The Elephant in the Room - Man Purse

[Tomasso]

Yes,I have to protect whats in the bags.

Interesting carry technique.

 

[Warbaby]

So, umm....what's in the bags?

 

[Michaelshane]

So, umm....what's in the bags?

If I told you I'd have to shoot you.

 

[bigshoe]

Myself I prefer a black patent leather sabretache. But as every well dressed gentleman knows you can't wear it without your saber.lol
BTW a Firestar .40 would fit in the back pocket better.
Tom

 

[carebear]

A little heavy for the pocket.

I thought we hashed out the manlyness thing back on page 2?

 

[Chrome]

Heh!

It looks that you are going somewhere to fill those bags. In that business you will have heck of a salary for quick tour, or a big cake to eat.

 

[PADDY]

Has one of our posters here been spotted (Photo)

Just wondered if this was one of our advocates 'here' flying the flag with a display of the 'man bag'...?

Now that I look at it, 'yes' it really cuts a manly dash doesn't it [huh]

Not 'my' cup of tea gents, as you may have gathered. But it makes for a good discussion piece both here on TFL and possibly the WI

 

[Edward]

Well, you know, pink goes with everything....

Quit whining! You've had years to stock up.

Well, there is that!

 

[carebear]

Well, you know, pink goes with everything....



Well, there is that!

It's the new mauve.

 

[stephen1965]

Michaelshane, those bags look really cool and authentic to me...In London, especially the East end, fishing bags have been THE bag to carry for men for the past year or two. They obviously adhere to the manly aspect of carrying gear without the 'I'm going to the office' look. A shop called 'Labour and Wait' in East end sells really good ones as well as other almost obsolete clothing/household stuff. http://www.labourandwait.co.uk/

I know we're being lighthearted but it's getting to the point where 'pink' is about to be referred to as 'effeminate'. I don't where pink all that much myself but I do think there is room for this colour in men's clothing. It seems to be prevalent in a certain style of 50's clothing..."Elvis Presley, a big shouldered kid in a pink coat and long black pants, staggered onto the stage at the Olympia Theater Friday like a drunken Brando. And the mob, which stretched way up into the darkness of the theater, stood up and shrieked. Even when Marciano was belting the sense out of Moore in the ball park in New York there was no such shriek. It vibrated the air, piercing everything like a trillion tiny knives in the dimness."

 

[Michaelshane]

Men have always carried money in a bag or pouch,guess what it was called? a purse.How and when did it become only a ladies bag was called a purse?

 

[Tomasso]

How and when did it become only a ladies bag was called a purse?

Congress, a largely male body, still wields the Power of the Purse.

 

[Creeping Past]

Day to day I generally carry the bare minimum: house keys, small wallet, notebook, pen. These fit in jacket pockets.

If I'm out for the day, away from home or the office, I often use a heavy leather cartridge bag (10'x10'x3') that'll take a book or a sandwich, watercolour kit and a small bottle of water, or whatever. This could very well be regarded as a manbag and, what's worse, an affection of country style. But it's neat, low-key and does the job.

On long hikes I use a rucksack to carry extra layers of clothing, art matériel, Caley's marching chocolate, pork pies, signalling mirror, suntan lotion factor 50, asthma inhaler, etc.

It's all about context and comfort. If you need to port stuff around for business purposes in an urban setting, especially, I'm with Paddy on carrying it in a briefcase. Simple, functional and easy to use and store on public transport. Rucksacks and shoulder bags used in the city, especially by commuters, take up a lot more room than a briefcase. And it seems a bit strange to want to add an adventure angle from a different context into your urban wanderings (viz. waxed cotton, canvas, etc.). But each to their own.

A lot of people carry a lot more stuff than they need. In my opinion, it's an expression of anxiety. If you find yourself justifying carrying heavy luggage every day, I think you need to take a step back and think about why.

With all this in mind, I have to say that, in the city context, carrying a small purse is more manly — or even more human-ly (let's not let the ladies off the hook in this regard) — than a massive canvas shoulder bag, or even a full briefcase, come to think of it, because it shows you've understood your context and planned accordingly, providing yourself with all you need to deal with the situation.

 

[stephen1965]

I agree somewhat, 'Creeping Past', in that carrying more than you need could be a symptom of anxiety, but there are probably quite a lot of things that might need to be carried around in an urban setting which might not be best suited to a briefcase, such as a change of clothing/uniform, tools ... More interestingly perhaps, is the idea that there is a split between those who enjoy carrying a shoulder bag or man bag or whatever it wants to be called and those who think it's somehow unmanly or inappropriate. It seems a bit conservative to me to think that canvas shoulder bags and rucksacks aren't right for urban settings. I really like traditional and mainly vintage clothing and accessories but don't feel that we should all dress for 'business'. Perhaps though, I have an aversion to the grey London business uniform. That is, I don't want to wear a bowler hat and briefcase perhaps because it is such a London cliche. I would rather like to express myself through a wider variety of clothes and colours. On the other hand, I also like the idea that you're talking about what's practical and functional because that sounds stylish.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

It may all go down to those of us who must carry things and those of us who do not. Whichever file I am working on, must be with me at all times during the work day. Also, I always have a journal and a hardback with me, because I am both an avid journal keeper and reader. If I were to put all of these things in a briefcase, my arm would fall off. Also, in Boston at least, a briefcase has a worse reputation than a messenger bag. Messenger bags are ubiquitous.

My Spencer bag is quite slim and compact and keeps me organized. I rarely carry it when I am not at work.

When I am not at work, I often carry my digital SLR, which is a bit of a beast and once again must go in a bag. Since stylish and slim camera bags seem impossible to find, I use my Barbour tarras. It is my favorite travel bag and has been serving me well for over two years.

 

[abduktedtemplar]

anybody seen the urban tools slotBar in person?

 

[Tomasso]

in Boston at least, a briefcase has a worse reputation than a messenger bag.

How so?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

How so?

It's seen as pretentious and almost an article of costume, as if one is playing the part of a businessman, at least with the younger generation. I disagree entirely with these sentiments, but when I carried one, I heard negative comments all of the time. It seems the rip-stop nylon messenger bag is ubiquitous for better or worse. [huh]

 

[PADDY]

MY CHOICE...(Pics)

 

[Hemingway Jones]

That's beautiful, Paddy! -A very nice bag.