Exploring How We Choose Our Custom Colors

One of the best parts of having our own factory is that we can offer our customers a wide selection of color choices, even at our size. That means we often have the flexibility to make a bag in many colorways depending on the availability of our fabrics at the time. We take pride in our color offerings and always strive to keep it fun for you! That's why we aim to introduce new colors seasonally.

At TOM BIHN, we don’t settle for ordinary — we take pride in creating bags that are as unique as you are. Each color in our 200 Halcyon and 210 Cerylon collections, as well as our 630 HT Ballistic colors, is custom-dipped to our exact specifications. Our palette is unique to us and not available elsewhere.

The process of developing new custom colors begins approximately 5 months to one year before our planned debut date. Since the colors are custom, the lead times are longer than usual. During our selection process, we evaluate a variety of colors. Before we settled on Agave and Emerald for our 630 HT Ballistic and 210 Cerylon line, we considered a total of 20 colors, 10 ballistics and 10 for Cerylons, ranging from vibrant to muted to jewel tones (we even pulled a few new 420d Spectron shades… but more on that later).  We think about what would enhance our current offerings, what feels missing from the collection, and what else could complement our current selection.  Our inspirations are drawn from the world around us — the vibrant Seattle streets, breathtaking PNW landscapes, and (of course) your desires.

Once we’ve narrowed down our options to our partner mills, they begin the process of dipping samples. The timeline to receive sample color dips is usually 4-6 weeks. For the 20 colors we wanted samples of, we received 3 variations per color, resulting in 60 sample color dips! At first glance, these variations may seem almost indistinguishable, but under different lighting conditions, the subtle differences become noticeably apparent.

You might be wondering: how did we end up choosing Agave and Emerald from so many options? A small group of us, the TOM BIHN design, marketing, and customer service team, discuss and vote on the colors. Emerald was an obvious choice. We knew we wanted a true jewel-toned green Cerylon that’d pop as a lining and an exterior fabric alike, and that’s impossible to ignore. Rich, saturated, and alive with energy, Emerald demands your attention and exudes an infectious vibrancy that felt right at home with our bold shades. 

Additionally, we wanted to balance Emerald with something more soothing and understated, colorful yet timeless. We were captivated by the calming nature of Agave, which falls as muted turquoise, evoking the image of the horizon under the summer sun, and depending on the lighting, you can even catch hints of green as you do when looking at real agave plants. With soft turquoise tones, Agave captures that unmistakable feeling of long summer days and sandy desert landscapes at sundown. Agave is the perfect complementary color to Dusk and Fjord, subtle tones with an understated elegance.

Truly, there are no bad colors, and in a perfect world, we might have chosen all of the sample dips we received. Who knows, a couple of the colors that didn't make the final cut this time might find themselves in our lineup sooner than you think…

We’re always curious to hear your thoughts – What colors would you like to see next?