The man bag – the mere idea of carrying one can send shivers down the most masculine of spines.
 
Yet Indiana Jones carried a man bag and no one questioned his masculinity. Then again, he was carrying a whip. Even Chewbacca carried one in Star Wars and only the very brave would have attempted to call him anything but ‘sir’.
 
In fact, men have been carrying bags ever since men (or Wookies) have had stuff to carry.

Spot the difference
What distinguishes a man bag from a purse? Well, to be honest, not much. The contents might (we hope) as should the person carrying it.
 
As for the bag itself, man bags tend to be somewhat plainer, with fewer unnecessary buckles and decoration. Cleaner lines are vital, as is practicality.
 
Yet clearly carrying anything fashionable even remotely resembling your mother’s handbag comes loaded with much more than the possessions you put into it.
 
The laptop bag seems to have started breaking down those barriers, but it is still, well, a laptop bag.
 
With the briefcase almost dead and backpack no good for anything but the student look (and not even a fashionable student at that), what options are out there?

Why wear one
Men have stuff. For married men, this often means asking your wife whether she has any space in her handbag. Single men have generally just had to figure out how much stuff the pockets in the average pair of pants can hold.
 
However, with more and more gadgets we cannot live without, including the introduction of new classes of computer like the netbook and the Apple iPad, even pockets can’t stretch far enough.
 
Clearly, men are in dire need of bags.

Messenger bags
These have proven popular, as they are far enough from a purse for most men to be comfortable with. Whether in canvas or leather, the bags can hold a variety of items while still maintaining a clean look.

Satchel
A smaller version of the messenger bag, this is the type of bag that Indiana Jones used (so it has to be manly, right?). It might look suspiciously like a handbag, but is very practical for carrying items that do not include a laptop. However, it should be perfect for a netbook or iPad.

Carryall
Think fancy duffel bag. Whatever you need to carry can be stuffed into this bag. However, the finish will generally be leather instead of canvas, adding a bit of fashion sense to something with a lot of practicality.

Tote
A modern version of the briefcase, with a more rounded look and longer handles. However, it still serves basically the same purpose.   WH

All bags pictured are available from Kirk Freeport stores.