recommend a new man bag for me

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed

(I chose not to post this on the existing ILE thread because ILS now exists.)

I am currently carrying a 6-year-old Tumi backpack that was a gift; its also starting to fray and fall apart a little bit and I want to replace it.

I am considering:

- professional backpacks
- briefcases/attache cases
- professional courier bags

for "professional", read "would not look out of place in a corporate office"

I would primarily be using this bag to:

- carry a laptop (currently 17" screen, future may be 15") and accessories (ext. hard drive)
- carry music
- carry gym clothes (someday, when I go back to the gym)

I am not opposed to leather. I am also not opposed to sales.

I do not want something that looks like a purse.

As a guide, here's a bag similar to one I was considering but I ultimately decided against it because I didn't LOVE it:

http://www.kennethcole.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3846208&cp=3075198.3075278.3075281

(the one I was looking at was on sale for approx $125)

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:02 (twelve years ago) link

all i can say is that carrying a laptop + stuff in a shoulder bag really started to fuck up my body. i now use a goofy but sturdy and comfortable swiss gear backpack that i can walk all over the place with.

call all destroyer, Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:04 (twelve years ago) link

I've been a backpack person for years for that exact reason but it's starting to get boring, plus I'm having a hard time finding a backpack that doesn't look embarrassing for a guy in his late late 30s to wear

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:07 (twelve years ago) link

in the past year or so i have seen so many people (mostly in the business districts of cities) with rolling laptop bags! like v small suitcases! this is a thing!
it is super nerdy. but i'm thinking most people with back problems couldn't care less about nerdiness as long as their backs aren't in pain.

obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:14 (twelve years ago) link

i need a man bag that is transition-friendly as well. i love my briefcase but i can't carry it to dinner type thing.

surm, Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:28 (twelve years ago) link

if you wear a suit jacket then a i would not get a backpack. on the other hand, stuffing gym clothes into a briefcase or carrying a 17" laptop (lol) with one arm is going to be hard.

when you say "carry music" what do you mean? CDs?

caek, Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:33 (twelve years ago) link

I mean choral sheet music (alas, I think opera/musical scores are a thing of the past for me because I hate auditioning) (lol @ me)

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:37 (twelve years ago) link

also I only wear suits to weddings, funerals and interviews, unless I suddenly get a huge promotion and find myself in the executive tier

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:38 (twelve years ago) link

i mean, could i wear that to dinner? maybe not?

surm, Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:41 (twelve years ago) link

can't go wrong

http://www.jackspade.com/messenger-bags/messenger-bags-for-men/bags-messenger-bags,default,sc.html

i have the Nylong Canvas Day Bag, totally love it, had it for years. $$$ tho.

du. duplass. duplass mich. (goole), Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:42 (twelve years ago) link

yes i can concur that my jack spade brief has changed my life

surm, Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:45 (twelve years ago) link

That Ben Sherman bag is nice but I'm looking for something a little more... utilitarian I guess? than that

another pro backpack would be perfect, here's (basically, some slight differences) the one I have now:

http://www.tumi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4210001&prodFindSrc=paramNav

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:46 (twelve years ago) link

woah Jack Spade may be where it's at

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 15:46 (twelve years ago) link

thnk you for inspiring me to order a cool tote today

surm, Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:06 (twelve years ago) link

oh man the Jack Spade store is literally 2 blocks away from me

brb

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:12 (twelve years ago) link

hahahahahaha

surm, Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:20 (twelve years ago) link

love mornings like that.

surm, Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:21 (twelve years ago) link

i dig the herschel supply co stuff a lot (like a lot of other 20something guys in brooklyn i guess) but its maybe a little too kiddie for an Adult Bag? http://shop.herschelsupply.com/shop.html

max, Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:28 (twelve years ago) link

Hi dere I has a Jack Spade bag

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:44 (twelve years ago) link

Lol I can't tell on my phone if that URL works or not

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:48 (twelve years ago) link

ILS is truly the board of irl problem solving

obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:58 (twelve years ago) link

URL ILS IRL

obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Thursday, 12 July 2012 16:58 (twelve years ago) link

that all happened way too fast, im in shock

lag∞n, Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:06 (twelve years ago) link

jealous of the bag

OPÓ (Ówen P.), Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:11 (twelve years ago) link

it's a really nice bag

DJP getting things done like a real gentleman. you should start a website of listicles.

obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:14 (twelve years ago) link

I was given a Raf Simons Eastpak bag three years ago and I love it, it's pretty much the perfect gym bag, overnight bag. You can still get 'em online some places:

http://www.killahbeez.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/raf-simons-eastpak-duffle.jpg

OPÓ (Ówen P.), Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:25 (twelve years ago) link

Crumpled up look way better irl

OPÓ (Ówen P.), Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:25 (twelve years ago) link

that is a cool bag but wasn't exactly what I was looking for (also, weirdly, every link I try to find to it seems to end up in nowheresville)

actually my brother gave me one of these as a best man gift, I should resurrect it as my gym bag:

http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/product/patent-id-sport-shoulder-bag/?piid=23190#?pbid=8415146

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:37 (twelve years ago) link

Yes, cool bag. Attache doubling as gym bag is nags in my experience

OPÓ (Ówen P.), Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:57 (twelve years ago) link

I mean, it's not like I'm actually going to the gym right now, but when I restart I realized I don't want to stuff sweaty gym stuff into the awesome bag I just bought

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 18:02 (twelve years ago) link

or sweaty sheet music for that matter

OPÓ (Ówen P.), Thursday, 12 July 2012 18:06 (twelve years ago) link

haha it's true, sometimes Pinkham will wear you out

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 18:09 (twelve years ago) link

read this as "recommend a new bag man for me"

President Keyes, Thursday, 12 July 2012 18:11 (twelve years ago) link

haha "bobby from down the way will carry any damn thing no questions, but he's fucking annoying, so..."

du. duplass. duplass mich. (goole), Thursday, 12 July 2012 19:27 (twelve years ago) link

"however he looks awesome, just has this total STRUT when he's making a delivery"

I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Thursday, 12 July 2012 19:35 (twelve years ago) link

http://shop.millscanvas.com/TheOfficeBag.html

the late great, Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:30 (twelve years ago) link

Nice choice on the bag, DJP. I have a knee-jerk anti-Spade family sentiment thanks to the Kate Spade "lifestyle" branding efforts (similar to my Vera Bradley feelings, which are well documented elsewhere) but have secretly always thought Jack Spade bags were v. classy looking and have thought about getting one for myself in the past.

carl agatha, Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:48 (twelve years ago) link

http://i.imgur.com/mYpLa.jpg

lag∞n, Wednesday, 18 July 2012 13:37 (twelve years ago) link

^^^ brb Returning my bag for that one

PITILESS LIVE SHOW (DJP), Wednesday, 18 July 2012 13:41 (twelve years ago) link

that's a good one for your gym clothes

the late great, Thursday, 19 July 2012 17:02 (twelve years ago) link

three months pass...

This looks like a decent backpack:
http://www.cocooninnovations.com/product_info.php?cat_id=0&product_id=196

nuts spats (Austerity Ponies), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 17:12 (eleven years ago) link

does it come with caterpillar y/n

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 17:18 (eleven years ago) link

that does look like a decent backpack

I loves you, PORGI (DJP), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 17:23 (eleven years ago) link

i have a herschel backpack w/ a built-in slot for my computer, i really love it

lil dirk (J0rdan S.), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 17:23 (eleven years ago) link

I have a shoulder bag that I still use, mostly to and from the office, but if I carry anything heavy, including a laptop, I use a backpack. I feel a little goofy wearing a backpack for some of the same reasons stated above, but I'm done carrying anything heavy in a shoulder bag. I'm def not fashion forward, so who am I kidding anyway? That said, when I interview, I definitely use the shoulder bag.

nuts spats (Austerity Ponies), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 17:46 (eleven years ago) link

classic blend of utility and whimsy

I loves you, PORGI (DJP), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 18:12 (eleven years ago) link

delightfully subtle

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 18:13 (eleven years ago) link

It's a conversation piece.

nuts spats (Austerity Ponies), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 18:52 (eleven years ago) link

"playful"

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 13 November 2012 18:52 (eleven years ago) link

one year passes...

My old backpack has given up the ghost. Considering one of those Swiss Gear jobs but I can't help feeling that, sturdy and professional as they are, they do indeed signify as a bit 'goofy'. This will need to be durable, but good for both work and play. Is there anything out there that's a bit more stylish?

1 pONO 3v3Ry+h1n G!!!1 (dog latin), Saturday, 22 March 2014 10:35 (ten years ago) link

Preferably it would also be available from amazon UK as I have a gift card

1 pONO 3v3Ry+h1n G!!!1 (dog latin), Saturday, 22 March 2014 10:42 (ten years ago) link

one month passes...

someone stole my Jack Spade bag, BOOOOOOOOOO

so I replaced it with this one:
http://thewirecutter.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4974.jpg

chillin' on an "awesome pretzel" hoagie (DJP), Monday, 28 April 2014 14:38 (ten years ago) link

nice!

i need a new bag really bad but choosing one is going to be a major undertaking.

call all destroyer, Monday, 28 April 2014 14:45 (ten years ago) link

oh god this is a thing i have to do eventually too

markers, Monday, 28 April 2014 14:45 (ten years ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.