Posts related to accessories

We see leather everywhere, in all different types of clothing and accessories. The downside is, most of it is probably not of good quality. But right now I want to focus on accessories, and there are 2 main accessories that I think are worth investing a little more than you typically would: wallets and belts.

Before we get there, let’s briefly talk about leather and why you should opt for higher quality/grade leather. What that means to you is opting for full or top grain leather. Those two are the best quality leathers your money can buy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s expensive.

Shy away from genuine leather because it’s are typically made from scrap leather that has been bonded and refinished to appear to look like top or full grain leather. That also means it doesn’t have the strength and durability that full or top grain leather provides. If you are unsure on the grade of leather you’re buying, just ask.

I’ve gotten asked many times if I would ever get into designing clothes. While I’ve had ideas here and there, it’s never been an interest of mine. But what has seemed more appealing is accessories. As you know, I love accessories, so the thought of designing them has been on my mind for quite a while. I just didn’t have to motivation to make the jump and/or solve a need I have…until now.

Quick Backstory

I don’t like having cases on my phones. I admire the physical design of devices too much to want to have it covered up all the time. Normally I’m pretty careful with my phones, so dropping it was never a concern.

After getting the iPhone X, I realized a habit that I had been doing for about the past 10 years. I was always looking to put my phone on something instead of a hard desk/counter top. I was either putting it on a notebook, a soft coaster, or even some type of cloth next to my bed. While it got the job done, it wasn’t an elegant solution. And after a little searching online, I didn’t find a product that fit my style/need.

Scratching My Own Itch

In came the idea to just design my own. I had just two minor requirements for this thing; it had to be portable and easy to move around, and it had to look very stylish sitting on a surface. I had two materials in mind that I really liked which were felt and leather. Just going with felt would look good, but the material is fairly slippery on hard surfaces and I didn’t want it to slide around. So I thought that I’d use the felt for the top layer, and some quality leather as the base layer, which provided much more grip.

After a bit of initial research on leather craft (thanks /r/leathercraft) and idea gathering on Instagram, I bought a few basic tools, bought some felt, and ordered some quality Horween leather that felt good to the touch.

The Prototype

I made a prototype version from a piece of crappy leather just to test out the process and get used to the hand-stitching stitching. It turned out just ok, but as a first timer, I was into it.

I felt like I had a good grasp on making it better, and proceeded to make a few more for myself; to put in my home office, bedroom, and for work.

The Final Results

I have to say, I love these things. I know I’m biased, but they turned out close to exactly how I wanted. And they look really good and stylish sitting on various surfaces. They’re also something super easy to throw in your work bag and carry it around with you.

I still have a ton to learn about this kind of crafting, and working with leather, but I’m pretty pleased with the outcome. I enjoyed working on the different versions that I made. It’s also pretty fun pre-determining how it’s going to look; the color of the leather, color of felt, and stitching color. Going from a mere thought in my head, to holding the product after a few hours of work is satisfying.

What’s Next

So now what? I don’t feel like I should keep these to myself, so I’ve been considering selling a limited run of these. I’ve gotten some pretty positive initial feedback and thinking of an approach to being able to produce more of these. If you think you might be interested in one, have any questions, or just want to give me feedback, shoot me an email: john@acuratedstyle.com.

It’s that time of year again. Either you’re looking for gift ideas for someone else, or someone else needs gift ideas from you. And as always, we have you covered. Like previous years, I like to give you a mix of ideas that are style related, but not necessarily clothes.

In today’s age, where clothing in general has gotten much more slimmer and form fitting, your wallet should also follow suit. Let’s face it, there’s no real reason you should be carrying a huge bulky wallet.

Keirin Cut Jeans, the makers of athletic cut jeans, are diving into the leather accessories business, starting with wallets. They’ve sent me a few different leather wallets, but one of them stands out much more than the others, and that’s their super slim wallet. While empty, it feels like the thickness of about 4 credit cards. So adding in your own few cards won’t bulk it up too much more.

What’s nice about this kind of slim wallet is that you hardly even notice it in your front pocket. And yes you should be carrying your wallet in your front pocket…your back will thank you later in life.

But I highly recommend this product. It’s super lightweight, tasteful logo which keeps the overall look simple, and will look better with age. It may not be available for pre-order yet, but should be in the near future.

Transitioning to a Slim Wallet

Need some help transitioning to a slim wallet? Here’s what to do. Only carry your essential cards. Got pictures in your wallet? Get rid of them because you have a smartphone to store pics. Membership cards? Put them in a separate wallet and leave it in the glove compartment of your car. And you can do the same with extra cards and such. Pick your most important few credit/debit cards, your drivers license/ID, and free yourself of bulk. Trust me, you will not miss it, and wished you had done it sooner.

The umbrella is probably close to the bottom of your list of stylish items that you were thinking of buying. For a long time it was for me too. In fact I hated using an umbrella at all because it was one more thing I had to carry. But it only takes one time of having to sit in the office, clothes soaked from the rain, to realize that an umbrella is worth keeping around.

The previous umbrella I had was nothing special. It was a plain black umbrella. It recently broke so I was in the market for a new one. I wasn’t up for paying for an expensive/designer one because I don’t believe it’s worth it. But I know I wanted to try something stylish this time around.