A passion for craftsmanship at Betty Hemmings
Globe-Trotter luggage.
I have visited many fine men’s style shops and spoken with many salespeople. Some are knowledgeable, a few are passionate, many are neither. Some can tell you a bit about the product they sell while many will simply recite from a sales brochure. It is very rare, however, to find someone who can tell you about the diets of the cows from which their leather bags are made. Michael and Alexandra Warwick, owners of Betty Hemmings Leathergoods in Yorkville, are such people.
The Bridge two gusset flap briefcase.
As I was appreciating the rustic texture and rich, deeply hued finish of the leather bags by Florence’s The Bridge, Michael brought out a full hide from the back of the shop to help explain, in detail, their tanning and dying process. He told me, for instance, that The Bridge prefers thick-skinned hides from naturally raised cows that develop a longer haired coat. This produces the type of leather they prefer, through the vegetable-based process of the tannery they use. The result is soft yet substantial with plenty of natural inconsistencies that give the bags an aged, lived-in look.
Michael Warwick of Betty Hemmings opening a Barantani bag.
But rustic leather bags is just one style offered by Betty Hemmings. Michael and Alexandra are well aware that everyone has different tastes and so they try to carry a variety, from classic attaché cases to dandy patinated computer bags, from a number of international brands. What ties them all together is a commitment to craftsmanship. For Michael and Alexandra, that means the companies they carry need to be makers – that they actually craft the items themselves – and that they combine the best in construction, materials and design. It can be a challenge to get this concept across to the general public, who may not recognize the brand names or understand that the prices are directly connected to the quality of materials and craftsmanship. In fact, it was this approach to quality that drew them to the company in the first place – and made me want to feature them.
Betty Hemmings was eponymously started in 1978, with Betty importing a small selection of bags and women’s accessories. By the mid-2000s, when Michael was shopping there, the store was well established but stagnant with the owners considering retirement. Michael purchased a Tumi bag – which he still has – and as the famous catchphrase goes: he liked it so much, he bought the company. Michael and Alexandra have spent the last decade building on what Betty started, travelling the world to find new brands as well as maintaining relationships with those companies carried since the shop was opened.
The Swaine Adeney Churchill Lid-Over Attache (image courtesy Betty Hemmings)
One of those brands is Swaine Adeney Brigg. Founded in 1750, Swaine makes leather bags and umbrellas in their Cambridge workshops. Although perhaps the most traditional of crafters in the store, Michael tells me there is substantial call for their classic luggage and bags, including their lid-over attaches pictured above. These bags are the definition of rock solid: bridle leather wrapped around a steel frame. Swaine have a number of Royal Warrants including one from the Prince of Wales for their umbrellas which are crafted of single sticks of malacca, oak, chestnut and other fine woods. These umbrellas are extremely satisfying to open and close thanks to their simple and elegant mechanism and feel solid yet light in the hand. Their lengths – 25″ and 27″ are available – make them excellent walking sticks as well.
Close up on a Brigg umbrella.
Of all the wonderful bags and accessories on display at Betty Hemmings, I kept being drawn back to The Bridge. There was something not only about their classic design but that rich, textured leather that drew me in. Michael and Alexandra were kind enough to offer me a bag for review purposes: the double gusset briefcase. It’s hard to imagine a more quintessentially classic bag. The craftsmanship is excellent, especially in the edge finishing (where the edges of the stitched-together leather are sealed with layer upon layer of sanded, buffed and burnished gum and wax) and the brass buckle, which has a remarkably solid and satisfying close. The interior of the bag is also all leather, except for two small pockets which are lined with a nice canvas.
The bag easily accommodates my laptop, notebook, phone, glasses and many other items as the pockets seem bottomless; there’s even those slim pockets on the front and back secured with Velcro. One unique feature is the shoulder strap (not pictured) which is canvas and attaches at the handle edges, not the sides. I’m quite happy with this because since I don’t use a strap (it would ruin the shoulders of my jackets) I’d rather not have two vestigial bits of brass dangling off the sides of my bag.
There is one more point I would be remiss not to touch on about Betty Hemmings and that is the question of gender. Due to the name and even the window displays, which can feature a multitude of small bags in bright, neon colours, some may think Betty Hemmings is a women’s store that carries a few men’s bags. It is neither that nor the reverse. While some of the bags do have gender associations, a leather bag is a leather bag and there are plenty in the store that can and should be used by anyone, male, female or however you think of yourself.
Betty Hemmings Leathergoods is located at 162 Cumberland Street (in the Renaissance Court) in Yorkville, Toronto
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