Recently in Man Bags Category

OK, I am totally serious this time and I know you will all agree, this bag is totally suitable for a man. Not only is it super manly but it is perfectly utilitarian, which apparently is the only thing men care about if they are in the market for a bag. I love Loro Piana, of course their cashmere but their bags, as well. Tina and I have several between us. It is such good quality, the leather is comparable to the level of superiority their cashmere is known for and all the styles are designed for function. I cannot get myself to buy my man a plain black leather square to use as a bag, I just won't spend money on something that lacking in character. But the ones I think are stylish and chic, he will not be caught dead in. That's why this bag is so great - it is really the best of both worlds. It has the signature tab detail over the essential and handy big outer zipper compartment. The interior has all the pockets and slots for gadgets and do0dads. See, he doesn't have to use a backpack or nylon messenger! Christimas is sneaking up quickly so keep this is mind for the men in your life. $4710 and only comes in this brown. Call Jeanie at the South Coast Plaza boutique at 714-432-1301 or email her to order.

The most exciting bag off the Hermes Fall runway is the Jypsière bag. A perfect balance of the timeless design of the birkin combined with an ultra modern messenger style, I have a feeling it will make a major splash with sporty fashionistas worldwide (I know Kelly is going to flip for it!). It is fashioned after a hunting satchel in which Jean Paul Gaultier describes as "a functional, nonchalant bag slung across the shoulder, combined with the iconic details of the Hermes bags"* As with the birkin and kelly, the straps are best left open so you can lift the flap easily. The strap is adjustable and removeable though this is not something you would want to clutch. It will be available in multiple colors but I love the Graphite and Olive clemence versions best. Both colors are rich and deep, perfect for Fall! The sueded crocodile is also a texture that I am dying to experience, it is so lush! Jypsière in leather 34cm is $6,800 at Hermes boutiques. Call Craig at 214-528-0197 to order. There is also a 37cm for our manbag snobs!

*JPG Quote Source Bazaar

Post by Guest Editor Samuel Johnson

Hello fellow Bag Snobbers!!! I would first like to thank Bag Snobs Tina and Kelly for inviting me to be their guest man editor, allowing me to share my latest man bag purchase from Chanel with all of you. Is my bag technically a man bag? No. Do I tell myself that to make myself feel better? No. Why? Because I'm a man who can pull this bag off with confidence - and if you're going to go out on the cutting edge, you have to do it with confidence. I love walking downtown wearing my Chanel bag, turning the heads of both men and women, causing them to wonder, does Chanel make man bags? Or maybe simply thinking, wow, what a great bag. Granted, they may be thinking something else about a man with a Chanel bag, but this is a polite website, so I won't go into that. Why do I love this Chanel bag? First, it's black (if a man is going to have a Chanel bag, I would say it has to be black), the quilting at the bottom of the bag is large (more masculine), the double C's are small and unobtrusive, I can unzip it and make the bag larger and use it as a gym bag if I wanted to (which I would never do), and I can use it as both a messenger bag or a man tote since it also has handles. The inside of the bag is lined in nylon, has an inside zipper pocket, a place for my cell phone, and a place for a Blackberry (which I use for my wallet).

So what do you think readers? Is this bag ok for a man? I would like to emphasize that this bag is HUGE!!! I 'm six feet tall and the top of the bag hits me almost at my hip. I have to agree with the sales associate at the boutique that a woman would have to be a glamazon to carry this bag since it's so large. Bag is $3150 at Chanel boutiques. Call Alexis at 214-520-1055 to purchase.

There have been some complaints that our man bag selections have not been appropriate for the average man who is not extraordinarily fashion inclined. So, for Father's Day, I am really going to help you gals out with ideas that are easier to handle for your beer drinking / Ultimate Fighting Champion watching honey, in all different price points.

Ted Baker Shaggy Canvas Overnight Duffle

No man will be telling me that this is too metro-sexual for his masculine taste. This canvas overnighter is the perfect gift for any man who is on the go, or maybe who just wants to look pulled together when going to the gym (I mean why go the gym if you don't care about appearances, right?). And don't worry about breaking the bank in order to lavish your man with great taste, for £65 (around US$140) you can still make it to dinner and order the nice scotch for him =) At Ted Baker online, or for US folks (they don't ship to the US???) try their shops. LA on Robertson Blvd, 310 550 7855; New York on Grand St. in Soho, 212 343 8989.

Now that we moved back to LA my predictable, low key, tech nerd husband has become surprisingly hip. He actually wanted to go shopping the other day and bought a pair of funky shoes. He's still about 5 lifetimes away from looking like this guy on the runway but I think he is ready to upgrade his travel gear from a backpack to this rock 'n roll hand painted duffle from Bottega Veneta. I know most man bags we feature are a bit metro-sexual but I think this is quite manly even though it is in white. The Creta print is so cool and masculine and I really think it will make any man look more appealing. Plus, he needs something to go with my Zufi Alexander weekender when we go on a romantic getaway. Don't want people thinking I am sleeping with my gardener. $2780 at Bottega Veneta in Beverly Hills (310-858-6533).

First of all, yes, this is in fact a bag for men. It's actually really nice, the hardware and the brown python are all good things but I really wondered, what man would actually use this? And what would men do with such a giant tote? I did some journalism work and asked some fashionable men I know what they would carry in there if they had this bag and this is what they had to say: my laptop; my gym clothes; all my hopes of ever sleeping with a woman again, since, if I were to carry this bag around, I probably won't be doing that ever again; my balls, as this thing would emasculate any man including Brad Pitt and Denzel Washington. So there you have it, this bag is functional and beautiful, if not the most manly =) I did get a suggestion that this bag would be way manlier if they wrestled and kill the python with their own bare hands first and brought the skin to Gucci for production. $4,990, available by calling 1-800-456-7663.

Left: Gabriella Croc Bag Right: Alberto Ostrich
Massimo Calestrini, the designer for Shiro Company, designs a mix of traditional style with modern taste while experimenting with new shapes and materials such as African ostrich and Asian crocodile and we love the results! Simple but luxurious, he really understands how to make the most of the skins he works with. The Ostrich Alberto bag is a great casual bag and judging by the name, it's a man bag but nice enough for both men and women. The lack of logo will also greatly appeal to our discreet bag snobs. 4,750 Euro ($6,140 USD)

The Crocodile Gabriella tote available in a rainbow array of colors is absolutely fabulous. I am dying to see what the fuschia croc looks like! The signature tag with lizard and danglin charms is a cheeky element that plays down the seriousness of a structured crocodile bag. 7,500 Euro ($9,697 USD, a bargain compared to the $15,000 Zac Posen is charging for his atrocious turquoise croc bag, don't get me started on him, he's nothing but another over-rated boy wunderkin) Shiro bags at Luisaviaroma.com

"The male kangaroo doesn’t have a pouch; only the female has it. So the male has pouch envy. Why should she have this huge pouch, and I have nothing? I have things to carry, too. At least give me a pocket." - from Seinfeld

Oh the hilarity of Seinfeld, yes we miss it. And so true. We get a lot of emails from men asking about man bags - not computer bags, backpacks or Jack Bauer type messenger bags. They want real bags, the kind that stand up to the fashion rigour of women's bags, like Terrence Howard at last year's Oscars with an alligator clutch any girl would envy. I mean, it totally makes sense and completely acceptable for men to carry bags. Again referencing Seinfeld, remember George's over stuffed wallet? He clearly needed a bag because his back became misaligned from sitting on his 8 inch thick wallet. Men carry lots of things around with them, like an iPod, PSP, Treo, camera and maybe some snacks. Where do they put all that? What if it's warm out and they don't need a jacket with 10 pockets? Fret no more. Here are our picks for our male snobs.

The Man Bag from Dior Homme is chic enough for the girls and you probably won't have much luck convincing your man that metallic silver is 'the' hottest trend of the season so you might as well buy it for yourself to use as a diaper bag or hip messenger bag. Seriously though, it's the cutest man bag we've seen yet. Hedi Slimane, designer of Dior Homme, understands that just cuz you're a man it doesn't mean you have to act butch and look like the Tool Time guy, you can dress well, carry nice bags, and still look like a man. Too bad Galliano doesn't get the same sentiment for Dior women's line. I think his idea is to make women look as stupid and ugly as possible so he can outshine us all. Call Dior boutique on 57th st. for details (212) 421-6009

Looking for the perfect gift for your style conscious hubby/boyfriend/gay bestfriend? Here is a bag that you can give him and steal back to borrow on occasion. The sheared mink bag from Leonello Borghi is super luxurious yet functional, with multi pockets and straps to fit all of his work and play needs. According to Hello Kelly, our resident men's fashion guru, this is THE bag to have for guys this season. What better way to spoil the man in your life?

$1395 at Barneys New York 212.826.8900 info-madison@barneys.com