A brief history of the man-bag
Men might have had bags for centuries, but the first time most of us would have really been introduced to the idea of the "man-bag" was in 1999 thanks to Friends. During an episode aptly called "The One with Joey's Bag", Joey buys a leather tote only to have the piss royally ripped out of him as his behaviour becomes more and more feminine while he carried it around (it was funny because everyone thought only women carry bags, geddit?!). Thankfully - for our bulging, masculine pockets - this attitude towards men carrying bags has evolved, and now most guys you see on the street will be sporting some sort of holdall or other, not to mention some of the most stylish men in. So isn't it about time we just called it a "bag"? After all, according to Urban Dictionary, the term "man-bag" is also slang for your balls; if that’s not enough of a reason to just call a spade a spade (or in this case, a bag a bag), then we don’t know what is. Here, we take a look at the evolution of men’s bags from girdle pouch to Gosling.
Rex / Shutterstock1/10Before pockets were a thing, there was the girdle pouch (a small pouch suspended by a belt - or girdle - worn around the leg). Renaissance men would use these to hold spices, herbs and money. Then pockets happened, reducing the immediate need for girdle pouches as storage devices. Instead, pouches filled with sweet smelling materials or confections known as "swete bagges" were used to overpower bodily odours and showcase wealth. The Renaissance period also saw the introduction of the humble satchel, used primarily by school children.
Getty Images2/10The conception of the railways resulted in an increased demand for sturdier bags, needed for transporting goods around the country. However, with the boom in trade and a rapidly expanding economy, a new generation of middle class managers needed something in which to carry their papers back and forth from the office. Thanks to advances in textile manufacturing and metallurgy, the briefcase was born. These used metallic locks to prevent them from opening during transit as commuting to and from your home in the suburbs was now "a thing".
Getty Images3/10The trusted bread bags of the First and Second World War were a practical and essential component of a soldier’s field gear. They were easily fastened to the belt and were used as an all purpose carrying bag, despite their name.
Rex / Shutterstock4/10By the early Eighties, the satchel was no longer just for schoolboys. This bag famously burst onto our screens slung across the shoulder of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in The Raiders of the Lost Ark, and was an essential piece of his kit for the next two films. Whilst the film broadened the scope of archaeology (the National Geographic Museum opened an exhibit entitled "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology"), the trend didn’t catch on just yet.
5/10Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) from Friends, may have had a hairstyle named after her, but Matt Le Blanc’s Joey brought the man-bag to America. In "The One with Joey’s Bag", Joey asks Bloomingdale's employee Rachel to dress him to look suave and sophisticated for an audition as a spy. She recommends a green shirt (with matching tie), dark grey trousers and a shiny leather shoulder bag. Joey loves it. The other guys, Chandler and Ross mock him relentlessly (“Wow! You look just like your son Mrs Tribbiani”). Unfortunately, Joey’s reluctance to part with his beloved bag costs him the part in the play. Rachel later explains to Joey, “I just don’t know if the world is ready for you and your bag.”
Rex / Shutterstock6/10Even into the first decade of the twentieth century, men’s bags continue to be seen as a bit of a joke - exclusively reserved for the most metrosexual of men. 2009 was the year Zach Galifianakis donned a satchel as Alan in The Hangover because “Indiana Jones has one”. This comes much to the amusement of Bradley Cooper’s character, Phil, who dubs it a "man purse" (ironically, this would also become "a thing" in a few years thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo). Despite this, Alan continues to proudly wear his satchel throughout the film.
Rex / Shutterstock7/102013 was the year man-bags became more conspicuous than ever, not only thanks to more men carrying them, but also the styles they were going for. As a general rule, leather bags with big, bold logos were the most coveted and Louis Vuitton became to go-to bag brand. Celebrities such as Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper, Nick Canon, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Justin Theroux were all seen sporting various versions of the French fashion house's famous trademark tag in this year.
Getty Images8/10When Mark Carney ditched a traditional financier's leather briefcase in favour of a soft-sided, long-handled grey bag for his first big speech as governor of the Bank of England, the watershed of men’s bags was broken. Alessandro Sartori, then-creative director of menswear brand Berluti, said “the vogue for men’s bags has now hit full stride. It has taken a decade to get here, but bags are now an essential part of every menswear collection. Men carry them; we design them. They are everywhere.”
Rex / Shutterstock9/10Following the influence of hashtag menswear and the explosion of street style, guys became more comfortable talking about fashion in the early 2010s. According to the The NPD Group, sales of men’s bags jumped 35 per cent in 2014, citing the increasing "casualisation" of men's dress codes as a key factor in this. As sales of sportswear and more casual clothes (often without pockets) rose, so did the demand for bags. Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Group, explained “male or female, consumers are carrying a lot of things around with them, and want a bag that looks good while also meeting their multifunctional needs.” With men being more active than ever and "athleisure" trending, the backpack became the carrier of choice for men looking to shoulder all their daily kit - and no man was more committed to the item than style god Ryan Gosling.
Robert Spangle10/10
