Finally, a Dopp Kit with a Backbone

4 min read

Shop$130, myparallelle.com

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If you’re still using a Ziploc bag to pack your toiletries—or worse, randomly tossing your toothbrush, comb, and razor in your suitcase and leaving them to fend for themselves—it’s about time you invest in a good Dopp kit. Not one of those cheap pouches with busted zippers, made from fabric that can’t stand the lightest spray of sink water. When it comes to toiletry bags that are functional and easy to pack, and actually look nice next to the bathroom sink, I’ve found one that blows all the others out of the water. (I mean, it’s literally water-resistant.)

Parallelle’s Dopp kit, simply called “the Kit,” stood out to me as soon as I saw it; its thick horizontal lines and structural integrity made it seem almost architectural in essence. Aside from simply looking like no other toiletry bag I’d ever seen on the outside, once I opened it up, I saw that the bag’s construction was also completely novel.

I Already Loved the Large Kit…

Parallelle, a brand known for its innovative Traveller makeup bag, launched its Large Kit (then just marketed as “the Kit”) on November 10, and it sold out entirely in two weeks, voiding any possibility of Black Friday sales on the new product. I was lucky to get my hands on a Kit before then and was able to take it with me on my trip home for Thanksgiving and on my travels down to Maryland for family time over the holidays. The Kit inspired curiosity from my mom, who marveled at how all my toiletries (including makeup and hair products) fit so neatly inside, when I’d usually need to pack at least two toiletry bags to fit everything, especially for weeklong trips.

I was disappointed (but not at all surprised) to learn that this unique Dopp kit had sold out so quickly and there was no way for anyone to get their hands on one of these bad boys for a few months. But last week Parallelle launched its Medium Kit, with the same width (8.5 inches) and height (7.25 inches) as the Large Kit (as it’s now called) but with a depth of 3.5 inches instead of 5.75. It may not be able to hold as much as the Large Kit, but I’m a notorious over-packer, and the average person probably doesn’t need all that space anyway. Plus, being slightly smaller, the Medium Kit is easier to pack.

Shop$130, myparallelle.com

You’ve Never Seen a Dopp Kit Constructed Like This

Now for the real reason I love this thing: its functionality. Unlike a floppy pouch that can’t hold its own, this Dopp kit stands up straight even when fully unzipped—and the brand’s unique pinch-and-fold construction on the back side (both sides on the Large Kit) allows it to fold to about half its normal height while still maintaining its shape and stability. This is, arguably, the coolest part of the bag’s design. And if you don’t have any tall items inside, I suppose you could even zip it up with the back side pinched and folded down for even easier packing.

When unzipped, the front side folds down to reveal one long zipper pocket that’s perfect for a tube of toothpaste (or a sheet of contact lenses), along with an elastic loop with three sections where you can stick a toothbrush, razor, and, I don’t know, a tube of AfterBite if you’re going somewhere buggy?

You’ve also got three pockets along the interior of the front side and three more mesh pockets on the interior wall of the back side. This is where I put my travel-size face wash, moisturizer, shampoo, and conditioner, along with other small items like eye cream, lip balm, fragrance, and floss. The rest of the space can be filled with anything else you need, like a hair brush, hair products, and any topical medication you need to take on your trip.

Shop$130, myparallelle.com

It’s the Perfect Shape, Size, and Material for Packing

Another thing I like about this handy toiletry bag is its perfectly rectangular prism shape, which is sturdy without being bulky, meaning it packs easily. It fits nicely along the inside of a suitcase or backpack and won’t turn your packing into an annoying game of Tetris.

The Kit’s exterior is made from vegan leather and water-resistant canvas, and its interior lining is water-resistant twill polyester, which means it will keep all your toiletries safe when you inevitably spill or splash water all over the sink (is that just me?) or if you take it outside in the rain or snow. It also just straight-up looks high-quality thanks to its materials.

If you’re thinking of getting one of these Medium Kits, I’d say buy now before they sell out again. And if you’re interested in getting a Large Kit, keep an eye out for a restock—I know I’ll be checking the website to see when it comes back.

Shop$130, myparallelle.com

Photographs by Florence Sullivan