Great Brands for Handmade Accessories
When it comes to great style, accessorizing is key. But it’s important to accessorize responsibly. Too many accessories and you can look like an extra in Pirates of the Caribbean. Too few accessories and you run the risk of looking boring. The trick is to find that sweet spot where accessories add flavor to your look without over-seasoning it. A sweet spot that isn’t just about how much you wear, but also about what you wear. Which should be a reflection of your own personal identity and aesthetic. Something that just makes you look more, well, you.
But how to go about finding that perfect accessory? Well, the best way to do it is to think in terms of quality, creativity, and individuality. Sure, a diamond encrusted Harry Winston tennis bracelet or a Patek Phillipe watch will get you attention. But so will an air raid siren. This isn’t about standing out so much as it’s about enhancing your look. And the best way to do that is with something unique, cool, and handmade. Or, if not handmade, at least made with the sort of exacting quality and attention to detail that’s getting harder and harder to find these days. To to give you some ideas of where to start, we rounded up 6 great hand/quality made accessory brands that are guaranteed to spice up your look.
Good Art Hollywood
Since basically the dawn of human civilization, jewelry has been the first stop on the road to accessorizing. If you can afford it, flaunt it, has been the message of bejeweled queens and kings since ye olden day. But the problem with this mentality is that it generally leads to gaudiness and ostentation. Which is no recipe for style. Good Art Hollywood knows how to make jewelry with style. Founded in Venice in 1990 by Josh Warner, Good Art is chalk full of playfulness and edginess — and that classic L.A. rock ’n’ roll vibe — but without skimping on construction or design. Necklaces, rings, bracelets, and pendants, as well as accessories like wallet chains, key chains, and cigarette lighters, are all made by hand to exacting detail at Good Art’s L.A. foundry. Think of it as bling for the cool kids.
Ewing Dry Goods
The yin to jewelry’s yang in the world of accessories would, of course, be leather goods. A bit more approachable and easier to pull off than jewelry, it’s also more usable. Wallets and belts, after all, aren’t just great ways to add flourishes to your look, they’re also excellent for holding your money and keeping your pants up. And no company holds your money and keeps your pants up better than Ewing Dry Goods. Owned and operated by Dan and Ashleigh Ewing in Juneau, Alaska, Ewing Dry Goods hand-makes all manner of leather accessories and personal carry items, including wallets, belts, bracelets, necklaces, lanyards, and key clips. The aesthetic mixes Native American with classic heritage Americana, and a splash of biker, and is the perfect way to add a bit of edge without going overboard. And everything’s made-to-order with high-quality materials and construction, and features an incredible attention to detail.
Ship John
Sometimes it’s good to think a little outside the box when it comes to accessories, and for that, Portland-based brand Ship John is a great place to start. If you’ve heard of Ship John, it’s probably because of their much-coveted wax canvas Wills jacket, a jacket that has a years-long waiting list and that can sell for thousands on the retail market. But beyond grail jackets, they make a whole range of quirky accessories that are as beautifully made as they are useful and cool to look at. Examples include leather guitar pick holders, leather axe loops to wear on your belt (more of a camping accessory), leather pocket knife sheaths, wax canvas aprons, and keychain tweezers. For those who like to mix utility and craftsmanship in their arsenal of accessories, Ship John is the place to shop.
Mister Freedom
While jewelry and leather are always solid go-to’s, sometimes you just want to keep your accessories ultra simple. And for that, it’s hard to beat a bandana or a scarf. It’s such a simple thing, just a piece of fabric, but it can mean all the difference for your look. If you want proof, just look at Cary Grant with his red foulard in To Catch a Thief. Of course, bandanas are hardly a difficult thing to find. But if you want something truly unique and stylish, L.A. shop Mister Freedom offers a mix of handmade kerchiefs, as well as a large range of scarves featuring antique Japanese textiles. Called Boro Shorties, these scarves are made using shuttle-loomed vintage — anywhere from turn of the century to the 1960s — cotton or hemp fabrics, and feature a mix of katazome prints, kasuri weaves, natural indigos, plaids, and solids. Each scarf is unique, and perfect for adding that extra dash of visual texture to any look.
VEB Leather
Tangentially related to Mister Freedom, VEB Leather is small handmade leatherworks brand founded by John Villanueva, a former U.S. Marine master gunnery sergeant who works out of the atelier above the Mister Freedom shop in L.A. VEB produces a range of belts, wallets, key fobs, and wrist cuffs, that mix heritage 1930s-1960s Americana styling with a splash of classic Western. Each piece is handmade by John, so there isn’t necessarily a lot of stock on hand, but he is available for custom orders. Most popular are his handmade belts, which come in a range of Horween leather and feature various studded designs and accents, as well as hand-shaped brass or nickel hardware.
Ampal Creative
Obviously, when it comes to accessories, a great hat is a must. And while there are plenty of high-quality options in the realm of cowboy hats, fedoras, and newsboy hats, finding a high quality trucker or baseball cap can be a real challenge. Luckily Andrew Potash, the founder and creative director of Ampal Creative, decided to tackle that challenge. Though not technically handmade, each of Ampal’s caps and beanies are made exclusively by talented craftspeople here in the U.S.A., and they’re all made using high-quality, premium textiles. Often, they’ll find a unique roll of deadstock material and make a run of hats out of it. Once they run out of fabric, that hat goes out of production. Which makes for very small batches of very cool hats. Along with snapbacks, 5-panel hats, 6-panel hats, bucket hats, and beanies, Ampal also makes a very cool and colorful range of high-quality socks. So whatever your needs are top or bottom, Ampal has you covered.