FashBlog.com

It’s all the rage in Europe and has been for many years, but men in North America are finding that they need to have a place to stow their cell phones, their keys, their palm pilots and what ever else they need on a daily basis. They do not want to be their fathers and carry briefcases, so is the man purse the wave of the future here in North America?

For years, men have been utilizing a larger bag to carry their items that they need on a daily basis and in Europe it is the norm to carry such a bag as a messenger bag or whatnot. My in laws are from Germany and when I first met my husband and he had shown me a really nice leather wallet that a man would carry in Germany (a gift from his grandparents) I kind of wondered. It is much larger than what a man in North America would carry. When I asked him how they would carry it (no way would it fit in a guys back pocket), he said they carried bags that kind of looked like purses (kind of like a wallet with a strap). I thought that was kind of weird, but now it would seem that the trend has caught on in North America.

Now it would seem that North American men are looking for something stylish or a stylish alternative to a briefcase as well. Though not a lot of choices, designers are finally tuning in to what the stylish man wants.

Not the briefcase that their fathers carried nor the laptop bag not everyone has the luxury of owning or needing. These men do not want to carry a backpack that will make them look like a college student; they are striving for something a bit more classic. Enter the
messenger bag.

The term “messenger” has been taken after the type of bag that has been styled after the bicycle messengers use. It typically features one strap that fits over the shoulder and the bag is worn across the front of the body in true messenger fashion but now it is worn across the back or at the side of the person. These bags are typically rectangular in shape and were made that size for the business size envelopes and magazines that the bicycle messenger typically had to carry. The closure on the bag is most likely a large flap that folds over the front and closes with a buckle, Velcro or other type of fastener.

Messenger bags can be made out of different materials. Bags found around town are made of leather (high end) to nylon or PVC to cotton canvas (lower end) which is in the similar style to the army type messenger bag. Some have even made velvet or silk styles of bag. While it depends on what you are purchasing a bag for…looks or function, you might consider the following questions:

-Do I need it to be waterproof?
-What do I need to carry? Are there sharp edges that will tear through the material?
-Is it sturdy enough for what I want to carry?

The messenger bag has become the stylish briefcase of the twenty first century for both men and women and to this end they are becoming easier to find and purchase and offer some great choices along the way. While women have more of a choice, designers for men are just coming on board with styles for men, so there might not be the amount to choose from. But it may also have to do with the male ego that thinks “purses are for sissies”. After all can you picture John Wayne or Elvis with a man purse?

The ‘murse’ can be either a messenger bag or something even smaller than that. But be prepared to have to check it when taking it to a sports event or concert. Although it maybe the same size as a ladies purse, it is considered a bag and most likely won’t get in.
Why the sexism? If ladies can carry a purse, why can’t men? I checked out Ebay and while some man purses were actually purse looking, others were indeed the trusty messenger bag and smaller versions there of and there wasn’t much of a choice either.

No matter what you call it, a bag or a murse or a man purse, designers if you are listening, here are a few wishes that some men I have talked to secretly want their man purse or messenger bag to entail.
-External pockets for pens, transit tokens, water, etc.
-Expandable so they can bring work home with them at night.
-Not just a shoulder strap, but a handle (like most messenger bags and backpacks have)

Whether it is a man purse or a messenger bag that you transform into a man bag, whatever the purpose and whatever it looks like, men of North America, it is time to pick up purses and go!