of forms, as well, for different seasons and occasions:  shoulder bags, tote bags, handbags, clutches, and the list goes on.  And then there are the many interpretations and variations in shape, size, color, accents, trim—they’re almost like butterflies, with no two alike.

Men have wallets.  Usually in black or brown.  See what I mean?

Okay, you’re right, that’s not really fair.  We do have more than a few other options.  Briefcases aren’t really my thing, though, at least not outside the office—too formally professional.  Backpacks and satchels are fine, but very casual.  Attaché cases can be quite beautiful, although they often don’t hold much more than a collection of papers.  Messenger bags are a personal favorite of mine, but again they’re usually pretty casual in design.  The relatively new development, the rolling laptop case, is so not sexy, absolutely not a fashion accessory, although I confess that I have started using one (I can’t say “carrying,” as one doesn’t) in RL, to and from work, to keep from straining my neck and shoulder.  Getting older is, in fact, the suck.  But I digress.

With the exceptions of attachés and briefcases, there aren’t many high-fashion options here.  This is where the man-bag/man-purse/murse (/me sighs) trend has reared its adventurous head, attempting to provide for us men some more stylish alternatives, albeit often (in my humble opinion) with more ambition than success.  Boris Juneberry’s SOHO Metro Murse is successful as well as ambitious, practical and beautiful at the same time.  It’s stylishly shaped and finished in rich (Corinthian?) leather, with handy exterior pockets and shiny metal fittings.  Click to choose from five different leather colors (Black, Brown, Camel, Cognac and White) and five metal finishes.  Choose from three colors (Black, White and Gold) for the optional clipped-on sunglasses.  Six preset combinations are available, or you can customize each element individually to make up your own unique look.  The bag also includes a “hold” pose, so hopefully it won’t appear to float magically around in the air, at least not too much.

The detailed leather textures are clearly photo-sourced, but they’re well assembled, avoiding most of the problems I associate with photo-sourced items.  As is inherent with photo-sourced images, lighting is more specifically directional, so it may not look 100% correct from all angles.  That’s to be expected, given the technique, and the resulting effect works fine for me and is not a distraction.  More problematic is the fact that the bag is no mod, and no resizer script has been used, so there’s no way to size it up or down for a better fit to your avatar.  The “out of the box” size is a little on the big size for me, but should probably work just fine for most guys.

L$245 at SOHO Fashion (Hyades 225, 208, 29).

Since we’re already talking about fine leather accessories, it seems only appropriate to say a few things about my footwear.  These are Eponymous Trenchmouth’s (relatively) new “Franken” shoes.  You may recall that Epo has done a few other shoes with similar stack heels.  As you can see, those styles were rather less conventional in both color and styling.  These are ever so slightly more sober and restrained, but the heel elevation means that no one will ever mistake them for anything stuffy or conventional.  I love the subtle differences in the leather texture’s matte finish, and the serpentine stitching up the toe and vamp is something of a marvel—how difficult must that texture have been to piece together so precisely across the shoe’s prims?  Unsurprisingly, the detailing is not confined to the more readily visible areas of the shoe.  Note the subtle wear scuffs across the sole, the heavy stitching around the outer edge, the shiny nails that hold together the layers of the heel, and the embossed designer logo in the arch.

“Franken” is an entry in Epo’s new Green & Son line of shoes.  Other entries in the initial offering of styles include “Colbert” and “Stewart.”  Hey, wait a minute, those names sound familiar…do I detect a motif?  (What, no Maddow for the ladies?)  “Stewart” is somewhat to similar to “Franken,” but in glossy black patent leather with suede insets.  “Colbert” is available in classic Black, Brown, Copper and Cordovan.  A resizer script allows for easy fitting, and a separate “power walk” animation override is included.

L$400 a pair, with some styles available in packs at special pricing.  Demos are available in the shop.  At JCS Shoes (La Fortuna 1 42, 42, 23).

Disclosure: Seen in world: Yes | Review copy: Some | Friends list: Some

Notes: On Ryan: “Daniel” skin by Simple Spad (Signature Skin Labs). “Nick” hair by Din Raymaker (Uncleweb Studio). Firenze Blues suit by Shiryu Musashi (Musashi-Do). React sunglasses by Rohal Schnyder (Role Optic).

Entry Filed under: Bags,Dressy,Jeepers Shoes,New Items,SOHO Fashion,Shoes