Brady Bags - Severn and Gelderburn

Despite having a very good Filson 257 that has served me very well over the years, I often contemplate about buying a Brady messenger bag. Maybe it's the urge to own a piece from every good maker out there or maybe it's the anglo influence or maybe I'm just more into fishing than into hunting. At least I find myself looking at the beautifully made bags by Brady. I already own a very large tote from Brady, which is a limited edition tote made from raw selvage denim, but I would much rather have either the Severn or the Gelderburn because of their classic, almost iconic, design. 

The recipe is basically the same for all Brady bags. Expertly crafted in England using quality materials, such as bridle leather, solid brass hardware, cotton webbing and layered waterproof canvas. Which is probably also why they are so popular in Japan, and why Brady produce several bags, which are intended for the Japanese market only. Mr Mudd and Mr Gold in Stockholm used to carry some of the Japan-only models, but they seem to have seized their relationship with Brady unfortunately. Speaking of special editions; Nigel Cabourn has also used Brady to produce some bags in both Harris Tweed and if I remember correctly also some woolen fabric from Fox Brothers. But I wasn't, as fond of them, as the classic offerings from Brady.

The Severn

The Gelderburn

 
The Gelderburn is probably my favourite. Especially after seeing a picture of Michael Palin rocking it.

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On the Topic of CPO Shirts

As the season begins to change and the weather takes a change for the worse, I find myself thinking about the small updates, that the wardrobe needs for fall. One thing I've been wanting for quite some time now is a sturdy woolen overshirt or rather a CPO shirt or CPO jacket. What got me started was probably seeing some from Engineered Garments or Post O'alls make-ups years ago, but then I read this small anecdote from a member on the forum AskAndyAboutClothes 

"Back in the early 60's most young people I knew wore a wool CPO shirt on very casual fall occasions, typically with khakis, penny loafers and an OCBD. While it will never replace a Shetland sweater, I've recently grown nostalgic and thought I might like to wear one again."

After reading this it all made sense and fell into place. Or maybe it didn't, but I felt that I wanted one even more. It's going to be a perfect layering piece over a OCBD shirt.

Right now I think my best bet is one  by Fidelity, which can be had for pennies in the US, however I'm a bit unsure about the fit. It might just have very short sleeves and a billowy fit judging from the poor pictures, I've been able to find. But the quality is definitely good - 22 oz melton wool (basically the same weight as a heavy commercial peacoat) and made in the US by a company that has been handling contracts for the US navy.

I got really excited, when I saw one from something called Fidelity by Gerald and Stewart in a shop in Denmark. I don't know much about this brand, if it's a private label, designer collaboration or some sort of Fidelity fashion offshoot. But the fit was awful. It was tiny  and I could barely fit into a size XL, though my normal size is something along the lines of L or M. It wasn't any good as an overshirt at least.

Another option I quite like, although it isn't authentic in any way, is the collaboration between the Woodlands Shop in Oregon and 3Sixteen. It's obviously not a CPO, but it's very wearable as an overshirt. Furthermore the fit looks a lot better than the aforementioned options and the quality is still good using Pendleton wool. Another plus are the colours - They're great.

Again, I realise, that this isn't a CPO either, but I've over the years created a saying, that goes "When in doubt, go for Filson". Filson is just great and their Jac-shirt looks like it fits the bill. They basically never do anything that isn't good - but they do quite a lot of things nowadays that aren't made in the States unfortunately.

Other options include Japanese repro brands like The Real McCoys and Buzz Rickson obviously, but they come with a hefty price tag.

Like this one from Buzz

If you want to read more about the CPO, you can gather more information here and if you've got some information on a good and hopefully better alternative, please do share them.

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