How much do I love the Marni Layered Leather Satchel, exactly? A lot. I love it a lot. There is nothing not to love about it. I was prepared to whine a little bit that there’s no optional crossbody strap, but lo and behold, there is one. Absent that, I can think of literally nothing to complain about when it comes to this bag. Except, of course, the fact that I don’t currently have one in my possession.

Marni is having a bit of a moment right now because of its excellent, high-profile collaboration with H&M, and the brand seems to be taking advantage of its raised profile quite well by releasing some of its best work to date. If you’re into Marni’s signature take on retro-modernism, you already know of which I speak. (more…)

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. Ever since that conversation, I’ve tried to pay closer attention to the men that I see on the street, what kinds of bags they’re carrying and how those bags relate to their overall looks in general.

What I’ve noticed in the intervening weeks is that there are a lot more men carrying bags like the Burberry Large Washed Leather Tote in New York than I had previously realized. As with the idea of man bags in general, it seems as though specific styles that were previously more closely associated with womenswear are becoming palatable to a larger male audience. The bag-carrying male population in the US seems to be cautiously expanding its purview to totes. (more…)

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.

It looks as though Balenciaga has heard those concerns loud and clear, at least if the Balenciaga Wide Leather Messenger is any indication. That’s why it’s the subject of this week’s Man Bag Monday – this bag keeps the Balencaiga feel but adds a healthy dose of masculinity for regular dudes who want a nice bag. (Or for fashionable ladies who want to treat their regular dude to something special.) (more…)