Many are switching over from a certain high-end brand! What's the secret behind the mini tote that's so popular among adult men?

2024/12 HushTug Editorial Department

Recently, a certain mini tote bag has been creating a lot of buzz among fashion-conscious adult men.

Its popularity is so remarkable that there is even a trend of people switching from a certain high-end brand that they have been using for many years to this mini tote bag. " is apparently increasing rapidly.

Why has it gained so much support and become a threat to traditional standards?

In this article, we will analyze the reasons for its popularity based on what we heard directly from users who actually switched from a certain high-end brand .

Popular mini tote from "HushTug"

Let me introduce myself again. My name is Toda, and I am the representative of the leather brand HushTug.

It's in the middle of the photo

The research he conducted this time was based on the experiences of customers of the leather brand "HushTug" which he runs. You might be thinking this is just advertising, but I have one question for you.

To be honest, even though it was our own product , I was skeptical that there would be customers who would switch from that famous high-end brand.

The mini tote product was conceived by an employee in charge of product development, so I personally just thought of it as "a small bag that is somewhat popular in line with the recent trend of minimalism."

We didn't expect it to become so popular that it was compared to high-end brands, but once we started selling it, we sold over 700 units in just a few months, and we also received many positive reviews.

Naturally, the customers who buy from me are not all young people; most of them are in their 30s and 40s like me, and some are even older than 60 .

Until now, I have thought that it would be difficult to compare high-end brands with such a long history.

However, when I saw users who had actually switched, I couldn't help but be concerned, so I asked several people directly in online meetings .

Why are so many people switching from high-end brands now?

So why are more and more people switching from prestigious high-end brands to brands like ours that are still less well known?

One of our customers was replacing her mini tote bag of the exact same size from the famous Louis Vuitton brand, and when we listened to her story, we found a good reason why.

From here on, I would like to share my personal thoughts after hearing those stories. Here are three reasons why adult men are switching from high-end brands to HushTug mini totes .

① I find the bold patterns that are typical of high-end brands distracting.

The first thing everyone said was that, surprisingly, they are actually put off by the "recognizable patterns and designs" that are typical of high-end brands.

They say:

・High-end brand patterns have a history and background, so I don't dislike them in themselves. ・On the other hand, recently, for various reasons, young women have started to casually own branded items. ・It's easy to tell at a glance that they are branded, so it ends up looking like they're "overlapping"

Other things include:
・I feel embarrassed to bring something that is clearly a brand name to a business partner.

For these reasons, it seems that people are increasingly avoiding "obviously branded items."

In this regard, the mini tote from HushTug, which is based on the concept of "ultimate simplicity," has an unobtrusive design that makes it suitable for any occasion .

Especially recently, more and more men are choosing to wear simple, clean-looking fashion, so simple, high-quality leather bags are easy to match with such outfits.

② Because it is expensive, extra care must be taken when handling it.

This is both a good and a bad thing about branded items; because they are more expensive, you have to be careful when handling them , which makes a big difference to the experience when you actually use them.

Of course, this may be fine if you plan to take good care of it and use it for a long time.

However, if you consider using it a lot on a regular basis, having to worry about small things like "I can't leave it on the floor because it will get dirty" or "I don't want to use it because it looks like it's going to rain" can be more stressful than you might imagine .

In particular, having to consider such things one by one during the precious morning time before leaving the house can be an unexpected disadvantage for men who are busy with work and their personal lives.

Products from mid-priced brands are easy to use on a daily basis (with some care required, of course), so you are likely to be more comfortable.

With branded items made from delicate materials, you may be concerned about them losing their shape, but HushTug's mini tote is made from sturdy genuine leather, so you can carry a lot of things inside without any problems.

3) There is no longer any reason to choose something so expensive.

Finally, and perhaps the biggest factor, is the issue of price.

There are many reasons why branded items were chosen in the past, but what is changing among adult men today is the part where they were chosen "just because." Specifically, reasons include "because a senior recommended it," "because my parents were using it," and "because of the public image."

Originally, the high prices of high-end brands are set as a premium price (≒ so-called brand fee) to cover the outstanding manufacturing techniques and traditions, as well as the huge advertising and distribution costs to convey that image. If you are a fashion-conscious person who follows the trends at Paris Fashion Week every year, you might say that you are willing to pay a price for that, but most consumers are not.

Therefore, at HushTug, we are committed to selling at a fair price, eliminating unnecessary intermediate distributors and branding fees, in order to set the sales price at the "essential value of the product."

This way of thinking has gradually begun to spread in recent years, and people who sympathize with this initiative are moving away from high-end brands.

This might not suit such a person.

However, of course, there will be some people for whom the HushTug mini tote doesn't suit them .

These are people who say, "I understand that there is a movement away from high-end fashion, but I still want to have things that are recognizable as branded items at a glance ."

For example, HushTug's logo is only placed on a part that is visible on the inside, so it does not make any kind of branding statement when viewed from the outside.

Therefore, it may not be suitable for people who want to make a statement with their bag, or who want to show the logo of their favorite brand on the outside.

I think that people who are wondering "What is the value of a brand, anyway?" will be able to use HushTug's mini tote comfortably , so if you still think "branded items are better," I would recommend that you save up and buy a branded item.

A mini tote bag recommended for adult men

And because HushTug's mini totes are designed with the user in mind, down to the smallest detail, I would recommend them to anyone using a mini tote for the first time.

・The size is large for a mini tote ・Made of genuine leather for a luxurious feel ・Exceptional value for money for a genuine leather mini tote made in Japan

These are the three reasons why this will not disappoint as your first mini tote bag.

The size is also large for a mini tote.

The one on the left is a mini tote

Mini totes are generally small in size, but there is considerable variation in size among mini totes.

Some of the smaller ones are so small that they can only hold paperback books, so it is recommended to choose a mini tote bag of a certain size.

Fits a 13-inch iPad

By the way, the width is just right to fit A4 paper or notebooks. It's a little tight for an A4 clear file, but I think you can fit it in if you force it.

In order to bring out the best in a mini tote, we have stuck to keeping the size to a bare minimum.

Made of genuine leather for a luxurious feel

Mini totes are often made from materials such as cotton or nylon, but they can give off a more casual impression and look cheap.

Of course, there are people who are fine with that, but a luxurious mini tote made from genuine leather can be used regardless of outfit or situation.

Considering its versatility, as it can be used not only for everyday outings but also on dates and formal occasions, you can't go wrong with genuine leather.

Exceptional value for money for a genuine leather mini tote bag made in Japan

Can be shared with a partner

The only drawback to genuine leather products is the high price.

If you actually look into it, you'll find that it's not uncommon to find a similar mini tote made from sturdy genuine leather selling for over 50,000 yen .

HushTug's mini totes were designed with cost-effectiveness in mind, based on customer feedback, so even though they are made in Japan and made from genuine leather, they can be purchased for less than 30,000 yen.

An unprecedented number of pre-orders for the first sale! Over 85% of the items are highly rated.

After developing the mini tote bag, we advertised it primarily to customers who had previously purchased the product . Within just a few days, over 200 people had made reservations, and most of them ended up buying one when it was released.

Furthermore, most of the reviews from customers who have purchased the product are highly rated, with over 85% giving it 4 stars or more .

Actual reviews
(You can slide it sideways)

Also, when we talk to our customers, they seem to be particularly satisfied with the "good value for money ."

Normally, products are produced in factories and then shipped through several other companies before reaching customers, but HushTug manages everything from production to sales in-house, allowing us to offer genuine leather at affordable prices.

What's more, it comes with peace of mind support that allows you to return or exchange the product free of charge for any reason within one month of purchase, no matter how much you use it .

HushTug products are not sold in department stores or shops, so they can basically only be purchased through our online store.

・I want to try a genuine leather mini tote, but I don't know if it will suit me...
・I'm worried about buying online in the first place because the product might be different from what I expected.

For such people, we would like to reiterate that "for any reason, no matter how much you use the product, you can return or exchange it free of charge within 30 days ."

With free returns, you can never go wrong, so if you're considering buying a mini tote, be sure to give it a try.