Take the wheels, a Bleu de Chauffe review

Welcome back to THE RADAR, The Prep Club’s fortnightly mini-magazine keeping you in the loop of what’s hip in the sphere of collegiate threads. You can attend last week’s meeting here for thoughts on wearing classic looks.

Here’s what’s on the radar this week:

— It’s duffel bag o’clock

— A lookbook! It’s been a while, eh?

— Boat shoes are finally big, but not how we thought they’s be

— The very most voluminous shirts available

Products featured in this article were provided by Bleu de Chauffe, opinions are my own and they retain no editorial control over content.

This all starts with a realisation, that there is simply no such thing as a chic wheeled suitcase. Especially not since Rimowa have been dragged into the bowels of Instagram “tasteslop”, partly as a victim of the “starter-pack” and then those who parodied the “starter-pack” and partly due to an alleged drop in build quality. And I can’t own a Rimowa anyway. I can’t afford one obviously, but also I can’t afford the kind of flights for which an aluminium suitcase is suited. If there were ever a picture to summarise the current state of luxury and signalling, a Rimowa on Ryanair might well be it: a focus on outward and tangible luxury artefacts, whilst forgoing actual luxury experiences. Don’t get me wrong I don’t give a shit that I’m on cheap flights, I’d rather travel like the dirtbag twenty-something I am, but I don’t really want to be rolling up to them with a four figure suitcase that takes up half of the luggage weight allowance before it’s filled.

The aluminium suitcase has been be gutted of its power as a symbol of wealth or taste, and even then it was never quite a chic as a proper, beautiful leather duffle. This is all the more important for the weekend break for which a full cabin bag isn’t even remotely necessary, unless you’re sharing, anyway. Fortunately Bleu de Chauffe have been kind enough to supply me with one.

The Hobo Travel Bag they call it, and I’ll tell you out and out I like it very much. The hardware for the shoulder strap is a little sticky as it stands, though there’s a chance that’ll loosen up in due course, I’ll probably be back in a year or so with another report, see how they’ve held up. That’s the thing with leather bags, they always look kinda funny when they’re box fresh, they need patina. The leather is very soft, so probably not the absolute hardest wearing but I’m happy to take that cut in favour of shape and comfort, I’m not planning on using it to protect myself on a motorcycle anytime soon. Something I really dig is this little removable pocket on the inside for essentials, this is evidently a bag designed to be a part of a collection, which I can appreciate.

A duffel shines brightest for the trips with one full outfit change, spare underwear, and very little else packed. This is the ideal way to do a short break anyway. You basically need two entirely interchangeable looks, that is: two tops, and two bottoms which can be swapped to produce four combinations, you’ll wear one of these four as you travel and each of the others through the duration of the trip, throw a repeat in there and you can quite reliably manage five days. Undershirts are key for this, mind. Ideally these need to be day-to-night looks too, if you can do one pair of shoes go for it, realistically it’s likely to be two, a day and an evening, trainers and loafers. The BDC is more than enough for this play, I even reckon at a push— and if I’m not required to fit it under an airplane seat— I could do a week out of this thing.

If transit allows, the duffel can be supplemented with a second bag with essentials, which’ll become your day bag, and since we’ve got our eyes set on chicness, it certainly wouldn’t hurt for them to be a matching set. So, paired with the Hobo I’ve got the Meline. It’s got the same internal snap pockets as on the duffel, and it’s working hard to dethrone my Boat and Tote as my daily driver. Leather is a pretty welcome addition for our imaginary mini break for that day-to-night thing again. I get the sneaking suspicion there are certain joints unlikely to let me in with a slightly rancid canvas bag under my arm but which would quite happily accommodate me with this thing in tow.

All in, these two make a very tidy pair, and they feel a damn sight more chic than any aluminium suitcase could ever hope to be. You’ve got to carry them sure, but then style should be earned at times, a little physical exertion ought to do us some good, and it’ll keep you packing light which is where the true sense of chicness lies. We have it far too easy with wheels, and thus are far to happy to over pack and over spend when we’re over there. A little luggage based cognisance is worthwhile, and these BDC offerings are a fine way to go about that, I’m excited to have them join me on future adventures.

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Some context first of all, this style of content, photographed outfits, has steadily taken a backseat to how I interact with fashion on the internet. I don’t think the way I dress really works for Instagram, it certainly doesn’t work for TikTok, and quite frankly I’m grateful not to be on that treadmill. I’m proud to be part of the small club who have a larger audience on this platform than they do any other.

I’m also a bit of a sucker for production value, I can’t just prop my phone against a wall, walk around, and call it a day, it has to be done properly. As such I’ve turned to illustration as the dominant visual medium of this project. That said, there’s plenty of reasons to want to do this, for one, it’s good fun, we’re all into this to play dress up at the end of the day. It also gives you an opportunity to decide whether you want to listen to me or not, which has to happen eventually.

As such, here are some Summer Twenty-Six looks, from me, for The Prep Club.

Look I

Vintage Land’s End Cotton Drifter Sweater, Made in England; 90s GAP Big Oxford Shirt; The Real McCoy’s Jersey Gym Shorts; American Trench Slouch Socks; Converse Jack Purcell, L.L. Bean Boat and Tote

Look II

TBD Eyewear Cord Sunglasses; Vintage Land’s End Oxford Shirt, Made in USA; The Real McCoy’s Pocket Tee, Polo Ralph Lauren Pleated Chinos, Made in USA, Asahi Deck Shoes, Bleu de Chauffe Meline Tote Bag

Look III

Felco Cotton Poplin Award Jacket; Vintage Lacoste Piqué Crewneck, Vintage Lacoste Piqué Shorts, American Trench Solids Socks, Converse Jack Purcell, Bleu de Chauffe Hobo Travel Bag

Look IV

Vintage Burberry’s Navy Blazer; Vintage Land’s End Oxford Shirt, Made in USA; Montague Jeffery Silk Tie; Vintage Bill Stunt Pleated Chinos, Made in England; Alden Penny Loafers

Look V

Les Tien Sweatshirt; The Real McCoy’s Pocket Tee; Blank Expression Sweatpants; American Trench Solids Socks; New Balance 1005; Bleu de Chauffe Meline Tote; Bleu de Chauffe Hobo Travel Bag

Look VI

Vintage Chemise Lacoste Polo Shirt; Made in France; Vintage Haggar Chinos; Uniqlo Socks; Clarks Originals Desert Boot

Look VII

Felco Raglan Sweatshirt; Felco Cotton Jersey Cardigan; The Real McCoy’s Pocket Tee; Levi’s 50s Straight Selvedge Hemp Denim Jeans; New Balance 992, Made in USA

Look VIII

The Real McCoy’s Cotton Crewneck Sweater; The Real McCoy’s Pocket Tee; Polo Ralph Lauren Chinos, Made in USA; Sebago Portland Boat Shoes; Bleu de Chauffe Meline Tote Bag; L.L. Bean Boat and Tote

Look IX

Felco Coach Jacket; The Real McCoy’s Pocket Tee; The Real McCoy’s Jersey Gym Shorts; Uniqlo Socks; New Balance 1005

Look X

TBD Eyewear Cord Sunglasses; Vintage Land’s End Cotton Drifter Sweater, Made in England, Vintage Land’s End Oxford Shirt, Made in USA; The Real McCoy’s Pocket Tee; Polo Ralph Lauren Poplin Shorts; Uniqlo Socks; Sebago Portland Boat Shoes; L.L. Bean Boat and Tote

Look XI

Vintage(ish) Unbranded Italian Style Flight Jacket; Lands End Chambray Shirt; Vintage Lee Chino Shorts, Made in USA; American Trench Slouch Socks, New Balance 1005

Styled and modelled by Callum Giles; photographed and edited by Imogen Getzels; Co-directed by Callum Giles and Imogen Getzels

This is the third year on the trot spent wondering if the boat shoe is the “shoe of the summer” as large fashion media outlets have told us it is. It seems now the psy-op has taken hold, though it doesn’t look as I, and I think as many others, thought it would have.