According to BBC, Burberry burned £90m of unsold clothes, accessories, and perfume over the last five years to protect its brand. Burning overstock goods, rather than recycling them, keeps them out of the hands of discounters, as well as saves the company in storage costs. In an oversimplification of economics, it's Burberry's solution to controlling their demand and supply curve. Unable to push demand by consumers further, by limiting supply in the open market, even if it's literally by purposefully burning goods into ashes, it pushes back the supply curve to where they can sell handbags for over $1k.

In more laymen terms, if consumers saw Burberry bags at TJ/TK Maxx or eBay for 60% off, then most consumers would stop seeing Burberry as a high-end luxury brand, especially compared to a company like Hermes were second-hand Birkin Bags still sell for at least $8-10K.

Nonetheless, this strategy has worked for Burberry, with average annual operating profits of £418m for the last five years. But while this may be an economically sound strategy, is it an ethically sound strategy.

From day one, Anne Wesley handcrafted items on a made-to-order basis because it minimizes fashion waste and, for us, a stand against fast fashion. If you're not aware, then fast fashion is fueling an environmental crisis. The clothing and textile industry is the second largest polluter in the world, following just behind oil. For a more comprehensive look, read this Newsweek Article by Alden Wicker.

While consumers would never identify Burberry as a "fast fashion" brand, its wastefulness and environment impact are no different. Additionally, if Burberry has so little hesitation to burn its unsold goods, then what actually makes them a luxury goods brand. I have yet to read that Hermes is burning Birkin and Kelly Handbags in order to manipulate supply. From my understanding, Hermes simply makes less than what the market demands.

I would argue that true luxury, at its pinnacle, is bespoke (made-to-order), regardless of the price or brand. What matters most is not only quality materials but also craftsmanship. While I believe most craftsmen would admit that most handcrafted items will never have the same finishing as factory made items, that is often what is most important. Knowing that an actual artisan, with all their skills and faults, made-to-order your item just for you.

While I don't know for sure, I would bet a pretty penny that Jeff Bezon, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffet are not wearing suits off the rack, but rather having them made-to-order to fit them properly.

My question to readers is this, especially those self-proclaimed brand loyalist, is "a luxury brand simply a company that spends millions of dollars in advertising, while also burning millions of dollars in unsold goods, in order to justify a high-end price. Or is luxury brand one that hand makes goods just for you, with premium materials, by passionate craftsmen, but without the brand name and premium price that goes along with it.

A staple of the Anne Wesley line-up is our Handmade Vegetable Tanned Leather Belts, which are always made-to-order for our customers in our workshop in Alameda, California. Despite having a traditional and straightforward design, the process is extremely laborious with all our leather belts being crafted over a period of two days and at least three hours of hands-on work. So while "genuine leather" belts, which are arguably not even leather, can be found at off-price retailers for $25, I would argue that a $100 full-grain vegetable tanned leather belt from Anne Wesley is a far better value.

Here's a look into the process of how a handcrafted, made-to-order, leather belt is made in our studio in the San Francisco Bay Area.

1. Choosing The Right Leather

As one would guess, the starting point of handcrafting a leather belt is choosing leather. We primarily use Wickett & Craig "English" Bridle Vegetable Tanned Leather, as well as Wickett & Craig Tooling Leather for our natural color belts. We love Wickett & Craig leather because they have been vegetable tanning leather in the USA since 1867 and have a great heritage of saddlery leather. From a price perspective, Wickett & Craig produces some of the most expensive leathers in the world, even compared to those found in France and Italy.

2. Cutting a Strap From The Hide

Depending on what belt buckle the customer chooses, a 1", 1 1/4", or 1 1/2" leather strap is cut from the hide. Surprisingly, even cutting a simple strap requires technique, practice, and patience. Move too quickly and the 1 1/2" strap turns into a 1 1/4" strap in a blink of an eye.

3. Shaping The Belt Buckle-End

Using an extremely sharp knife and a variety of die punches, the strap starts looking more like an actual belt.

When customers ask for monogramming, we prefer to place it on the backside of the belt.

4. Getting The Measurement Right

Another benefit of a made-to-order belt is getting exactly the measurement you want, whether it's 36" or 36 1/8", we'll try our best to get it as exact as we can.

5. Shaping The End of The Belt

We hand punch buckle holes, with the center holes being your belt measurement.

We use an English Point belt end to match with the "English" Bridle Leather.

6. Bevel The Edges For a Smoother Finish

While a square edge has a certain modern look, we use a fine bevel on the edges to make a rounded shape. This makes it more comfortable when handling the belt by hand.

7. A Steady Hand to Dye The Edges Black

While it's common to leave the edges natural, we prefer to dye the edges black for a more refined look. Using eco-friendly black water stain and an edge roller pen, the edge of the leather belt is painted with great patience. One slip-up and the leather belt is permanently marked and most likely cannot be recovered. This process alone takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

7. Edge Burnishing...The Most Laborious Part of Leatherworking

After letting the black dye dry for 24 hours, the edges are then burnished. After wetting the edges with a special solution, it's rubbed with a wood slicker using a back and forth motion. This process alone takes about 1 hour to complete and one of the most laborious part of leatherworking. While we have an electric burnisher, we still prefer to do it by hand as it produces a more controlled result.

8. Setting The Snaps to Hold The Belt Buckle

Using a hand press and special dies, snaps are set to hold the belt buckle in place.

Finished Made-to-Order, Handmade Leather Belt

I believe one could live in San Francisco their entire life and not come close to discovering what the city has to offer, but sometimes the city is simply overwhelming. It is sometimes easy to forget that a simple trip across the San Francisco Bay can offer a dramatic refuge from the chaos of the city. While there are plenty of fantastic cities around the bay to escape, Alameda offers incredible convenience with just enough activities to fill a day.

How To Get Here

San Francisco Ferry: The San Francisco Ferry is by far the most scenic option to get to Alameda and the perfect way to put you in "vacation" mode, even if it's just for a day. The ferry to the Main Street Alameda Terminal departs from the San Francisco Ferry Building, as well as SF Pier 41, which is at Fisherman's Wharf.

There are some drawbacks to taking the ferry. First, the ferry schedule is pretty limited, especially on the weekends with only about one ferry departing every hour. So be sure to check the SF Ferry Schedule to plan your trip. Second, and this is pretty major, there is no longer bus service working the Alameda Main Street Terminal.

This means you'll most likely have to Uber or use a Gig Car Share to get to your next destination. If you're unfamiliar with a Gig Car Share, then read below for more information.

Bus: The most economical and convenient way to get to Alameda from San Francisco is the O bus from the San Francisco Transbay Bus Terminal. It's a nearly direct bus route from San Francisco onto Alameda Island and currently costs $4.50 per trip across the bay.

BART-Bus: Catch the Yellow or Red line to the 12st BART station and board the 51A toward the Fruitvale BART, which goes through Alameda Island. Total cash fare is just a little $7 for one-way.

GIG Car Share: If you're not familiar with Gig Car Share, then it's a car sharing service that offers customers one-way trips and the ability pick-up and drop-off within in a designated "Home Zone," which is almost all of Alameda. People in San Francisco can pick-up a Gig Car Share at 560 Brannon St. and use the onboard GPS to get to Alameda.

A quick hint about using a Gig Car Share, don't use their day rate for Alameda, which is set at $85/day. Drive to your destination and end your booking, more likely than not, the same car will be available when you need to get to your next destination. Anyway, be sure to use my link to get $15 credit and probably zip around Alameda for free during your day trip. Be sure to sign-up well ahead of time rather than standing in front of the car.

Getting Around

GIG Car Share: As you can guess, I can't stress enough how convenient Gig Car Share is for Alameda, assuming you don't have a car. Read above for my info.

Lime Bike: If you're proficient at riding a bike, then Lime Bike is great for a sunny Alameda day. It's a bike share platform and just like Gig Car Share, offers one-way rides and drop-offs pretty much anywhere on Alameda. It's $1 every 30 minutes. Click my link to get $3 in credit. Lime Bike

Things To Do

USS Hornet Museum: The USS Hornet Museum is a National and State Historic Landmark mainly comprising of the historic aircraft carrier, which was used in World War II through the Vietnam War. For Ghost Adventure fans, the USS Hornet was the subject of Season 3, Episode 2. The USS Hornet even has special ghost tours during the month of October. The museum opens at 10am and I would suggest getting there at about that time since you should dedicate 2 hours to the attraction. The admission is $20/adult, but be sure to search for a Groupon deal before going.

Spirits Alley: While the USS Hornet may be home to ghostly spirits, nearby is home to seven distilleries and tasting rooms. There is Hangar 1 Vodka, which is infused with California Fog (whatever that means), St. George Spirits, which distills a variety of spirits, such as vodka, gin, brandy, and more, Faction Brewing, Rock Wall Wine Company, Building 43 Winery, Admiral Maltings, and the brand new Almanac Beer Company. 

Shoreline Walk: Start at the Crab Cove Visitor Center. The visitor center is worth visiting just to see the historic photos of the area. Alameda use to be known as the Coney Island of the West and a trip to the visitor center will give you a good idea why that is.

Facing the bay, continue on your left and the path continues for just under 3 miles until hitting the east end of the island. About 1 mile into the route is the launching spot for a lively kitesurfing community. I've seen as many as two dozen kite surfers on a breezy sunny weekend.

Towards the end of the 3-mile walk is the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary. It's a very small stretch of land but is one of the "few remaining salt marsh habits bordering the Bay." If you're lucky, then you'll catch huge flocks of shorebirds. This spot is easy to over look, so be sure to check out the location on Google Maps.

Victorian House Hunting: My wife and I take daily walks and never get tired of looking at unique Victorian Era homes. Even with homes we've passed by dozens of times, there's always some unique feature that we never noticed before. Our favorite area for "house hunting" is an area called the Gold Coast because those are the grandest Victorians on the island. Even though we only live two blocks away, it's still a dream of ours to be able to buy and live in a Victorian in Alameda's Gold Coast. Check out a great guide by SF Gate for more information on doing a Victorian walk. 

Nerd Out at Pacific Pinball Museum & High Score Arcade: Alameda is oddly an old school gamers dream. While both establishments are on opposite ends of the island. It thematically makes sense to include both locations during a day trip. Coming from San Francisco, it makes sense to start at the Pacific Pinball Museum, which is a 503 (c) 3 non-profit organization, and has over 90 playable pinball machines. The entry fee is steep at $20, but is for the entire day and includes in and out privileges.

Across the street from Pacific Pinball Museum is a comic book store, Alameda Sports Cards & Comics. The owner of the store is notoriously unfriendly, which I think is a plus. I've experienced it first hand and the owner is seemingly almost doing an impression of the Comic Book Guy character from the Simpsons. I seriously walked away almost thinking it was an act, but I believe it's genuine. That being said, please don't go in there treating the owner like some sideshow attraction. In fact, my best suggestion is to treat her with kindness. Anyway, Alameda Sports Cards & Comics is a great way to round out your old school gaming experience.

High Scores Arcade focuses on classic 80s arcade games with 45 cabinets and 400 playable games. While not a non-profit organization, their prices start at $6/hour or $12/day. The concept has been so popular that the owner even opened a second location in Hayward, CA.

California Street is one of the longest streets in San Francisco, and includes a number of important landmarks.

San Francisco is home to a little bit of everything.

A little bit of history!

The history of the city of San Francisco, California, and its development as a center of maritime trade, were shaped by its location at the entrance to a large natural harbor. San Francisco is the name of both the city and the county; the two share the same boundaries.

Starting overnight as the base for the gold rush of 1849, the city quickly became the largest and most important population, commercial, naval, and financial center in the American West.

San Francisco was devastated by a great earthquake and fire in 1906 but was quickly rebuilt.

The San Francisco Federal Reserve Branch opened in 1914, and the city continued to develop as a major business city throughout the first half of the 20th century.

Starting in the latter half of the 1960s, San Francisco became the city most famous for the hippie movement.

In recent decades, San Francisco has become an important center of finance and technology; its proximity to Silicon Valley and its influx of high-income workers has led to the city being one of America's most expensive places to live.

San Francisco is currently ranked sixteenth on the Global Financial Centres Index. [wikipedia]

ANNE WESLEY | SAN FRANCISCO
Made to Order. Leather Goods

I love berries. They’re sometimes sweet, mostly sour and among the healthiest food you can eat.

They’re loaded with antioxidants, high in fiber, packed with many nutrients, and tasted great alone or with other stuff.

A simple yet delicious recipe is Yogurt + Berries. Vanilla yogurt, topped with some strawberries and blueberries. You can put some milk and blend all into a smoothie too.

Good health always brings happiness. Let's keep it going!

ANNE WESLEY | SAN FRANCISCO
Made to Order. Leather Goods.