Mens Style Tips - Bags For Boys

Bags, as a matter of tradition and convention, are an accessory exclusively for women. That's why the ladies get a special handbags section in every department store while men's bags are simply relegated to the accessories department. Contemporary men's fashion, however, begs to differ. With everyone from GAP to Gucci releasing their own collections of male carry-on, it's time for you to consider getting a bag for yourself.

What Makes a Bag 'Male'?
It's a good question that, unfortunately, not many know how to answer. There's a certain kind of bag that a guy can and should carry; anything else will send all the wrong messages to other people in the vicinity.

When you're in doubt, always go for the simplest, plainest and least complicated bag in sight. This isn't necessarily choosing a 'male' bag; you'd then be going for the safe choice (an okay-for-males bag) which is the next best thing.

Functionality is also one of the signature characteristics of the masculine bag. It's only in the women's handbags section where you'd find bags with sequins, decorative buttons and ribbons on every square inch of luggage. The men's department always carries a more sober, function-conscious collection. If there's a zipper that's strangely proportioned or a pocket that's too small to be of any use, you're probably looking at a bag for the ladies.

Designs for Dudes
Choosing bags with guy-appropriate designs is less about specifying what you shouldn't get than it is about what you could. Take a cue from the functionality rule mentioned earlier and then apply it to all possible aspects of the bags that you're considering.

Size, for example, is an area where it's easy to separate the men's and ladies' sections. Bags that are too small (a small clutch bag for example) or too large for any one specific function ,the massive Hermes Birkin bag comes to mind, are almost always just for the ladies. Anything in between, from toiletry kits to gym duffels, have a good chance of being made for the men.

Also be sure to consider proportion. On guys' bags, the proportions always adhere to either function or convention. Designers of ladies' luggage, meanwhile, often prefer to experiment with unusual shapes and dimensions. If you have something that's just right for letter-size paper, for example, that bag is somewhat safe for you. You should, on the other hand, have second thoughts about a bag that's thin and perfectly square.

Bagging the Brands
To be truly safe with your choice of bags, you could opt to just buy from brands that are known to cater exclusively to men. From foreign brands like Celio and Topman to local fare from brands like Jack Spade, going with a select bunch of brands will ensure that you make a safe choice each and every time.

You could also go the unisex route and favor brands like Crumpler, Tumi and Jansport, whose collections of bags are almost entirely devoid of sexual delineations. Yeah, they do feminine collections every once in a while. Those same collections, however, are so clearly designed for women that you're highly unlikely to mistake them as masculine.

Just because bags are often thought to be exclusively for women doesn't mean that you have to skip out on them altogether. Messengers and duffels, for example, will always be safe choices for the guys. Once you hone your selection skills, though, you'll be able to pick up more stylish pieces like totes and and keep-alls without emasculating yourself to everyone around you.