Reading the winter edition of DVMAN, a Swedish men's fashion magazine that arrives about two seasons too late here in Canada, I was struck by a spread of must-have accessories beautifully laid out across five full glossy pages, complete various plaid backgrounds to complement. One of these pieces was a stunning black leather messenger bag by Swedish brand Rahnsäter. Further research showed similar bags from luxury manufacturers world wide, with price tags averaging around the $600 USD mark.
Then Suddenly it came to me why I was so interested in the style of bag (besides my soft spot for accessories in general). I had seen one very similar to it, years before, in a local army surplus store!
They are called Map cases, and are generally available for between $20-$50 at any army surplus store or on eBay. What is even more exciting is if you are not a 100% leather fanatic, synthetics or hybrids were also available.
I would expect these to become perhaps more expensive and en vogue as time goes on, as I am not the first to realize this connection. As well, I have been told by a gentleman in the surplus business that most of the worlds militaries are now using only non-leather goods!
Thank you to the Stylish Gent for the image. Another great blog with some excellent ideas!
