Every week a different FADER staff member will pick a clothing item or accessory that he or she has lately been spending a lot of time with—or would like to—and write a little love letter to it. We would’ve done a column on who we’re dating but that seemed a little bit much. This week Elsa Lam writes about The Herschel Supply Co. Brand's Novel Duffel.
Many many years ago I was watching 20/20 during the good old days with Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters. The evening's segment was about extreme commuters. For those of you who don't know, an extreme commuter is anyone who travels over an hour and a half for work. Most of the people they interviewed were from Pennsylvania or Connecticut, parents sacrificing their livelihood for the sake of their children, just so their kids can play in grass and not have to cram into a small 2 bedroom apartment in a 4th floor walk-up.
It's not just the suburbs though: I'm an extreme commuter within the New York City limits. I live on Staten Island with my parents, ferrying over everyday to grind, sacrificing my sanity not for green pastures but for free rent. I'm sure most New Yorkers can understand that. But it's turned me into a bag lady, a woman who has to plan every case scenario. Amongst my friends, I'm a Duane Reade, bakery, and clothing store all in one. If you need band-aids, I probably have them deep in the recesses of my bag. And the list goes on and on: green mango slices, vitamins, cough drops, Paris Baguette pastries.
Herschel Supply Co.'s Novel duffel bag has made the commuter life much easier. No longer am I the bag lady carrying one huge purse and then 3 different totes because this one item fits everything I need. There's several compartments inside the bag, so I don't have to spend a good 10 minutes trying to find my keys. They've thought of truly everything, even made a hidden compartment for shoes, because no proper commuter wants their heels crushing all their Halls lozenges. On the non-functional side, it's beautiful and simple, and the lining on the inside is red and white and reminds me of candy stripers. One day I'll be able to carry a clutch to my around-the-corner job, but until then, I'll be shoving everything I own into a Herschel.