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!
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