Since finishing my final school requirement, I finally have the time to start cleaning out my bags. One night, of course, won’t be enough. While we were watching a movie on Netflix, I was busy cleaning the leather bags with some leather cleaner spray.
I am not sure when (i.e. what date) I would finish, but I had to start somewhere, right?
Cleaning day! The ‘Bayswater’ family: Piccadilly, Bayswater and Small Bayswater
On the other hand, from time to time, I stumble upon a nice bag for sale.
I have not been buying bags since the start of the pandemic because not only of adulthood (I had to renovate a house for months!), but also I have nowhere else to go. I even switch things up a bit just to go to the grocery so as to air some of my bags out.
But this showed up. And of course, I had to get it:
In all its glory: Mulberry Walter
There’s something very old school with this bag. Yes, Mulberry had since moved to another direction. Johnny Coca joined in 2015, then eventually left in 2020 — and I don’t even know if they have a creative director anymore. There’s not too much buzz on Mulberry as well, unlike before, which I don’t mind. The older styles still rock, in my opinion.
Still, this Walter has that vibe of Mulberry’s former years, and very reminiscent of the other style, Elkington, often carried by Alexa Chung. Bag lore had Alexa’s image toting the Elkington as the supposed inspiration for her namesake bag.
I initially thought I snagged an Elkington, only to realize that it was a different style. The Walter is thicker in width, has more compartments, with no leather tab at the back, and has a less tapered front flap on the sides. It is easy to miss, honestly.
This Walter had some discoloration in front and I could no longer take it out with some generic leather cleaner. I don’t mind it, though, as it gave it more character. I am not the biggest fan of prim and proper bags to begin with. I like a bit of edge on these, like it has been through a lot.
In spite of that, it still smelled the familiar Mulberry leather smell I can tell from a mile.
Close-up of the leather
The bag, on the other hand, is HEAVY.
I don’t think it is even wise to tote a laptop inside. While I have been very vocal about not minding to lug humongous and hefty bags, hey, it has been more than a decade and I am slightly softening my stance. I have been using more canvas and nylon bags than usual.
Again, it has been more than a decade.
Yeah right, a stolen shot at MacArthur Bridge
That did not stop me though from carrying it. Look at me looking silly in the middle of Manila, in the middle of MacArthur Bridge on a hot day. I don’t think I may no longer be carrying laptops or anything severely heavy on this bag. A wallet, an eco bag, and some pandemic essentials will suffice.
Until then, let’s see how well this would hold up.
Or better yet, how well I would hold up given how heavy it is.
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P.S.
I had to push myself to write more often again. I may likely take my comprehensive exams this year. I’m still not sure when or worse, if I am ready. On va voir.
