Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

  • Don’t Miss Anything
  • Start Here
  • Essentials Shop
  • Latest Deals
  • Style Scenarios
  • Reviews

Steal Alert: The $199 Made in the USA Horween Leather Brief

August 8, 2016 By Joe | Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

Gustin Horween Brief in CXL #8, Dublin Brown, or Natural Essex – $199

All images via Gustin’s website, obviously, since these are currently up for pre-order and they won’t even start delivering them to customers for a couple of months. More on that in a second…

Made in the USA. Simple, timeless design. Seems to have all the attributes a briefcase should have. And it’s all leather yet still under two hundred bucks?

Well that’s impressive. So what’s the catch?

The catch, if you consider it to be one, is Gustin’s model.

Steal Alert: The $199 Made in the USA Horween Leather Brief

The Chromexcel #8 option. A deep burgundy.

It’s crowd sourcing through and through. You pledge to back a product, and it doesn’t go into production until they have enough backers to make it worth their while. Also, returns? Troublesome if not impossible. They don’t carry a bunch of inventory (due to the model) so they’re not keen on throwing returns back onto shelves. They can try to do an exchange or offer store credit, but it’s best to consider everything final sale. So this is far from risk free. (Or, your mileage may vary. But I’d go by what their site says. And their site doesn’t say much about taking straight returns. So don’t count on being able to return it.)

Plus, you’ll have to wait for your goods for quite a while once your card is charged. They’ll charge you the amount if/when enough people buy into the project (once the meter hits 100%)… and then you wait. And wait. Estimated shipping time on these cases is late September, if not into October of this year.

Steal Alert: The $199 Made in the USA Horween Leather Brief

The briefcase in natural essex.

Dimensions are 17″ x 12.5″ x 3.5″. So sleek, without being tiny. Should accommodate most laptops, and the interior waxed canvas sleeves were designed to fit a 15″ macbook pro.

Not a ton of bells and whistles on this thing, which some will love, some won’t. YKK zipper opens up to one main compartment separated by a couple of waxed canvas dividers. Leather pen/phone organizer is sewn into one of the dividers. Comes with leather “feet” sewn to the bottom of the case, and also comes with an adjustable shoulder strap.

And that’s it.

A worthwhile risk for some, but the model will certainly turn others off. Still, $199 for this kind of leather on a simple brief seemed well worth a mention. One of our contributors ordered a pair of shoes through Gustin, and you can read up on his experience over here.

Carry on.

Steal Alert: The $199 Made in the USA Horween Leather Brief

The brief in Nut Brown Dublin. Dublin = cowhide, but w/ the same oils/mix used for Cordovan.

Filed Under: Accessories Tagged With: Briefcase, Gustin

Continue the Conversation …

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Send us a tweet, join the discussion on Facebook, or hit us up on Instagram!

Don’t Miss Anything

Subscribe via email to get articles in your inbox or add Dappered on Flipboard. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or subscribe to push notifications to get alerts immediately.

New Here?

Well, welcome to Dappered. Here are what we consider the most useful posts on the site if you're looking to put a little more effort into your appearance. Just want to see our favorite menswear products? Shop our essentials here.

MTO Suits, Goodyear Welted Boots, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful

MTO Suits, Goodyear Welted Boots, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful

Mid Thursday Update: J. Crew has refreshed their final sale section.

The 10 Sweater Styles of a Stylish Man’s Wardrobe

The 10 Sweater Styles of a Stylish Man’s Wardrobe

Crews to Cardigans. Half Zips to Shawl Collars. Plus the pros and cons of each.

7 Reasons Why L.L. Bean Boots are Timeless Classics

7 Reasons Why L.L. Bean Boots are Timeless Classics

The argument for L.L.’s foul weather boots.

Follow Dappered on Instagram »

Men’s Fashion or Affordable Style?

Men's Fashion or Affordable Style?

Fashion is temporary and expensive. Style is timeless and affordable. Dappered® helps you work the retail system so that you can be comfortable, look sharp, and save money.

Want to share a great product? Email Us.
For a fit perspective, see Joe's measurements.
Make sure to read our affiliate disclosure.

CONNECT WITH DAPPERED

Thanks! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Most Popular on Dappered

  • The 10 Sweater Styles of a Stylish Man’s Wardrobe
  • Monday Men’s Sales Tripod – Spier’s Sweater Sale, BR Factory new arrivals, & More
  • MTO Suits, Goodyear Welted Boots, & More – The Thurs. Men’s Sales Handful
  • 7 Reasons Why L.L. Bean Boots are Timeless Classics
  • Steal and Stock Alert: Spier has new core suits in stock
  • In Review: Nike By You Custom Sneakers – Blazer Mid ‘77

Popular Topics

  • Best dress shirts to own
  • Best looking watches under $100
  • Best men’s dress shoes under $200
  • Nike Killshot sneaker alternatives
  • How to wear a suit without a tie
  • Suitsupply store review
  • Suitsupply Blue Line review
  • J. Crew Factory Thompson suit review
  • How much does it cost to tailor a suit?
  • Dopp kit essentials
  • Brown shoes with gray pants
  • Men’s style buying guide

Copyright © 2023 Dappered.com | Dappered, LLC | Dappered® is a registered trademark of Dappered, LLC

Hat tip: Magazine Pro Theme On Genesis Framework

Dappered does not collect or sell its users personal information | Disclosures: Privacy and Affiliates, Gilt.com, FTC

WPE

We work with partners that use cookies to understand how visitors use our site. Find out more.