Just 20 years back, we lived in a world where Joey Tribbiani wearing a “man bag” was deemed worthy of a whole 30 minutes of comedy jibes and canned laughter. To be a man carrying anything other than a briefcase or a gym bag was to flag yourself as somehow less macho, opening yourself up to ridicule from friends, family and anyone else with so much as a passing interest in your accessory game.

Today, thankfully, the types of bags available for men is an altogether different market. Those mates who would have once seen you hung out to dry at the pub for showing up with a messenger bag (“What’s in there? Your makeup?”) are now proudly strutting about town with their leather backpacks and cross-body bags.

The latest luggage trend showcases the shift perfectly. Chest packs, harnesses and holsters are the new fashion heavyweights where bags are concerned. Strapped across the chest or shoulder, these hands-free pouches are big enough to store the average guy’s daily supplies (phone, keys wallet) and visible enough to make a bold fashion statement. And they owe it all to that manliest of things – the military.

From buzz cuts to bomber jackets and everything in between, the military has long armed menswear with some of its most powerful weapons. But where designers have always relied on the past for inspiration, this new trend for utilitarian bags gives a nod to garments worn on the modern-day battlefield instead.

“It all stems from service uniform,” explains Joshua Meredith, a freelance stylist and former fashion director at Notion magazine. “Alyx was one of the first, if not the first fashion brand to introduce chest packs into mainstream fashion, with the likes of ASAP Rocky, Kanye West and Skepta all wearing them.”

For those not yet familiar with Alyx, it’s possibly the most hyped new label around. Founded by former music-industry creative and Virgil Abloh collaborator Matthew Williams, the brand burst onto the scene with its chest-hugging bags that fasten around the back and shoulders. Kind of like an Action Man-approved crop top.