We’re all familiar with diaper bags; they’re a staple of new motherhood and an omnipresent companion during the early part of a child’s life. We’ve covered the difficulty of finding a stylish diaper bag in the past, but finally, companies are starting to get it together and realize that moms want options that are made out of materials other than pink paisley nylon.
Man Bag Monday
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I’ve always been attracted to the idea of a briefcase. Perhaps its because they’re the most prototypical of the masculine bags, or perhaps they’re intriguing to me because they’re the type of accessory I’m least likely to ever carry myself. Either way, the sleek, businesslike simplicity of a briefcase never ceases to pique my interest; more so than any other type of men’s bag, a man carrying a beautiful brief looks mature and successful in the most attractive of ways.
Last week, we took a look at some of the best casual messenger bags at accessible price points – the kind of options that most of the men we know and love might not only consider carrying, but would also consider plunking down a couple hundred bucks to own, even if they don’t generally consider themselves to be someone who’s fashion-conscious or concerned with how they dress on a daily basis.
There isn’t as much variety or innovative design in the world of men’s bags as in women’s, but there is one important realm in which the boys have one over on us: price. Male consumers are not as desensitized to accessories prices as women are, plus their bags are often simpler and have less hardware, which means that men often get a noticeable break when it comes to the markups we’re all used to.
During New York Fashion Week, I found myself chatting with the designer of a burgeoning men’s accessories collection about the landscape of men’s business worldwide. He had a lot of interesting things to say, most notably that men in America prefer satchels, men in Japan prefer totes and men in Europe are somewhere in between, but that Americans are becoming slowly more open to other shapes and structures.
I’ve always loved Balenciaga‘s motorcycle bags for men, but I always hear the same criticism of them from dudes, gay or straight, who are concerned about looking masculine – they look too much like the women’s bags to be distinctly male. And really, that’s fair – there have been times when I’ve questioned whether a particular shape belonged to the men’s or women’s collection, and with Balenciaga’s signature grommets, buckles and zippers on everything, it’s genuinely hard to tell what’s what.
Almost two years ago I scoured the web and every store trying to track down this Yves Saint Laurent bag. Not only was I going crazy over it, but all of you were, too. It is so rugged and chic that it can easily be worn by a man or a woman. Simply put, I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BAG.
I have a new crush and it is on the Louis Vuitton Damier Infini line. Vlad and I saw this piece in the SoHo store a few weeks ago and since then, I can’t stop thinking about it. I want Vlad to have the Keepall 45 for himself, but in all honesty, I think I secretly want him to get it so I can use it myself on weekend trips.
It’s my most favorite Man Bag Monday of the season, you guys! As far as big handbag brands go, Louis Vuitton is without question the line that gives the most amount of love to its male customers instead of just focusing on us ladies. Not only does Vuitton do a full runway show of menswear in Paris during Men’s Fashion Week every season, but the clothes area always accompanies by a litany of utterly gorgeous manbags.
Swaine Adeney Brigg Westminster II Bridle Leather Briefcase, $1230 via Mr. Porter
I spent two weeks in Atlanta with my parents over the holidays, and although there are a million great things about visiting them, one of the greatest is their incredible cable package. I have a setup here that lets me watch the shows I recap over the Internet, but other than that, I, like many New Yorkers, have cut cable from my budget in order to accommodate this town’s astronomical housing and booze prices.
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