Man Bag

Just the gift for my brothers next Christmas – the chance to stroll into the High House carrying a purse.

Wallets, cell phones, keys, PDAs, laptop computers – even the deepest of pockets can’t hold everything the average guy is hauling around these days. While no-frills nylon gym totes or ho-hum pleather business cases would suffice, men are increasingly open to carrying a bag with a bit of style … something more refined.

Enter the murse – a masculine version of the purse.

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Constantine Karonis, 25, who lives in Manhattan, estimates he owns about 15 bags. “I’ve been carrying one since high school,” he says.

His favorite is a slim, checkerboard-print Louis Vuitton shoulder bag that retails for about $1,200. “Men are willing to make a bit of an investment,” Pask says. A high-end designer suit may be too expensive, but a classy, well-made manbag from the same line is probably going to be more attainable, and a man will use it far more often.

For the uninitiated, a tailored messenger bag is a good start. “Leather always looks great,” Kressley says, and there are masculine nylon styles as well.

Though Kressley will break out a Louis Vuitton clutch or short-handled satchel when traveling or running from show to show during Fashion Week, his daily murse is often a simple suede messenger bag.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a great one,” Kressley says.

Bold designer handbags and smaller purse-like totes are great accessories for fashion-forward men, but Kressley and Pask acknowledge the average Joe needs a healthy dose of self-confidence to carry them.

“They can look a little too girly for most guys,” Kressley says. “That’s a look reserved for the true meterosexual.”

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