Journal

Monthly Summer Tote Giveaway: The Market Tote!

This summer we're giving away one of our heritage bags each month. For May, we have a special edition Market Tote. Structured and sturdy, this tote bag can get you from the morning market to an evening mixer. We have one in each of three colors: Tan, Charcoal and Oak.

TM1985 + Billy Wolf

Introducing a new tote suitable for pet owners and their pups (or other furry friends)...

Our friends at Billy Wolf have been crafting stylish USA-made dog clothes and accessories from vintage and reclaimed fabric, with styles and patterns meant as heritage wear, rather than novelty costumes. This collaboration came out of Brooklyn Night Bazaar this past winter, where TM founder Tielor struck up a conversation with his booth neighbor, Lyndsey, who started Billy Wolf in 2010 by making dogwear from reclaimed and vintage fabrics. Tielor even picked up the Haywood neck scarf for TM1985 spokespup Homer, pictured below.

Based on miners' bags to haul coal to the surface, this classic design will hold heavy loads that tend to shift during transit. This roomy shoulder tote will take your furry friend with you on your journey from the depths of the cross-city subway to the heights of a cross-country flight. Side-snaps and a gusset flap make the pet-friendly carrier convert to a regular tote for everyday errands. For everything from bringing your four-footed friend along on an adventure to hefting home sacks of pet food, this convertible bag will obey its master's command.

For more on this style of tote and the history of coal bags, check out this tour of a family company that still makes heavy-duty coal bags in Massachusetts.

Put some pep in your step...!

Spring into spring with the newest color to the TM1985 family -- check out the Fold-over Tote in Juniper. This special edition bag comes from our collaboration with Japanese retailer Journal Standard and puts a fresh twist on our classic Fold-Over. This is the first time we've made this style available Stateside, so pick up yours today!

These peppy totes are priced to bounce, so spring for yours today!

New Sale Section on TM1985.com!

TM1985 in Inc.

This month Inc. investigates how Etsy is expanding its marketplace to include makers of all sizes and styles, both big and small. As a small business that got its start on Etsy, TM1985 has followed their evolution closely. We have even been at the forefront of these changes -- TM1985 was the first seller with production assistance to be hosted on their site.

To understand the conflict that’s roiling Etsy’s community... consider the case of Tielor McBride. A bearded 28-year-old Brooklyn-based leather-goods maker, McBride joined Etsy in 2010. He was designing window displays and interiors for Ralph Lauren stores, but after he got promoted into the advertising department and the work left him creatively unfulfilled, he decided to turn his hobby of making rugged leather and canvas bags into a profession. He made his first sale on Etsy in late 2010, under the shop name TM1985, and business took off a few months later when he was highlighted on Etsy’s homepage as a Featured Seller; he had 200 orders in one day.

As sales picked up on Etsy, McBride’s connections in the fashion world also started paying off, and he began selling bags to independent boutiques in Brooklyn and beyond. His business quickly exceeded his capacity to turn out bags in his workshop, so he decided to expand his production operations, as any budding entrepreneur would.

Read more here about how TM1985 serves as the perfect lens to see the changes at Etsy and in the maker community as a whole.

Race for the South Pole

This detailed account of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's race to the South Pole shows the skill of the arctic explorer and the prescient judgment of his own abilities. As Alexander says, he won partly because he knew when to turn back. Read more here and see archival photos from the expedition below.

THE RACE BEGINS

Norwegians led by Roald Amundsen arrived in Antarctica's Bay of Whales on January 14, 1911. With dog teams, they prepared to race the British to the South Pole. Amundsen's ship, Fram, loaned by renowned Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, was the elite polar vessel of her time.

In a wolfskin anorak of Netsilik Eskimo design, Amundsen strikes a heroic pose in the snows near his Norwegian home. Used in his memoir and lectures, this was a favorite publicity photo.

'

VICTORY AND DEFEAT

On the left, Amundsen and his four companions, expert skiers, reached their goal on December 14, 1911. They spent three days "boxing the Pole" —taking observations to establish its exact location. Scott's five-man party arrived 34 days later, having encountered the Norwegians' tracks in the final miles. On the right, slumped in defeat, Scott's party understood that their labor had been, in Scott's words, "without the reward of priority."

See more archival photos from the expedition here.

Happy 2014!

We want to thank you for a great year!

What a year! 2013 saw five new products rolled out: the Gadget Case, the CB Briefcase, the Hansen Tote, and, most recently, the Ralston Duffel and Waxed Bottom Dopp Kit.

We had some great giveaways, got featured in Interview Magazine and PSFK, did some inspiring collaborations at STORYand Birchbox, and even met some new friends at the Brooklyn Night Bazaar!

To celebrate the end of a great year and the start of a new one, we're offering 30% off everything storewide through the end of January 2014.

Use the code:
NewYear30

Like any snow day, this deal won't last, so pick up some winter essentials and treat yourself to the gifts Santa forgot to bring... shop now!

Krampus is coming for you!

Imagine a giant, ram-horned beast with a three-foot tongue and fur like a Yeti dragging off your brother (or even you!) for being more naughty than nice this year.

A kind of evil twin to Ol' St. Nick, who gives gifts to good children from his sleigh, Krampus hauls off bad children in his sack to roast them on spigots over a fire in his lair. For children in Nordic and Eastern European cultures on the eve before St. Nick's Feast (held on December 6), nightmares of Krampus, rather than dreams of gifts from St. Nick, keep them on their best behavior. To assuage his animal nature and keep their little ones from being kidnapped, families offer schnapps and other alcohol to Krampus, whose name derives from Old German for "claw." The nocturnal celebration culminates in a Krampuslaufen, a parade of people dressed in frightening Krampus costumes running drunk and wild through the streets. Watch a Krampuslaufen complete with horrifying costumes and drunken revelry here and learn more about St. Nick's evil twin and traditions around his legend here.

TM1985 on Birchbox

We've teamed up with Birchbox to offer an exclusive canvas duffel in three colors: red, green and navy. You can't find these anywhere else, so be sure to check them out here.

TM Interview in Metal Magazine!

Story: Made in America

"A little vintage, a little Midwestern, and most certainly stylish. TIELOR MCBRIDE moved to New York after completing his education in Cincinnati. This has not removed the Eagle Scout from nature, which draws his biggest inspiration. He is as versatile as the products in his fashion label, TM1985."

Metal Magazine interviewed us about our roots, inspiration and future of TM1985. Read the entire interview here.