Rare Vintage Roots Monogrammed Weekender Bag

As a proud Canadian, I'm thrilled to be able to provide this beautiful bag, manufactured by one of the most iconic Canadian brands to ever climb out of the wilderness - Roots. Whether you were raised on Roots sweat pants or still have your high school sweater with that familiar beaver, their quality has always been top-shelf and the longevity of their items speaks volumes (I still have a sweater from my aunt... it's over 50 years old!), but I've always wondered where they came from. From their branding in the 90s, I surmised that they were established in 1973 (those numbers are emblazoned on several of their items), but by whom was this quintessentially Canadian company created? Naturally, by a pair of Michigan boys. Confused?
In the 1930s, a summer camp was created in the Southwest portion of Algonquin Park, in Ontario. It was named Camp Tamakwa and attracted kids from all over eastern Canada and even the States'. In the 1960s, two boys from the Detroit area attended the camp - Michael Budman and Don Green. They were both attendees as campers and then continued as staff members - Michael even became camp director. It wasn't just the camp that attracted them, it was Canada. The draw of the wilderness and the country was such that neither could resist; in 1968 and 1971, they both moved to Toronto. In 1972, while on a trip to Algonquin Park, they came up with an idea for an Algonquin-based footwear company, specializing in outdoor boots. By 1973, they had come up with the name 'Roots' while perusing through a biology textbook and reasoning that your feet are kind of the roots to your body - keeping you planted. They established a deal with a the Boa Shoe Company and sold their negative heel boots out of their first store, opened in Toronto in August 1973. Within a few months, they had purchased a leather company in Toronto and proceeded to design an manufacture their own boots. Only 5 months later, they had expanded to several locations in Toronto, as well as Vancouver, Montreal and even a few locations in the US. By the following year, Roots went from producing roughly 30 pairs of shoes per day to roughly 2,000 pairs per day! It wasn't long before Michael and Don decided to expand into clothing that would emphasize casual wear, comfort and durability. As with everything related to Roots, their clothing line exploded. By 1977, Roots had 65 stores across North America and Europe and altered their leather product line from their now-famous boots to wedge shoes and handbags. The 1980s brought more astronomical growth and success with the introduction of their 'Beaver Canoe' and 'Beaver Athletics' sweats. They continued to expand and currently enjoy a presence of 120 stores in North America and another 40 throughout Asia.
Truly, one of the most impressive apparel companies of the 20th century.
Now, you might notice the giant letter 'S' stitched onto this bag. I had one heck of a time finding out what line this could possibly be from as I haven't been able to find another bag like this, anywhere. Venturing to the Roots website, I stumbled upon their customization request page. Apparently, for a select few items, customers have the opportunity to fork over approximately $700 and have their own, custom monogrammed letter built into their custom piece. This option has been available for decades, but not generally known to the masses. This particular design was discontinued in the late-90s, so luckily, we can date our piece to some time before 1999. The interior design and the fonts used on the label place it squarely in the 90s, despite the fact that this design was first introduced in the 1980s.
That brings us to our weekender bag and isn't it handsome? Deep, beautiful brown and vibrant red leather adorn this impeccably-made bag. The outside was a bit worn, but after I gently but firmly applied just a touch of beeswax and love to the exterior, my goodness, did it come alive. Supple but strong, the bag is free from any tears or appreciable blemishes. Sure, there are a few scuffs, but for a 30-something year old bag, I think it's in bloody good shape. The interior is structurally perfect. All zippers work flawlessly and there are no tears or holes to the fabric on the interior. There are a few stain spots on the very bottom of the inside, as pictured. I have, however, cleaned it fairly well so as to remove any surface grime from the fabric. The handles and leather zipper tabs are complete and secure. Measuring 38cm x 20cm wide by 20 cm tall, it'll fit a fair deal, but isn't so large as to be ungainly.
Overall, it's a beautiful, high-quality, custom bag that has survived the last 30 years with grace. I can see this beauty outliving us all!

As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I'm always happy to return messages almost immediately.

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