Toiletry Bag or Dopp Kit? Or is it a toiletry kit? One of our perennial best selling products is our Toiletry Bag. Many people refer to this type of travel bag as a Dopp Kit, named for their inventor, Charles Doppelt. Doppelt was a German leather-goods maker from Chicago in the early 1900’s. He first introduced this clever invention as a “toilet bag.” During World War II, Doppelt and his company was awarded a contract by the US Army to provide the bags to American GI’s. Since Americans tend to shy away from using the word “toilet,” they started referring to the bags as “Dopp Kits.” These days you can find a large variety of this type of travel bags in many sizes, made from different materials.
Mayamam Weavers makes their toiletry bag using their hand woven cotton fabric (as well as a ripstop nylon lining and interfacing). We are proud of the design and quality. The toiletry bags have been designed for resiliency and flexibility with a distinctive silhouette – which makes them a bit challenging to make. Carefully constructed by our seamstresses, the base is made of hand-woven canvas and is lined with heavy interfacing to give it structure.
The sides are made with our hand-woven fabric, lined with a medium interfacing and then a water resistant ripstop nylon fabric to keep your wet contents contained inside the bag.
The zipper is a sturdy brass YKK zipper, prized in the garment industry for its reliability. The final detail is a suspender clip at each end. The clips allow you to cinch the bag smaller for a lighter load or release when you need to completely fill the bag.
Notice the detailing on the tiny flap that the suspender clip clamps on to – one side is canvas and the other side is ripstop nylon. As they say “it’s all in the details,” that really shines through with the Toiletry Bags.
And while you are noticing the detailing on the tiny flap, you can admire the overall workmanship. The original design was a collaboration within our marketing group in the US then completed by the seamstresses in Cajolá. They are the final arbiters of how something is made. While the silhouette puzzled them for a while, it didn’t take long for them to create a true winner.
Whether you’re looking to free up counter space in a small bathroom, find the perfect gift for a travel buddy or even organize your electronics’ cords, you’ll appreciate this roomy, lightweight bag that is easy to care for and have fun choosing one from 10 beautiful colors.
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