Manbag

Manbags (a portmanteau of 'man' and 'handbags') are fashionable bags for men. Sometimes also called murse (a portmanteau of 'man' and 'purse'). Though the traditional briefcase is technically a manbag, in the current sense of the term, manbags refer to messenger bags and reporter bags. Popular brands include Prada, Louis Vuitton, Tumi, Gucci,Lacoste,Balenciaga, Timbuk2 and Crumpler.

In popular culture

American television comedian Jerry Seinfeld made the manbag (described as a European Carry-all or man-purse) the subject of an episode. The comedy focused on whether a manbag was too feminine.

Kel Knight (Glenn Robbins), "Purveyor Of Fine Meats" from the hit Australian TV show Kath and Kim had many manbags throughout the series. One of his catch-phrases throughout series one, was "Where's My Manbag?"

Kiefer Sutherland, of 24 fame, brought the man-purse into the U.S. mainstream through his character, Jack Bauer. Jack frequently prominently carried his messenger bag with him in the 5th Season. Fans of the show often refer to it as the "Jack Sack."

Ian Downey wears a man bag.

This is Anu Sood's current man bag. Note the convenient yet subtle modified carrying strap.

Anu Sood (Rancho Palos Verdes, California) carries a man bag that has morphed over the years from an early toilet bag reincarnation to a contemporary Fossil travel bag.

This is another photo of Anu Sood's man bag, taken with no flash. This image shows the canvas texture of the man bag fabric.

Many have been fascinated, amused, and intrigued by the novel item. It is a useful accessory that is used to carry important travel documents and address book, at least one pen, sunglass shades, basic first aid such as tylenol and bandages, napkins and wipes, camera with tripod and cleaning kit, wallet, cigarettes and matches/lighter, iPod and charging cable, and business cards. During air travel, a cell phone can also be placed in the man bag.

File:080909 Fossil Man Bag (3).jpg

Here is a close up of the man bag in action. It is hand-held and can be used as a cushion. Note the strap is easily accessible in the event that it needs to be used to swat an abductor (but not technically a weapon).

Mr. Sood's man bag has been sited frequently at east coast destinations, including Manhattan, Boston's Fanuel Hall, DuPont Circle in Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls, Georgetown University, and various baseball stadiums. During air travel, a cell phone can also be placed in the man bag. Mr. Sood observes that others have offered inadequate man bag substitutes such as camera bags and messenger bags.

Here is Anu Sood with his man bag. It is so convenient that Mr. Sood can play piano with one hand and hold the man bag with the other.

When driving at destinations with unpredictable or volatile environmental conditions, there has been discussion about including spare wind screen wiper blades (or rubbers) for "spur of the moment" needs.

Some have suggested that a true man bag should include a shoulder strap, but this is not recommended. It makes the man bag appear more like a purse and hence more feminine. The best man bags include a carrying strap and are made of a soft fabric that permit the man bag to serve as a cushion while resting on a park bench, hospital waiting area, airport, or train/bus station. "Man bag" is two words as there is currently no compound word entry for "manbag" in the Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary.

European perspective

For western Europeans the concept of men carrying a bag for much the same reason a woman would has been commonplace since the 1950s. As such, English speaking Europeans consider the term 'Manbag' an American English aberration and simply refer to the item as a 'bag'.

See also

• Handbags
• Sling bag