5 Key Men’s Bag Styles For 2015
Bags To Build A Bolder Look
I catch the bus to work at 8.30am most mornings. At the stop immediately after mine, an immaculately put-together gent gets on board. His suit is flannel, his shoes leather monk-straps, his glasses tortoiseshell and his bag a beautiful sumptuously dark brown box calf briefcase with a brass hinge lock. It’s a look that turns heads.
On casual Fridays, he swaps the tailoring for jeans, a cashmere knit and enviably well-ironed shirts, the monk-straps for suede brogues, and his usual bag for a tan leather briefcase. The man can dress – that much is unquestionable. Yes, Mr 8.32am, my fellow passenger, takes the time to swap bags to complement his look, and I can only wish I had the discipline.
While buying a bag suitable for every possible outfit you can put together is, to say the least, impractical for most of us, it’s worth investing in one or two quality bags that cover off the majority of scenarios – whether you spend most of your time in the gym or at parties drinking gin.
Bag-wise, what kind of man are you? If you haven’t asked yourself this question, chances are you’re dragging around a shabby, badly proportioned number that just isn’t completing your look like it should, or worse yet: you’re still shoving all your particulars into overfull pockets.
To help you determine which type of bag works best for you and your lifestyle, here are five styles worth considering this year.
1. The Cross-Body
After a few seasons stuck in fashion limbo, cross-body bags are making a return this year. As seen at Louis Vuitton’s autumn/winter 2015 show, zippered styles – also known as reporter bags – are the ones to keep an eye out for, and a far cry from the fold-over flap designs so reminiscent of the early noughties.
They give off a slightly more casual vibe, so you might want to think twice before pairing one with a suit. You’ll also want to make sure the strap is the right length for the bag to be carried no lower than your hipline – unless you plan on delivering someone’s post.
