Personalised luggage is the true mark of a gentleman

Personalised luggage is the true mark of a gentleman | The Gentleman's Journal

In a world of budget airlines and train delays, we’ve been left yearning for the golden age of travel. Boarding a plane was once an occasion you’d dress up for, train travel always a first class affair and road trips the height of cruising glamour. But no more. Today, travel is a necessity — with luggage limits, petrol prices and soulless eTickets sapping most of the excitement and charm our adventures had left.

And that’s why, here at Gentleman’s Journal, we’re always on the lookout for ways to bring back the magic to our global travels — and Ettinger, who shares our love for the bygone golden age, are kindred spirits in this crusade. Just last year, the British brand’s Capra Collection celebrated a vintage travel aesthetic, and we’ve kept a close eye on its wares for travel inspiration ever since. Thankfully, just in time for Christmas, it’s delivered again.

Touches rarely come more traditional than monogrammed luggage. Harking back to the days when travellers took pride in every journey, it’s a level of personalisation we hardly ever see on the cases and weekend bags of the 21st Century — so we’re right behind Ettinger as it gives it another spin around luggage carousel.

The brand now offers a personalisation service on its canvas bags, from the Cotswold Weekend Bag and Hurlingham Overnight Bag to the Wimbledon Briefcase and Piccadilly Tote. Customers can add up to five characters of their choice; from letters, numbers — and even a hyphen to give their luggage a refined, personal spin.

And you can trust Ettinger to keep things stylish. The embroidery will be completed using a thread tonal to the bag’s canvas, in a font based on the Ettinger logo and sewn at a subtle, sophisticated height of just two centimetres. It’s a delicate detail; but one that ensures your personalisation remains undeniably genteel.

The best part? The service only costs an additional £30, and takes just three weeks to be completed — meaning that if you order sharpish, your new personalised luggage will be ready in time for Christmas. So give your tattered old holdall an upgrade before the decade’s out — and invest in Ettinger’s best. It’s time we made travel special again.