Filofax Original, my retro stationery crush

Do you remember your first Filofax?….They were the must-have accessory in the 80s, along with giant shoulder pads, double breasted brightly coloured jackets and big earrings. No working girl was seen without hers, our whole world of addresses, phone numbers and super-important meetings were bound up in its leather embrace. My first one was almost A4 size, hugely impractical and too heavy to carry anywhere but quite lovely to use. They were the iPhone of their day, only slightly less well connected.

Filofax must have thought its days as a successful company were well and truly over with the success of the mobile phone, who needs a paper diary or address book? Well as it happens, things might not actually be that bleak, as proper stationery is having a moment, as we mentioned here. We are apparently seeking out non-digital paper and pens to cherish the more touchy-feely pleasure you get from all things stationery. If you are in any doubt that stationery is a passion point, then just look at the comments on the recent post. It’s a bit scary.

Filofax sent me research that backs this claim up too, along with a recently launched Filofax Original to trial. The company has seen a 21% rise in the use of personal organisers, diaries and notebooks in the the last twelve months, so it has launched a simplified version of the original Filofax for those of us who lust after a bit of quality old-school stationery. Interestingly, cognitive psychologists reckon we remember things more efficiently when we write them down rather than type them and frankly I need all the help I can get with remembering. The Original is truly gorgeous, this might be the nicest wear-test I’ve ever had to do.

The version I have is the Personal size (£60), but there’s an A5 one (£80) too. I already have an A5 Filofax, it’s about five years old and it never moves from my desk. This new one has a thick elastic band to keep a few pencils in place and a note pad at the back for scribbled jottings. I have been using it as a note book rather than diary, it’s surprisingly light so is easy to carry around.

The leather is smooth and thick and the whole thing has a reassuringly robust feel in the hand. I loved the tiny key-ring Filofax mini (£10), which has just enough room for a post-it note pad…useful for essential note-writing on the go and a good present for stationery lovers.

Altogether a joy to have around. Check the Filofax website for details on additional colours and sizes.