There used to be a time when everyone knew exactly what the word classic referred to, be it classic style, a classic car or a classic film. These days, when vintage can suggest a dress from five seasons ago, the definition has become a bit opaque. But perhaps in our microcosm of fashion, where we always reference and reinvent the past and revere designers that have come and gone and left their imprint, the term still has a clear meaning that evokes the same things for most people. But what are those things now?

For us at Virgil James, when we brandish the descriptor “classic” — and we do it a lot, because it’s one of the principal leitmotifs in our design approach — we do refer to the past in a sense, but really it is more a synonym for timeless: style that had its moment but stuck around until now and continues to wield staying power, because it has universal tasteful appeal. No matter whether you find yourself in Paris or Milan or New York, you speak the same style language with similar signifiers of timeless taste: the (classic) curves of an Eames chair or an Aston Martin. The cult of the Birkin Bag or a Halston gown. A Fellini film. The Beatles, Brigitte Bardot, the Burberry pattern.

So yes, when you look around our collections, you will not find any avant-garde or trendy silhouettes and that’s quite intentional. We embrace classic, timeless design and bag styles that work like totes, bucket bags and cross body bags. We make purses and carryalls for everyday use with (hopefully) enduring appeal, meant to last forever.

Take our classic tote bag, a veritable work horse and modern office on-the-go that does the job with style. Some might call it “basic,” which has become an insult in some circles. But basic is life. It’s clean air, clean water, enough food and a warm place to sleep. It is Zen. It’s the eternal now, no distractions, no busy monkey brain full of silly distractions. It’s utter harmony.
 
Our take on classic is exquisitely minimalist. You simply cannot hide, every flaw is magnified, every flourish seems obscenely redundant and baroque. It’s all clean lines that speak of professionalism, quality and crisp, unfussy good taste. So yes, our tote’s silhouette is rather “plain,” with matching grain panels, stitched together the old world way, and handles at just the right length. But it showcases an absolute absence of flaws. We’ve always loved totes and collected many over the years, most of them canvas and featuring the logo or appellation of stuff like the New Yorker or radio stations or various museums around the worlds. Our tote is the structured, luxurious Italian calfskin version of the everywoman’s tote. You don’t have to overthink it.  The same is true of our clutch, weekender, satchel and day bag et al.

That’s why we never tire of classic. It has such a clean simplicity, it speaks a perennial truth that never goes out of style, era after era, lifetime after lifetime. Of course, we love the raw passion of a Pollock painting, the cacophony of a piece by Bartok, the sumptuous whimsy of Gaudi or Gucci. We embrace kitsch and chaos, at times, and in small doses. But then we return to the quiet and soothing repose of clean lines and curves, smooth shapes and luxurious materials. Because they remind us of the eternal return, the fact that all of existence has been recurring, and will continue to recur, in a self-similar form across infinite time or space. Just kidding. It’s not that cerebral at all.

In fact, we were just secretly listening in on our 12-year-old’s Zoom playdate with some school friends. They were talking about music they like. When our Virgil James team offspring mentioned Brigitte Bardot and the “Moonlight Sonata” and professed no knowledge of TikTok or Discord (a text chat for gamers), the other boys were puzzled. But they are classics, he insisted. How can you not know them? That’s right. He’s been steeped in our classic culture. And there are others like him. Not annoyingly precocious 12-year olds in love with Beethoven but a stylish world community of aficionados of timeless, classic style. Hope you like what you see!