How To Choose The Right Mens Briefcase

Men, especially professional men, find they have a need for a briefcase to carry important papers, perhaps a calculator, and a laptop. Sometimes there is a need to carry both a briefcase and a laptop computer bag, if all the things you need for business can not fit into a single bag or briefcase. There are many choices of briefcases, from the simple nylon black bag that is typically used to carry a laptop, up to the very pricey high-quality leather designer-made attaches.

I would say a briefcase generally becomes an attache instead of a briefcase when it sets you back more than a couple hundred dollars. If you want to you can spends thousands of dollars and get your favorite designers logo plastered all over it, but isn't that more like carrying a big advertisement around for the designers? Personally, I prefer something a little more sedate. If you are really rich you never carry anything with you, those are the things handled by your aide or aides. You don't carry a briefcase or an attache when you are super rich.

All you need when you are a billionaire, is a gold (real 24 carat gold) pen to sign a contract and the ability to say "You're fired" to everyone in the room. But for us regular professional men, we do have the need to bring papers and the things we need to do our jobs, when we are attending meeting out of our own offices, so the briefcase becomes a part of our professional appearance. Note, I said professional.

To be dressed properly, you would not want to be wearing old scuffed-up shoes, and it is just as important to have your briefcase be in pristine condition. If it is made from high quality leather you can use a special kind of leather polish to shine it and keep it clean, just like you would for your shoes.

Now the choice usually comes down to black or brown and the various shades of either one of those two colors. You probably don't want to use an aluminum briefcase unless you are a courier for the CIA and it is hand-cuffed to your wrist. Most would agree that you cannot go wrong with a black briefcase. It does not necessarily have to match either the clothes you are wearing or match your shoes. Classic black always is acceptable.

When you go for browns, especially lighter browns and tans, there is a slightly higher chance of being perceived as a mismatch, so when in doubt, and if you can only afford one, chose a black one of the highest quality you can afford to buy.

There are hard-shells and soft-shells. The hard-shells offer more protection, but less flexibility. If you need to cram the hard-shells full of too many papers, they will not close. If you make a mistake and don't latch a hard-shelled case closed properly, when you stand up all your papers will fall to the floor.

With the soft-shells you can always stuff the papers you got at the meeting by attending it, in the top and leave it un-zipped to gain a little extra room until you get back to your office and dump out the contents. In all cases whether it be soft-shells or hard-shells, briefcases or attaches, never take more with you than is absolutely necessary, kept the contents tidy and the exteriors clean and in good condition. If your briefcase or attache gets shabby, replace it with a new one.