Style & Beautygentlemen menswearbackpacks

The One Thing Men Need To Know About Wearing Backpacks

It makes sense when you think about it.
By 

Men's Lifestyle Editor, The Huffington Post

Here’s a bombshell: Guys carry things. It’s true. A lot of things! If you follow the Everyday Carry trend (or #EDC), you’ll see that it’s usually knives ― but we swear men carry more than that.

A modern man needs something to carry all that stuff around in, but if you’re wearing your backpack every day ― with your suit and tie, or tank top and swim trunks ― you’re doing it wrong.

“I think a lot of guys assume that a backpack is the one bag they need, no matter what they’re wearing and doing,” celebrity menswear stylist Ashley Weston says, who points out that this is the wrong way to think:

“If you’re wearing a suit or blazers often, then a backpack should never be worn with any of these outfits because the shoulder straps will ruin the shoulder pads and wrinkle your jacket all over the back. Wearing suits or blazers = carrying your bag by the handles and never anything else – which means you need a briefcase. Unless you’re going for the IT guy look, please don’t wear your backpack (or messenger bag!) with these outfits.”

So what is a guy to do? We live in a world that shuns the man bag, a necessary accessory. People call it a man purse, murse, mag even.

We say screw it. Men need a bag just as much as anybody else. Here are a few great options for all the things you carry everyday, no matter your outfit:

The Backpack
Great for your everyday outfit, the backpack is the most utilitarian and comfortable way to carry everything you need. Most fit even a 17-inch laptop, camera, phone, phone battery, even your clothes for the gym later. Only thing is, as Weston stated above, you shouldn't wear it with a blazer or any coat you care about, lest those backpack straps rub and crease your shoulders.
The Briefcase
That's why you'll need a briefcase. Whether hard attaché or soft leather, a good briefcase carries everything your backpack does, but matches the tone and style of your suit.
The Messenger Bag
Messenger bags (sometimes called courier bags) bridge the gap between backpacks and briefcases -- it just goes over one shoulder -- but carries less, too. These are great for day trips or running errands, or for when you're not carrying much.
The Folio
Folios are a convenient way to carry your laptop and a few essentials -- they're smaller and don't have straps (you just carry them in your arm), which makes them great for off-site meetings (who wants to show up to a meeting in a stuffed backpack?).
The Grocery Tote

A photo posted by Mal Sherlock (@fashion) on

OK -- we included the crinkled, old grocery bag for the simple reason that this guy rocks it and proves that you can literally carry a tote bag around and still look cool af. It just takes confidence (and a tattered cowboy hat, maybe?) to rock it. Point is, anything can be your bag.
The No-Bag
You don't always need a bag. Show the world you read things by just carrying your book around!

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