The nubuck tote
*Stock is now available in the UK, shipping from London*
A deceptively simple-looking bag this.
Constructed as a clean, unlined tote, the beauty is all in the leather. A meaty yet soft nubuck, with a sueded finish and subtle grain, it feels sumptuous yet tough - and is weather-resistant.
The bag is a collaboration between Simon and American makers Frank Clegg, who are based in Fall River, Massachusetts. The design is the same as their Tall Tote - and for which you can see dimensions on the Clegg page here - except for the addition of two internal pockets.
But it's the leather that makes this bag unique. Its colour is rich and deep, yet remains dark enough to stay smart and not stand out. As a result, it feels equally at home with casual chinos as it does with formal suits.
Says Simon: "I fell in love with the leather when I visited the Clegg factory, at the end of 2018. The full skin was draped across a cutting table, halfway down the room. I instinctively picked it up and rolled it in my fingers as we walked past. It felt like the softest suede, but without the delicacy of calf. It had real heft to it."
"Because the leather is so lovely, we decided to keep the bag unlined, so you get the feeling of it when you reach in to grab the contents. The two pockets (one on each side) are also made out of the bullskin."
One of those pockets is zipped (with a solid brass zipper) and the other open, to give you both secure and easy-access options.
The leather is made by tannery Remy Carriat, one of the most famous in France and supplier to many of the large luxury fashion houses. It has a 3M treatment that makes it water and oil resistant, and virtually impossible to stain.
North American orders ship from the US.