Yup, I like my man purse
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 9:00 I had a suspision that this might happen: Frau A got me a man purse for Christmas. She explained, "You thought you wanted one, and I knew it would take you forever to take the plunge yourself." She was right, of course. The concept of a man purse seemed to be functionally a perfect item for me, but there were too many style options to select one. It required an expert to avoid disaster. (Note: after seeing her operate in Sephora in New York City, I now fully appreciate how years of training allow women to survive and flourish in what is effectively the most perfect testosterone vacuum ever created by science and choose from endless arrays of products.)
I was pretty sure a black one would go with a business suit and casual clothes, and that I would prefer something with minimal flair/decorations/etc. I "tried on" a few in stores, but was never really sure. Frau A was there for the man purse expeditions, and thought one of them was right for me -- turned out to be a good choice. Here it is:
For me, function is more important than fashion, and on this level it's great. The bag is structured like a satchel (similar to Indiana Jones and Jack Bauer, of course), with just a flap to close rather than a zipper. I like fast access to the stuff inside. Maybe I need an extra gun clip and a whip too.
Internally, a separator creates two areas. The area closest to the body has small, soft pockets for things like a cell phone/iPod, plus a zippered pocket where I keep my wallet (feels more secure). It also has a long key leash that makes it easy to find keys right away.
The area that lies away from the body has no internal pockets, and is perfect for a paperback, compact camera, gloves, and even a tote-sized umbrella. It would fit an iPad no problem, and could temporarily carry a laptop too (except the largest ones).
I like the look too. Nice, thick black leather with just a small adornment on the front. The leather is starting to break in already, and feels strong but soft. It's great to get something that I'll use every day. Thanks, Santa.
Herr J ... 3 Comments Fashion, Style, & Shopping tagged Christmas, fashion, man purses 3 References ... Print Article Email Article Share Article 
Reader Comments (3)
Looks good, Jeff!
Wow, you went large. I picked up a gray hemp man-purse from a street vendor in Aix-en-Provence a couple years ago and have been very happy with it (he was very proud of the German crafstmanship...even though according to the tags and flyers in it, the whole thing was made in the U.K.). I wasn't motivated by the material (though it does seem durable, I'm not a hemp fanatic and I don't really like the subtle pot-leaf emblem embossed on the flap snaps) as much as the neutrality of the cover. It'll look fine with any of my shoes and belts and wristwatches.
I don't always NEED my purse when it's winter and I've got a coat with plenty of pocket real estate, or I don't have my pocket digital camera, phone, iPod, GSM-to-WiFi bridge, GPS (yes, sadly, those are all separate devices), wallet and passport with me. But how often is that!?
@Cliff: yeah, it's on the bigger size. But works for me. Agreed that in cooler weather the coat pockets work nicely to go bagless... but I too am waiting for the perfect all-in-one gadget! My leather bag has been bleeding a bit onto the trousers, so I might consider fabric/synthetic for my next one.