5 Vintage Objects That Inspired Our Vintage Collection
Old is the new, new.
The past contains a world of intrigue and inspiration that is available even when you’re confined to your home – as we found ourselves through the pandemic. Considering Tan & Loom’s timeless, season-less ideology slow fashion, the creation of The Vintage Shop was, in some ways… meant to be.
This collection of vintage style leather bags is an homage to eras in the past that were epitomised by an aesthetic that informs design today, even if the originals have been long forgotten. It’s a nod to the mavericks, the trend-setters ahead of their time. But perhaps most importantly, it’s a visit to the past - a past that came before us, a past we are enamoured by.
Key figures, moments in time, and fleeting trends and even objects inspired the designs you see in The Vintage Shop. These are some of them!
Physician’s Bag
Inspired: The Doctor’s Sling Bag / Shop Now
The history of the physician’s leather bag goes back to one of the first doctors in recorded history: Hippocrates. In 350BC, he much proclaimed that every doctor should carry a bag on house visits, and if one didn’t, it was just plain embarrassing (his words, not ours.) Even centuries later, Hippocrates’ fashion guidance stuck around. Doctors in the 1900s would often travel on foot or horseback, so these physician's bag had to be both compact and easy to rummage through.
Our re-interpretation adds a touch of femininity, and is sized to accommodate current-day essentials in lieu of stethoscopes and syringes. This vegetable tanned leather sling for women is the perfect dainty accessory to both Indian and Western outfits.
Envelopes
Inspired: The Vintage Envelope Sleeve / Shop now
For millennia, the only way to get in touch with someone across a distance was with a handwritten letter. An envelope travelling miles across the country could hold anything from professions of love to land transactions, from mundane updates to earth-shattering news. We’ve paid homage to the humble envelope in designing the Vintage Envelope Laptop Sleeve for the modern-day equivalent of all that information: your laptop. With a protective inner lining and vegetable tanned leather exterior, the leather laptop sleeve is snug on the inside and vintage-chic as ever on the outside.
Letter Boxes
Inspired: The Letter Box Backpack / Shop now
Through the first half of the 18th century, also known as the ‘golden age of letter writing’, letters had to be sent via the post office, until the arrival of the letter boxes we know and love. These structures were simple and elegant, and made to withstand floods, wind and heat. Some colonial era postboxes are still around in India today! In keeping with this principle of standing the test of time, our Letter Box Backpack is a stately, vegetable tanned leather backpacker women handcrafted with precision to make sure it brings you utility and beauty for a long, long time.
Vintage Trunks & Suitcases
Inspired: The Traveler’s Trunk / Shop now
Back in the 1800s, trunk-laden travel (much like travel itself) was a luxury only the upper classes could afford, prompting innovation in baggage that was not just functional, but also beautiful. Also called the ‘Golden Age of Luggage’, it was a time of hefty trunks and hired hands to carry them. By the late 19th century, however, mass tourism started to take off, and one started to see versions of the trunk that were compact enough to be carried by their owners.
It’s this philosophy of portable and durable, yet elegant style, that informed The Traveler’s Trunk. Wear it as a sling or crossbody, and be prepared for some major eyeballs. And don’t worry if you want to carry it everywhere – the trunk is crafted with rich vegetable tanned leather that only grows more valuable with use.
Tobacco Cases & Jewelry Boxes
Inspired: Antique Mobile Sling
The history of the tobacco pouch goes all the way back to 17th century Japan. While these pouches served a clear purpose – keeping one’s smokables dry – they also grew to be a part of the ensemble, often resembling the class and quality of the tobacco, and the person smoking it. Making the functional feel luxurious is what the Antique Mobile Sling aims to achieve as well. Perfect size for stashing your cards, phone, and spare coins, with gorgeous vegetable tanned leather secured with a jewellery brass lock.
To head over to The Vintage Shop, click here.
