Gucci Boston Canvas Duffle,, $960 via Net-a-PorterI;m sure that we;re do for a revival of the logo bag any season now. Fashion;s like that; the trends you hate always come back around more quickly than the ones for which you feel genuine nostalgia. Some brands still do a very brisk business in their logo bags; Louis Vuitton has always been at the top of that list, but Gucci isn;t far behind. And while it surely makes the company a ton of money and is important for branding purposes, logos have just never been my cup of tea.But that;s why I;m such a big fan of the Gucci Boston Canvas Duffle and bags like it. Gucci occasionally uses this jacquard diamond-check canvas in place of the brand;s normal logo fabric, and it is such an improvement in my eyes. This bag looks stately and classic without the unnecessary Gs, and that;s exactly the appeal of the non-logo logo.A non-logo logo can come in many forms. A Balenciaga motorcycle bag;s signature hardware counts,, as does the hand-painted pattern of Goyard;s coated canvas bags. What doesn;t count? Any type of monogram or symbol that;s widely used as the company;s principle brand identifier. The Louis Vuitton “LV” is out,, as is the Versace Medusa head. Choosing a secondary identifier helps reign in the ostentatious quality of a logo bag and gives the end result a more subtle effect, which is exactly why this Gucci bag seems staid and dignified in a British heritage sort of way rather than flashy and obvious like a logo bag.And that;s not to say that flashy and obvious is an objectively bad thing – I love both flashy and obvious, and in the right moment,, even I sometimes love it in a logo bag. But for a piece that you want to carry regularly and for a long time, I;d choose something like this bag over a more obvious logo. It still retains the recognizability among handbag lovers, it just does so in a slightly more indirect way. Whoever said that discretion is the greater part of valor was right, even when it comes to accessories. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $960.
