belstaff 554 large colonial shoulder bag.
For those of you who know me, you know I have a bag obsession. I finally got my hands on a Belstaff Large Colonial Bag. It is GORGEOUS. Expensive… yes… but I think definitely worth it. Since there is so little information about this bag, I’ll post some of my thoughts and a detailed description.
The bag is gorgeous. I just can’t say that enough. It is well crafted and definitely designer. It is made of a heavyweight waxed canvas that is water resistant. Is it as durable as some of the modern nylons and weaves… probably not. But this bag has the same effect as that well worn leather jacket or the perfect broken in jeans. The bag is really collapsible… there is little form to it. This can be good or bad. It’s great because the bag is bigger than it actually looks. The bag forms to your body. It’s bad sometimes when you take certain things out of it (SLR camera). You have to adjust it to get pointy items like that in and out.
The leather details are really nice. Some people complain about the straps and how they attach… I usually carry it around without the straps buckled. This allows easy access. When I want to secure the bag, I buckle the straps… which does a good job of holding the flap down. When you REALLY want to secure the bag, you can buckle the strap and loop it into the leather loops.
The only complaint is that the side pockets are a little hard to access. I end up keeping things I don’t need every day but would like to have with me just in case in there.
I typically use it as my work bag… big enough to hold a Macbook Pro 15″ with a sleeve. I can also swap it out and put Domke inserts inside to hold camera equipment. I am about to sell all my other bags on eBay… THIS IS THE ONE!
The dimensions measured at the seams* are: 12 in tall x 15 in wide x 3.5 in deep at the top and 4.5 in deep at the bottom.
Front pockets are 8 in tall x 5 in wide x 1 in deep.
Side pockets are 6 in tall by 4 in wide… tight rounded depth.
Inside zippered pocket is 7in long.
* inside might be a bit smaller.
Of course, pictures are worth a thousand words: Pictures of Belstaff Colonial 554.
Awesome isn’t it. Had mine since May 08 from Gotlands and still can’t get enough of it. Such a nightmare to find but so very worth it. I think a Belstaff 554 online club needs to be created!
http://www.pbase.com/gary2880/image/98316465
Ha. A Belstaff Colonial Bag Club is a great idea. Finding it was a nightmare but I guess that is part of the fun and exclusivity of the bag.
Do you carry you camera equipment in it? I am trying with a big Domke insert for the my body and 2 Lowepro lens cases.
Great pictures too! I love your B&W landscapes.
Best regards,
aaron
Belstaff! Hell yeah! I just got the 556 and I love this bag. The craftsmanship is superb and the looks are even better. Great bag! I would join Belstaff club too.
Hi Aaron, Thanks for your kind comments about my photos.
I havn’t carried my camera equipment in it yet but would be useful to.
I was thinking about getting a small compact to keep in the side pocket and noticed you had a G7 in one of your side ones. I was just wondering how tight the squeeze is as i was tossing up between the G9 and panasonic lumix TZ5. I think it has to be the G9 due to the manual controlls but conserned about the fit. It seems that the side pocket is tighter at the top but once down inside theres move room? too tight to have the camera in a case i guess.
Thanks for any help you can offer. Feel free to drop me an e-mail.
All the best
Gary.
The “Belstaff 554 Colonial Club” for owners only. It sounds OK!
I bought the bag for my ex. He is out and the bag is definately in… I made a perfect choise here. The more the 554 accompanies me, the better it gets. How many things I put in it, the 554 somehow never gets heavy on the shoulder. Let me know when you start the website. Kind greetz,
Pandora
I’ve been writing about the Belstaff Colonial Canvas line since early 2007, and can’t say enough good things about the product. Too bad Belstaff seems to be backing off its support for the line, with fewer and fewer options available this year than ever.
I’ve got the standard shoulder bag in Mountain Brown and Kaki, and would love to find a large man bag in Mountain Brown.
My latest review is at http://acknak.blogspot.com/2009/01/review-belstaff-colonial-canvas.html
Cheers,
bob
Nice writeup. This article is what finally pushed me over the edge and convinced me to buy a 554 from Gotlands. Now I’m just waiting for it to arrive. Thanks for the great review.
Alright Lads,
Thanks for all the info, i’ve been toying with the idea of getting the 554 for a while and your reviews convinced me. The bag arrived from Gotlands last month and it’s amazing. Not sure i like the magnetic buckles (which the older models dont seem to have, why would Belstaff mess with perfection?), but overall, its amazing. Sign me up for the owners club!
Congrats on getting your new bag. I’ve had mine since the end of February and I carry it daily. I didn’t like the magnetic buckles either and had a buddy of mine that does leatherwork remove them and stitch them to the bag permanently.
Thanks Richard, I was considering that, but I’m not certain that i trust any NYC merchant enough to have them try it. I read somewhere that superglue works, at least as a temporary solution. I may try that, or just stop complaining and love the bag as is!
On a side note, can anyone recommend a good laptop case (15 inch Macbook pro), perhaps one that looks as good as the bag?
A good shoe repair shop should be able to handle it, but I would have been hesitant to have mine modified too if I hadn’t seen how good my friend is at leathercraft. I just use a neoprene sleeve for my Macbook Pro when I carry it in my bag. I’m thinking about getting a leather sleeve for it but haven’t found one I like in my price range. Col. Littleton makes a nice document holder that would work but I’d prefer something padded and not as expensive.
I use an Incase case. It’s nice b/c it has some inserts and dividers inside. Also a pocket for the charger. So on the weekend, I can just pull the whole thing out and use the bag without my laptop.
I think they stopped making the version I have but there is an updated version.
/misc/belstaff/belstaff554/belstaff11.jpg
Thanks again guys, Richard i love the Document holder, a bit pricy but could be worth it. Aaron, i’ve read that the new Incase cases (apparently) scratch the computer, have you ever had this problem? I’m more inclined to trust your judgement than some anonymous reviewer.
On the Belstaff front, the superglue seems to have worked well. I can actually pick up the entire (stuffed full – including laptop) bag on one of the buckles.
I’ll keep you updated.
Hmm. I have an older InCase sleeve. There are nylon pockets inside of it and soft lining. I have had no problems with mine and hasn’t scratched my Macbook Pro with lots of use.
nice bag, but too small.
Aaron,
Hey, Just a quick post to say thanks for all the detail on this bag, I’d been looking at getting a 554 for a fair while, all the info you’ve posted helped greatly. Bit the bullet today, now the proud owner of a Khaki 554, can’t stop smiling.
If anyone in the U.K is looking to buy one, the Belstaff store in Mayfair has a full range of colours in stock at the moment (554 & 556). 554′s are £218.00.
Anyway, thanks again for such a useful article.
@Dave
Glad you are enjoying the bag! Me too!!!