Manbags: Trendy or feminine?

where men are breaking with the tradition of briefcases and now going for bags of different kinds, colours and sizes.
A couple of years ago, the manbag became a big thing on the catwalks in the fashion capitals of the world like New York, Rome and Paris, where trends are born.
And the manbags have made the jump from the catwalk to the streets.
Designer houses like Gucci, Prada, Armani, Louis Vutton and even local designers like Zuva and Joice Chimanye labels are setting the pace.
Celebrities across the board like David Beckham, Brad Pitt, Zac Efron, Sean Kingston, members of Westlife are seen carrying them, walking all over Hollywood avenues as trendsetters.
It appears that men are becoming more style conscious and are replacing the backpack and satchel with bags that complement their attire.
Women’s handbags are a part of their looks and many (women) have several to go with different looks like formal, casual as well as colour codes to make sure that the bag always goes with the outfit.
So the men are saying why should they be denied the chance to also add to their total package by carrying a bag that contains the things that they are going to be using anyway?
“It is the current fashionable and dominant trend. It is like a potable office, that can be used when commuting or when at social gatherings,” said a man in his twenties from Waterfalls who declined to be identified.
The man, who was carrying a Louis Vutton sling bag which matched his muscle top and golf cap, said: “It is the in-thing. The bags are sold with matching attire and I feel incomplete if I don’t carry one. Actually these bags have just replaced the satchel and I like to have a place I can put in anything that I might pick up as I move around,” explained the young man.
With parking space and traffic jams having become the order of the day, many people are forced to leave their cars in a safe place and walk around town to attend two or more meetings in places several blocks apart.
Thus having a stylish container to tote the required stuff in is now practically de rigueur.
A woman said that she is glad to see man carrying bags around so that they can carry their own stuff instead of relying on a woman to dig miracles out of her handbag all the time.
“You hear men commenting on how women always carry a lot of unnecessary junk then in the next instance they ask you for tissue or petroleum jelly for their chapped lips. There is no way a wallet can contain everything that you will need once you walk out of the door.”
But men are adamant that they are not turning into male versions of ladies who cannot go anywhere without their handbags which carry everything from make-up kits, wallets with money and documents, tissue, lipsticks, keys, chocolates to spare pairs of shoes.
A few items men commonly carry in their bags include walllet, keys, cellphones, breath mints or gum, letters, cigarettes and lighters, iPods or magazines, business cards, tissue or handkerchief, pens, medicine or pain relievers.
Whether it is a lightweight nylon shoulder pouch or an executive leather bag, more men are using them than ever before.
Men’s purses are being utilised more often these days. Far from being feminine, there are dozens of styles of men’s bags available today for males to easily carry their items, ranging from rugged weekend bags to sleek professional options.
The fashion styles seem to come from most of the European countries and men from these countries carry purses regularly, and even American men are increasingly following this trend.
In America there is an International bag company growing in popularity since its creation in 1995. It offers a wide assortment of classic looking bags which are mostly unisex.
The bags are available in a variety of colours and fabrics, there is sure to be one that fits any level of masculinity. It is no surprise that men like to have a place to carry their necessities or avoid the unstylish sight of bulging pockets and untidy packages all over the place.
Many of the major handbag lines now have specific collections that cater to men’s bag needs.
So how can men appropriately stash their stuff and still look like a man?
It is all in the design.
“The manbag should not look like a women’s purse, but should serve a similar purpose,” said Liberty Marira, a Harare man who believes in keeping up with the times.
In order to accomplish this, men need to be on the lookout for bags with the following characteristics: Structured styles rather than loose, durable materials, like nylon, canvas or leather, simple bags without busy patterns or prints.
A lightweight, but very roomy bag with space for a small laptop, and lots of pockets for other small essentials is the ideal carry around accessory for any man in the grove.
There are also travel product companies which provide smaller travel bags that function as ideal men’s purses.
There is nothing better for a man with multiple accessories than the many pockets of these manbags.
But are men who carry manbags not afraid of having their masculinity questioned?
“There is nothing secretive and unusual about carrying handbags,” said Malcom Njiri from Milton Park.
So it is onto the bag fashion parade for everyone and may the best gender win.
(get source)