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When it comes to travel accoutrements, I tend to eschew anything remotely trendy. That means a hard “no” to candy-colored luggage from one of the predominant direct-to-consumer brands and minimal tech (because if you can’t use a 15-hour flight as an opportunity to unplug, well, that’s a shame). I’ve even been known to print a physical boarding pass. Of all the useful gear on the market, Apple’s AirTag included, the item I’ve found myself reaching for most, on trips large and small, for over five years, is Smythson’s Multi-Zip case.
To paraphrase William Morris’s adage about only bringing things into one’s home that are both useful and beautiful, the British stationer and leathergoods maker’s accessory more than fits the bill (literally). With four color-coded zips, it’s ideal for sorting multiple currencies, tickets and receipts, passports, and other flat items such as portable chargers.
Who carries currency these days, you might well ask? Well, if you’ve ever found yourself in a remote corner of Puglia without a functioning ATM, you make sure to carry plenty of it. I learned this important lesson when an older Italian gentleman ahead of me at the bank said, with a shrug of his shoulders, “It’s Sunday. Sometimes things just don’t work on Sundays.”
Despite the amount of use this thing has gotten, it looks, remarkably, as new as the day I bought it. This is no doubt due to Smythson’s signature, sturdy textured Panama leather. I opted to let the colorful zippers do the talking and chose black, but the case is available in a rainbow of 10 colors in Panama and five shades of croc-embossed calf leather.
Founded by Frank John Smythson on London’s Bond Street in 1887, Smythson has had a devoted clientele for well over a century and received its first Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II in 1964. It’s where Jackie Kennedy ordered her personal stationery (in the firm’s iconic Nile Blue paper) and the Princess of Wales picks up personalized leather tote bags and folios. Simply put, you can’t go wrong with anything from Smythson.
Authors
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Naomi Rougeau
