“Just swipe them off the dressing table and drop them into a portable grooming pouch,” a friend urged. An obvious action when you’re running late for a flight.
You’ll face dire consequences when that particular body lotion you need is buried deep and you’re ransacking blindly. Yes, I’ve experienced this painful ordeal countless times. It’s either that or spilling all the contents out of the pouch. Even if you place each product carefully, oh boy, airport baggage handlers will screw that arrangement up, assuming that your skin necessities are more than 100ml each and have to be checked in. #woesofamoderntraveller
I’ve always been on the hunt for an ideal toiletry kit, but that sounds boorish. Let me switch to Dopp kit. Used interchangeably with its modest British term, this American classification obtained its identity from leather craftsman Charles Doppelt (hence ‘Dopp’). His namesake cases made their debut in 1926 and were distributed by the US military during World War I and II for soldiers to bring with their gear. Peace recovered and Dopp kits emerged unscathed. Renowned luggage maker Samsonite once owned the trademark to Dopp kit when it purchased Doppelt’s company in the 1970s. Now, Buxton Acquisition Co possesses the rights to produce it.
Dopp kits are becoming indispensable for today’s gentlemen and ladies. Besides containing and sorting essential grooming supplies like shaving tools, make-up (face it, we’re gearing towards a non-binary society), dental care, facial boosters and body cleansers, a well-made functional case can double up as a handy gym holdall.
The 'Soon' crossbody beauty bag, made by cult New York leather accessories company Haerfest (pronounced ‘harvest’) in collaboration with Very Good Light and Talk to Her, scores high marks in both form and function with the bag serving as a Dopp kit and a crossbody. Its spacious animal-free vegan leather and water-resistant nylon bag have ample compartments such as defined interior zip pockets, a roll-out make-up pouch, an inner sleeve and quick access slots that’ll satisfy neat freaks on-the-go. It’s now available internationally online through multi-label fashion emporium Opening Ceremony.
My current trusty Dopp kit isn’t quite as fancy but it is equipped with elastic bands on the inner linings to secure and organise the bottled toiletries. Quirky enough to reveal my personality with the playful Keith Haring exterior, I’ve no qualms in exposing it in the testosterone-brimmed gym changing room. Discrete or discreet, select a reliable compartment-heavy rectangular kit that fastens all the synthetic liquids snugly and not leaving a soapy mess.
