Man Bags
[ 22 January 2008 ]
[Guest article by Audrey]
Alright boys, let’s face facts. Gone are the days where everything you needed to survive a day in this modern fast-paced world can fit in your pocket. It’s just not doable any more. If you’re roaming around the streets with just your wallet in your pocket, you’re either alarmingly under-equipped for life, or you’re cheating and getting your other half to cart around your stuff around for you. And that’s not cool.
But the good news is that the Gentleman’s Satchel (or ‘Man Bag’, if you will) is no longer just for the metrosexual man. It’s now universally acceptable for us all to have them. And, in fact, we all should! What’s even better news is that there is now a huge range of different options available to comfortably and stylishly cart all our stuff around with us.
So for those of you out there who haven’t saddled yourselves up yet with your very own man-bag, I thought I’d give you some pointers.
Why the bag?
Let’s start with basics. Some of you fellows may not exactly know what you could possibly need throughout the day to constitute said apparatus. It’s not uncommon for guys to just sort of assume that they’ll somehow just bounce around their day and come out the other side with no problems. This is known as our severe LACK OF PLANNING. So what happens when the unthinkable happens, and all you have to contribute to the solution is a few coins, an old condom and your licence? Even MacGuyver couldn’t fix a problem armed with that!
I’m a firm believer though in leading by example, so here’s a breakdown of what’s in MY bag…
1. Louis Vuitton ‘Citadin’ Damier Geant Canvas bag. Okay, I admit – this isn’t the actual bag I’m using. I have a significantly cheaper black Nike satchel which I’m totally impressed with. However, this is my dream bag. Louis Vuitton make amaaaaaazing luggage. And if anybody wants to buy me one of these, I’ll name my first born after you. That’s a promise.
2. Toothbrush. Boy scouts say “Always Be Prepared”, and so do I. Great for quick after-lunch scrubs before important meetings, after work brushes before going out on a date, and it’s there ready for you on the off-chance you happen to not make it back to your apartment one night. You know what I mean. Mine is green so I can distinguish it easily, and has a tongue and cheek scraper on the other side for getting rid of germs.
3. Moleskine notebook. Moleskine make amazing notebooks, planners and diaries in different sizes and shapes and for different uses. Favoured by the likes of Hemingway and Van Gogh, now available in stores like Borders. As always, I recommend finding a small independent bookstore to buy one from. Quick sketches, ideas, things you have to remember, doodles to pass the time while you’re sipping coffee, people’s numbers… a notebook is a quintessential tool for the man about town! Google “moleskine mods” to see some awesome different ways to customise it.
4. Bic pen. It’s to write in the notebook with, obviously. But it’s imperative that you invest in a good pen that you find comfortable to use. And be sure to spring for something more expensive than a 29c special, because cheap biros have a habit of running out when you really, really need them: like that important business meeting, or when a cute girl at a bar asks for your number.
5. Kleenex Tissues Pocketpack. Repeat after me: Sleeves. Are. Not. For. Boogers. Crazy, I know, but try blowing your nose on these babies instead. (Bonus points for using the ones with aloe vera — aloe is soothing for your skin, so stops your nose getting red and raw when you have a cold.)
6. A scarf. Maybe not appropriate for your climate, but weather here has a habit of changing very quickly and unexpectedly. Having one of my many, many scarves bundled up at the bottom of my bag has kept my neck warm and my hair dry when it does! In wintertime, I make sure I have an umbrella in here, and a pair of mittens too!
7. City guides. Audrey Rule #256: If you’re not currently travelling, you should be at least planning it. Sure, your actual trip may not be for months yet, but you should still be thinking about it, dreaming about it and doing your homework. I’m still relatively new to Melbourne too, and a friend gave me a Melbourne guide as a present when I moved here — SO useful to carry around one of these, or some street press magazines for when you’re looking for somewhere fun to go.
8. Sony Cybershot Camera. While having a fancy SLR or artsy LOMO is always good, I think there’s a lot to be said for having a good, sturdy point-and-click camera in your bag. No mess, no fuss, and great for keeping your Flickr account well fed.
9. Wallet. This used to belong in your pocket. Now it belongs in here. Everyone prefers different sizes and shapes and brands (I hereby pledge allegiance to Paul Frank and Skurvy in every possible way), so I’m not going to try and lecture you on the subject. Just promise me to think outside the square, shop around and get something that holds everything you need.
10. ‘Pump’ waterbottle. While I don’t endorse the Coca Cola company’s plot to sell our own water back to us while we’re forced by the government to take shorter showers and water the garden with the run-off, I’m totally in love with the shape of the Pump bottles. So big and chunky and fun to hold. I’m so tactile! But buy one bottle, then refill it for free at the water cooler when you leave the office.
11. Magazines. Tram rides and waiting rooms can be boring as all hell, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to resort to flipping through dog eared copies of 1987’s Woman’s Weekly. You can be guaranteed I have at least 2 of these (or one of the dozen or so other titles I love) in my bag at any particular time. You get bonus points for carrying newspapers, because staying on top of current affairs is awesome! And double word score bonus points if you’re nice and give it to a stranger on your train when you’re finished.
11. Nurofen. You never know when a headache, migraine or toothache will hit. Carry a pack of these around and they’ll at least help you get through the day until you can get home and sleep it off, or to the doctors to get fixed up.
12. Telstra Hiptop. In America, they’re known as the T-Mobile Sidekick (which is a way better name, I think) but Robin is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me and I never ever leave home without him. (Robin… Sidekick… Get it?) Part phone, part organiser, part computer, this puppy has email capability, MSN messenger and an internet browser so I can check up on all your comments when I’m on the run. It also has an MP3 player that’ll do the trick until I can decide if I want an iPod or not, and a decent camera. It’s got an awesome organiser and runs seamlessly with my Outlook planner. If you’re terribly disorganised like me, something like this to run your life is essential.
13. Moisturiser. Maybe a little advanced for some guys, but I’m still going to push skincare products on you until you relent and accept my advice. Trust me — moisturiser is important! I work in an office that has one hell of an air conditioner blasting 24/7 so my skin is always, always dried out. Believe it or not, moisturiser puts moisture back in your skin (!!!), so make sure you keep some with you. Nivea have a great range of products specific for men, and it’ll make you smell good and
manly too.
14. Hand sanitizer. Everything and everybody is gross. Escalators, traffic light buttons, toilet doors, handrails on public transport — gross, gross, gross! Even taps in the bathroom when you go to wash your hands have been handled by other guys who might’ve just peed on their own fingers by accident — so maybe you’re not as squeaky clean as you think. I’m neurotic and obsessive perhaps, but a small bottle of this keeps me safe and clean before meal times. It’ll work for you too.
15. Keys. I forget these all the time, and I’m sure you do too. Having a spot in your bag that you always, always keep them (or even keep a spare set in your bag at all times) means you’re never stranded. Bonus points if you spotted the Alfie reference keychain!
16. Glasses. Even if I’m wearing my contacts, it’s important to have them with me in case my eyes get tired. In a case, with glasses cleaner on standby and I’m safe. I normally keep some eyedrops too, but I hate eyedrops so right now I have conveniently misplaced them.
So there you have it. A bag full of stuff and there’s no denying I actually need it all and use it all in the course of a day. I’d like to see you try and put all that of that stuff in your pockets — even if you’re wearing cargo pants!
So what bag to choose?
Like my opinion on wallets, I’m completely ‘pro-choice’. You have every right to choose your own for whatever reason you think. But here’s some tips on choosing yours, because I couldn’t sleep at night if I didn’t at least point you in the right direction:
1. Make sure it’s comfortable to walk with. I’ve been caught out in the past by just throwing it on and standing still in a store before making a purchase. Bad move! Make sure you take a walk around the store with it on, checking it’s comfortable when you walk so you can be sure it doesn’t cut into your shoulder or smack you on the butt over and over as you trundle down the street.
2. Check out all the compartments, and forward plan. Make a list. Read what I have in my bag, see if what’s useful for you. Fill in the gaps with stuff you yourself think you may need (a bottle opener? A coupon book? Your French/English dictionary? One of those iPod thingies?) and arm yourself with this list when you go bag shopping. If you can’t cross everything on your list off with a place for it to live in your new man bag, then that’s not the bag for you.
3. Think about buying a few! I have a handful of bags for different times, depending on what I have to do for the day. My laptop doesn’t fit in my Nike satchel, so I have another, bigger bag that’ll fit in. I have an old school 80s gym bag for holding sneakers and shorts at work, an authentic German medic gasmask bag for my SLR camera, and a Louis Vuitton-‘inspired’ overnight bag for trips. There’s a man bag for every occasion!
4. Remember what I’ve said in the past — your style is everything, and this should continue right down to your bag, its shape, what you’ve got in it and what it’s for. Example: taking a sleek white leather designer bag to the beach in your board shorts and flip-flops is obviously stupid. It’s all about thinking about what you’ll use it for and where you’ll take it and you’ll have your answer.
Where to get one
It seems almost all companies dealing in bags and luggage have a range now for men. In fact, there’s a lot of lines that are unisex. So no matter what your need or your look I’m sure you can find something that’ll be exactly what you’re looking for.
If you need my personal tips though, let’s get them out there. You now all know my love of Louis Vuitton’s stylish shapes, amazing patterns and beautiful colours and tones (swoon!). It’s worth your while checking out Crumpler bags – amongst other things, they make great colourful messenger bags and customisable laptop carriers. I’m sure you’ll recognise their logo. Finally for those who are local to Gala and I, Australian-based kikki.K carries a range of great felt products that
look and feel incredible.
If worst comes to worst, there’s still the good ol’ backpack, or grab one of those old faithful tan coloured canvas shoulder bags from a nearby Army Surplus Store and attack it with some button badges. Even your local department store is going to have some passable man bags for you to use. The fact of the matter is there should be no reason to be unprepared, or to be asking anyone else to hold your stuff.
Get a manbag and carry it proudly!
Audrey xoxo
Tags: consumption,
life,
monsieur Share this! + Email This + Del.icio.us
+ Facebook
+ Stumbleupon
+ Technorati
Comment
Read more tagged monsieur...
How To Be A Gentleman Putting On The Ritz 5 Masculine Ways To Beat Christmas Stress Audrey's Guide To Baldness Photobooth Friday -- 7th December 2007 Audrey's Style Guide For Tall Fellows Audrey's Christmas Gift Guide! Gala's Christmas Gift Guide!
Read more tagged consumption...
What We're Using Hair Extensions Athletic Aesthetics Daylesford Putting On The Ritz Tarina Tarantino Interview Fashion & Style Predictions: 2008 Fetish Wear
Read more tagged life...
My Raw Adventure! Yoga & Pilates How To Be A Gentleman How To Be A Writer Rumours Daylesford 2008: The Year Of Healthy Eating DailyOm
Even if this post is oriented towards men, it’s useful for women as well. I certainly have been stuck with god-awful bags from time to time, stuffed with useless junk. I suggest if you have a laptop that you check your local electronics store. The one near me has bags with a special padded pocket to keep your laptop lovely and safe.
Oooh, Sidekick, excellent choice, Audrey! I have one, and the PDA functionality is AMAZING. Funny bit of trivia: the Hiptop actually originated as a PDA, not a phone…guess that explains why it’s such a good organizer :)
I might add that if you’ve got a private compartment, an extra pair of underwear is never a bad thing to have on hand, for whatever reason…! I have also started keeping a spare Ziploc bag in my purse in case of rubbish with no convenient place to toss it; who’d like to have used-up tissues and food wrappers floating round their bag? Not me!
Two good extra ideas already. I’m not sure about the undies for my bag, Telis – I don’t have a good hidden compartment. I’d hate to pull out a magazine and have them drop on the tram floor! Haha.
This is a fantastic article and i agree with
Kelsey its great for women to :-)!!!
I also keep a scarf in my bag at all times..
& love love the pump bottles for there shape
tee i alwaiz hav 1 with me…
x o x Em x o x
ugh,
i wish man bags were more acceptable here in my neck of the woods. my boyfriend is so disorganized! the only time he has his shit together is when he carries his laptop bag. :/
i personally think man bags are hot.
Fab article, Audrey.
My husband always has his man-bag with him and I cannot fathom why other men don’t get themselves one too! Who are these men that carry a wallet and a phone and little else?! Are they really cyborgs with hidden chest compartments?!
Some suggestions for well-designed and functional bags: * Catherine Manuell Design (particularly her CMD range) * Apple Australia’s web store (I bought my husband a Shinnorie messenger/laptop bag and it was well worth the money)
Definitely agree with having a walk around when picking out a bag. Choose bags where the fabric has a bit of give. It should hold it’s shape but allow you some freedom too.
Ok… I think I’ve forcibly imparted enough ‘wisdom’ on you, now :D
P
x
Ooooh! * Squeal! * I love getting organized, and this article is inspiring me to find a great bag of my own. I have a fantastic Matt & Nat purse (and yes, I’m a girl) with a zillion pockets on the outside which I adore but a bigger messenger bag sounds like fun. Plus I need some more space for all my “essentials” (which include 2 Moleskines, craft supplies, a travel-size watercolour paint kit, an umbrella, a big lime green wallet, hand cream, thumb drive, and a delicious assortment of lip glosses, and other such necessities…)
Thanks for the inspiration Audrey!
i would also like to add that carrying a man-bag helps to reduce your risk of stds! when you carry condoms in your pocket, the heat from your body causes them to weaken considerably, increasing the likelihood of breakage – but chuck ‘em in a man-bag & they’ll stay cool & safe to use :]
Lesley – you’re most welcome! I love your list of essentials!
Annaloren – Aah! That’s so funny and true all at the same time. Haha. Fair point though! All males take note!
Oh and make sure your hand-sanitizer is only alcohol based and doesn’t have an antibiotic. Otherwise you’re breeding supergerms like MRSA.
Ugh I am officially known as Mary Poppins among my friends. I keep EVERYTHING in my bag. At least I’m always prepared….
I also keep a spare pair of knickers and a toothbrush in my bag. Plus some face wipes, a bottle of water, my make up, hand cream, tampons, condoms, neurofen, nail file, lip balm, a scarf, sunblock…. oh and the essential wallet, keys etc.
Another good thing to keep in a bag are baby wipes. They can come in surprisingly handy.
sends this off to her boyfriend.
im sick of my bag being full of his crapola, and then he refuses to hold it when i need him to.
must carry laptops in those bags with a padded pocket or you are invalidating your warranty and if it breaks or cracks for any reason and they see its in a normal satchel they don’t have to pay for it!!!!
Woah, is gonna be a looong time till my boyfriend realizes that he should be carring his messenger bag with him xD (funny thing is that he loves that bag, but uses it only for med school). I hope that that condom thingy doesn’t apply to put it in his wallet too!
Well, as other girls said, this is a good article for us! My mom gave me this super cute LeSportsac purse for Xmas, which is big too. But I haven’t get use to purses yet, so I carry just a few things! In my college bag I used to carry books and notebooks, a pencil case, my wallet (condoms in it), iPod, calculator, cellphone, camera, tampons, moisturizer, Tylenol, fiber pills, make-up, hair elastics, a mirror, a comb, the subway card…I have to put that stuff in my new purse! :p
If only I had read this post a couple of hours earlier I might have remembered to put my wallet back in my bag before leaving the house…
I have a mini-breakdown if I forget my chapstick, and eclipse mints are great as well.
I’m always on the search for the perfect combination of items to have in my bag, thanks for the inspiration Audrey :)
The Boyfiend carries a yellow-and-blue bag made out of bits of old Cirque Du Soleil tents.
It’s very, very cool. And was way overpriced, but he loved it, and it’s almost indestructible, so what was a girl to do?
The one thing he does that bugs the everlovin’ hell out of me is this: He refuses to use the main pocket. Everything is stuffed into the back of the bag, or into the tiny pocket in front. He says it “hangs better” that way.
Uh, yeah. Whatever.
fran ~ if he’s carrying his wallet in his pocket, then it’s best not to use any condoms that he keeps in there! if he just carries it around in his hand, it should be fine. (annaloren: dispensing birth control information since 1999!)
excellent article audrey!
if you’re looking for hip bags, check out:
www.rushfaster.com.au
they also have some kick ass wallets. i’ve bought quite a few presents off them.
hugs beth
Sometimes I think my boy really needs a man bag.
He just has his backpack (that he stole from me!) that he just carries from time to time.
...now I want a new messenger bag like I had when I was still in high school. I put EVERYTHING in that bag. And it had ALL these buttons and patches all over it.
p.s. Audrey, I want your wallet. =]
Audrey, this is SO funny, sensible, well-written, inspirational and generally radtastic – mwah!
audrey you are fantastic!always enjoy reading your articles full of interesting tips both for femmes et hommes.
Noooo, stop!! I had a great satchel that I loved and my boyfriend bloody well stole it!! Only joking, of course, great article! But please, do buy one of those little covers for your toothrbrush head; you don’t want bag-fluff between your molars : >
My hot tip for bags is a tiny-l.e.d light on the zipper so you can point it inside to fish out the right item without the dreaded bag-lady rummage. So useful when you really need a kleenex in meetings and other rustle-free zones.
Great article, Audrey. I’m loving your posts, and I’m glad that Gala has given you a regular spot here on iCiNG.
oh yes, excellent advice! You thought of things i never would’ve, like the toothbrush and sanitiser. If only more men read icing… oh well, i’ll be sure to forward this to all my male friends… i only hope they take note!
pinkr0ck — There are actually heeeaps of men reading this, I know because they email me & stop me in the street! But I think they’re just too shy to comment… maybe they fear all the estrogen will be too much! ;D
I’m a girl, but I needed to read this! Thank you, Audrey! :D
Gala – nobody stops me in the street. You’re such a celebrity! ;)
Xx
Audrey, if I lived in Melbourne, and saw you, I would stop you and act all star struck-esque. I really would.
I loved this article. I adore finding out what people carry around with them, its like the fashion window to their soul!
It’s not just obsessive me who has that hand gel!
I used it when I went to Poland last year and haven’t looked back
Hey, Audrey. A merchant on iOffer has a Louis Vuitton bag for sale, $165 USD (about $190 AUD). They ship worldwide, though I’m not sure what the cost would be.
http://www.ioffer.com/i/Louis-Vuitton-Damier-Geant-Canvas-Citadin-Coffee-Bag-37029716
Thanks Varsenik, I’ll check it out!
Great article. My boy loves his man bag, actually he was always stealing one of my bags (an airbag, quite expensive but super cool bags, www.airbagcraftworks.com). Then I bought him his own, a freeset bag (www.freesetbags.com) which make you feel really good about buying them because they are for a such a good cause, alternative employment for poor women in India so they do not have to work as prostitutes.
Great list of things to carry, I also always include a little compact mirror, some tweezers and some nail clippers but I guess those are kinda girly things.
This is great! There are a lot of things here that I could also carry in my bag, like a scarf and city guide (I get lost so easily!). I hate being caught in a situation without something I need.
This may be a little over organized, but I have a removable pouch I made for some of my smaller things (mostly stuff that I don’t use all the time, like scissors, sharpy, tape, safety pins, ect.) so that I can just pull it out of one bag and stick it in another. It makes it easier to switch bags, if you coordinate your bags with your outfits…? Yeah. :)
Thank you so much for this, Audrey. Man bags make me swoon—there’s a boy I know who carries the awesomest, antiquey yellow leather one with shiny buckles. There’s nothing unmasculine about being prepared.
My purse (which my friend made for me completely out of DUCT TAPE!) is a mess right now. I’ll reorganize it momentarily and maybe add a secret compartment. The purse items that get the most use are my Burt’s Bees lip balm, iPod nano, and pocketknife (shh! In American schools this is almost enough to get you arrested, even if you use it just to cut fuzzies off your tights!).
Ugh, I think taps are totally unhygienic too! I always wash them when I wash my hands or use a paper towel to turn them off. And I turn electric hand driers on with my (clothed) elbow. I don’t use hand sanitizer though, I think the alcohol-based ones would dry out my skin and the antibiotic ones are just silly and lead to bacteria developing immunity.
Other bag stuff:
1. I have little index cards instead of a Moleskine…I just like them better, I guess
2. Hairbands (girl, long hair)
3. Vaseline (little tub) for cold weather
...and so on. My coworker actually wears a man-bag that his brother bought him, and he keeps a bottle of Clinique Chemistry aftershave. I love that aftershave. SO GOOD!
Oh Audrey, you are so very excellent!
Excellent article, yet again.
I wish there were more boys like you!!!
xoxo
I keep the same scarf in my bag! It makes my boring coat jacket look amazing…I love it when boys wear them espcially with black skinny leg jeans.
“I hate eyedrops so right now I have conveniently misplaced them.”
Haha, sorry out of the article that’s probally the best line sorry. I wear contacts and have misplaced my eyedrops too… that’s awesome. and thanks for the article Audrey. So useful I’ll be forwarding it to all my beasties.
ghost — I don’t mean to make fun of your typo, but BEASTIES! Beasties instead of besties is the most fantastic typo ever! xxxx
gala, where is our lady version?
hUUH??
hhehe, just kidding, but it would be quite useful
Haha. Sorry Marly, Gala’s only got me on board for guy’s stuff!
in that case i will just compact you into a fun size version and carry you around for my everyday purse packing tips!
hah
in that case i will just compact you into a fun size version and carry you around for my everyday purse packing tips!
hah
I’ve been an avid man bag carrier for a while, and I’m glad I don’t have to search everywhere to find them anymore! I’m with you in that every guy needs a man bag, I can’t leave the house without mine, or else my pockets have lumps everywhere and I’m stuck carrying at least one thing in my hand. Bravo!