Bags for men

[gregory]

The other day I went out for a dinner and movie with some friends. I wore grey slacks, a white shirt with black pinstripes, and the Emporio Armani black casual jacket I found on eBay for dirt cheap (posted this a while ago), and an Eastpak navy backpack (the simplest model).  

A particular friend was so disturbed by my backpack (she said it ruined my look) that she volunteered to carry it for me the entire evening.

I do --sort of-- agree that the backpack does not fit my outfit but, on the other hand, I realized that there are very limited bag options for men.

Backpacks may be too casual and not sufficiently dressy. Messenger bags are too yuppyish. (My friend suggested a TUmI messenger bag but I thought it was too yuppyish and would not go with the grey slacks/pinstripe shirt/armani casual jacket look.) Briefcases are too formal for these occasions.

Any thoughts?

 

[Kai]

What are you carrying for dinner and a movie that is large enough to require a backpack?

 

[kalra2411]

Why not carry a holdall in plain black leather, such as the one Ernest posted recently, or one of the LV Epi leather designs.

A Laptop style bag even, or that may also be too Yuppieish for your taste perhaps? I don't know.

I would happily take a breifcase to dinner, I see no problem in that.

 

[gregory]

What are you carrying for dinner and a movie that is large enough to require a backpack?

Tons of cash.

You are right, I often don't carry that much to require a backpack, but still, what other bag options are there in lieu of a backpack?

 

[gregory]

Why not carry a holdall in plain black leather, such as the one Ernest posted recently, or one of the LV Epi leather designs.

Aren't holdalls usually very large?

 

[Sevcom]

Messenger bags are too yuppyish. (My friend suggested a TUmI messenger bag but I thought it was too yuppyish and would not go with the grey slacks/pinstripe shirt/armani casual jacket look.)

You're right in that bag options are limited for men, though the ones available have all the functionality you'd really need. However, messenger bags aren't all necessarily yuppie, just the big, blocky nylon or leather bag from Wilson's. However, bags like the Varvatos ones on Bluefly are pretty rugged and just different enough to set you apart (and would go with your look). I'd pick one up myself, if I had the cash.

For now, I mainly use a cheap canvas one with distressed, heavy brass hardware. Works well with jeans and t-shirts.

 

[fielight]

have you taken a look at Jack Spade? made by Kate Spade's husband, it offers the same kind of modern, simple designs as the women's line, but combined with great functionality. the finishes and patterns are interesting (e.g., waxwear, glen plaid) and give a masculine feel. i'm more biased toward the Warren St line, because it offers a range of different designs, each having a specific function (instead of the one-bag-fits-all messenger that you see so often). the Greene St line is not bad (and cheaper too), but the designs are relatively uninspired (though they do have more zippered internal pockets and compartments than anyone could possibly use).

 

[gregory]

Thanks for the tips. I quite like the offerings of John Varvatos and Jack Spade.

 

[Mike C.]

I always avoid carrying a bag or any sort of thing like that, but if I had to, I'd get an old distressed messenger bag. That's the only look I could see being passed off as cool. I think LAGuy has something like this, as do I.

 

[gregory]

I have a shocking revelation to make. I am the sort of person who would carry an umbrella wherever I go if weather.com predicts a chance of showers. That's why I carry a bag more often than I should.

 

[LA Guy]

I carry either a (at this point completely beat up) tan corduroy messenger bag by Rafe, with a really cool dark brown and light blue strap, or a dark brown vertical messenger bag (probably more accurately described as a satchel) with the strap attached in the back rather than at the sides. Both these types of bags would fit your style. Neither could be described as yuppie-ish, although they might be described as "alt-guy" - a label that has passed from being cool to annoying to just plain done. But hey, who am I to give advice. I'm just an ageing poseur

 

[Classic]

I still wonder why you would need a bag, but who am I to judge.
Personally, if I was in a situation where I had to worry about carrying so much stuff that it required a bag, I would consider a very stylish leather business/brief case.

Classic

 

[kalra2411]

Though holdalls are usualy quite big, as you said, you can get smaller sizes. Perhaps even a doctors bag would do?

 

[Kai]

Quote:

(Kai @ 19 June 2004, 4:07) What are you carrying for dinner and a movie that is large enough to require a backpack?
Tons of cash. You are right, I often don't carry that much to require a backpack, but still, what other bag options are there in lieu of a backpack?
I'm just trying to get a feel for how big a bag you need.

 

[Joe G]

dark brown vertical messenger bag (probably more accurately described as a satchel) with the strap attached in the back rather than at the sides.

Any more information on that bag, LAG? How big is it and where did you find it (or who made it for you)? It sounds very interesting. Gregory, if you want an unimpeachably masculine bag, buy a mil-surplus map case. They're relatively small, have cool metal hardware, cost very little, and are very practical. I've been using one, an olive drab Austrian Bundesheer surplus bag similar to this one (http://cgi.ebay.at/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...ayphotohosting) , for years. To give you an indication of scale, it's about as long as a 15" Apple Powerbook, about 2/3 the width, and 3x the depth. A small umbrella will fit fine. As it happens, I'm also in the market for a new bag right now. Specifically, I want something that can hold my 17" Powerbook (~40cm x ~30cm x ~3) and its powersupply, along with associated work gear including an A4-sized leather portfolio. Oh, and I insist that it be vertically-oriented, too, as it is immensely easier to negotiate trains and planes with a vertical bag than with the horizontal bags everyone seems to make. And if it is leather, which it does not have to be, it must be in a colour other than black. (Black canvas or nylon or whatever is fine.) If there's something close to what I want, I will pay well for it, as my ideal bag bespoke has been seen to be staggeringly expensive to commission. I am intrigued by the Big BackOffice bag at Shaun Jackson Designs (http://sjdesign.com/backoffice5.html), but as always am highly reluctant to buy anything sight-unseen. I am also allergic to plastic hardware, but for the price if the rest of the bag is as durable as claimed I would be willing to find proper hardware or have it made.... Has anyone experience with this bag? Peace, JG