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, Fossil, 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."

This is a current man bag. Note the convenient yet subtle modified carrying strap.

This is another photo of a contemporary man bag, taken with no flash. This image shows the rich canvas texture of the man bag fabric.

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. Many have been fascinated, amused, and intrigued by this rare and elegant novelty. It is an attractive yet functional accessory that can be used to carry important travel documents, address/phone book, event tickets, quarters/change for parking meters, business cards, at least one pen, measuring tape, sunglass shades, basic first aid such as tylenol and bandages, inhalers, napkins and wipes, camera with tripod and cleaning kit, wallet, cigarettes and matches/lighter, iPod/headphones and charging cable, and business cards. During air travel, a cell phone may also be placed in the man bag (in this case, the cell phone it should be set to vibrate or silent). NOTE: Don't put all your eggs into one man bag. There should always be a back up for important documents/information in the event that the man bag is misplaced. For example, if the wallet is in the man bag, then credit card numbers, ID photocopies, etc. should be kept in a separate yet accessible location such as a laptop computer hard drive, vehicle glove compartment, or other luggage. Also, it is suggested that the man bag include some form of ID so that it may be traced to the owner in event of misplacement or loss. To prevent accidental damage to the contents of the man bag, there should be no food or liquids within - one should resist the temptation to place gum, mouthwash, aftershave, snacks, soda bottles, etc. in the man bag.

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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).

The contemporary man bag has been sited extensively in southern California as well as Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, India, Italy, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, and various east coast destinations such as Manhattan, Boston's Fanuel Hall, DuPont Circle in Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls, Georgetown University, Mt. Vernon, Cooperstown, and many major league baseball stadiums. Mr. Sood observes that others have offered inadequate man bag substitutes such as camera bags and messenger bags.

Here is a man bag in use. It is so convenient that the owner 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 (a "murse") and hence more feminine. The best man bags include a wrist-size 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