We first saw these bags at Carga’s booth at the Capsule Show in January. Carga’s philosophy is based on applying construction techniques to clothing, and this is one of the better examples of the principle. Aside from a few leather accents, the bag’s main material is industrial wool felt—a considerably tougher stock than what you find on your card table. It’s held together by aluminum rivets with a die-cut handle for a raw, architectural look that owes more to the construction site than the boardroom.

The style is also available as a briefcase and a vertical laptop bag, but we prefer the larger model. If you’re going industrial, you might as go for capacity.

[Carga Bags]

The capsule show this week had a lot of inspiration on hand—in the clothes and in the complimentary cocktails—but to be honest, we’re still sorting through it all. Swedish clothing! Free brownies! We saw Damon Dash! For reals!

In the meantime, we thought we’d take a look at some of the better dressed attendees. As you might imagine, the competition was pretty heated. And, because of the literal heat, bare ankles and wrists were the order of the day.

This well-inked gentleman is Jordan Saylor, proprietor of Portland boutique Winn Perry—you might remember them as the northwestern source for Sovereign Beck ties. On his travels to the east, he’s decked out in a seersucker and oxford combo, combined with a leather satchel that may be the best thing about the outfit. After all, he’s here on business.

More pictures of the capsule scene»

One of the highlights of the capsule show was a British marque called “b”. (The store is b Store, the in-house line is b Clothing, shoes are b Footwear, and so on.) They’ve been one of the highlights of the London scene since they opened in 2000, but they’re only building up a stateside presence now. Their website has a few highlights—including a few bathrobe-esque takes on the waistcoat—but their merch at capsule was a cut above.

More on the wares of b Store»

We’ve been impressed by Gilded Age before, but this is the first time they’ve pushed themselves historically. Their usual beat is 19th Century New England workwear, but their latest collection sees them swerving in a Hopper-esque direction. Instead of anachronistic rural digs, they’ve moved to anachronistic urban gear, meaning two-colored cardigans, trench coats and denim blazers, among others. There are enough people chasing the Mad Men look already, but Gilded Age is bringing something entirely their own to the look.

And, of course, they still churn out weathered jeans and flannel as well as anyone.

Click for another look at the clothes»