Men carrying a purse or handbag

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any bag can work for any gender as long as the proportion is right. for example, a Chanel medium flap probably wouldn't look right on a man (like you're carrying a "woman's bag") but a maxi flap probably would. of course if carrying a "woman's bag" is the look you're going for, then who cares what everyone else thinks. be like Pharrell wearing a shorts tuxedo to the Oscars - everyone said it was a fashion don't but he didn't care.

I agree here. Carry and use what you want and enjoy it. Life's much too short to burdened by what other people might think.
Revel in the fact that you are confident and happy with yourself!
 
I really find the men's line of most luxury brands boring or just too oversized. I'm not going to spend $$$$ on a luxury bag that can't even be differentiated from a department store brand. At the same time, it frustrates me how the "man" version of a woman's bag is WAY too big for daily use. Givenchy does this to the men's Nightingale and Lucrezia which is annoying.

I used to get that question a lot when I would carry my classic Balenciaga Work to work. I'm an elementary school teacher so I expected to raise a few eyebrows. It even happened when I used my LV Beaubourg bag (which is considered a unisex bag), but I really didn't mind what others thought. In the end, I stick to what I love to carry (and what looks good on me proportionately). After a few years of trial and error, I found a few styles that work for me, including the Givenchy Pandora. It's the perfect bag IMO because of it's unisex look and has just the right amount of detail that makes it interesting.
 
I really find the men's line of most luxury brands boring or just too oversized. I'm not going to spend $$$$ on a luxury bag that can't even be differentiated from a department store brand. At the same time, it frustrates me how the "man" version of a woman's bag is WAY too big for daily use. Givenchy does this to the men's Nightingale and Lucrezia which is annoying.

I used to get that question a lot when I would carry my classic Balenciaga Work to work. I'm an elementary school teacher so I expected to raise a few eyebrows. It even happened when I used my LV Beaubourg bag (which is considered a unisex bag), but I really didn't mind what others thought. In the end, I stick to what I love to carry (and what looks good on me proportionately). After a few years of trial and error, I found a few styles that work for me, including the Givenchy Pandora. It's the perfect bag IMO because of it's unisex look and has just the right amount of detail that makes it interesting.


Thanks mmmilkman :)

And like you I'm not a fan of Givenchy men's bag selection too, matter of fact there's only handful of men's designer handbag that I can say I LIKE. Sadly for us, designer men's handbag are typically limited to briefcase & weekender. They throw a backpack, messenger bag and tote every now then but the design is either boring or too big for daily use.

I have a Balenciaga City myself and I love it! But this bag raises so many eyebrows whenever I am using it and some even approached me and ask why I'm using a women handbag. I just simply smile at them and politely reply its what I want. My thought process when I decided to get the balenciaga city is (1) do I want it & (2) am I inspired wearing using it and will never spend my $$$ on something society or people around me dictate what is what.
 
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I thought I would add some pictures of me wearing the Alexander Wang Rocco.
 

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I thought I would add some pictures of me wearing the Alexander Wang Rocco.


I wouldn't think anything of a man carrying a designer bag. That doesn't look like a "women's bag" IMHO. Besides, if women can run around in jeans, sneakers, flannels, tees, etc and carry briefcases, why can't a man enjoy an awesome luxury accessory to carry his stuff in. ;)
 
I thought I would add some pictures of me wearing the Alexander Wang Rocco.


Hey thanks for your input! Btw love your stripe loafers and the Rocco looks awesome on you :)

Here in HK, I often see guys on the gym using a small nylon duffle bags that they wear over their shoulder and your Alexander Wang Rocco kinda remind me of that but in more stylish and edgier way.
 
I totally agree with you Spoiledlttleldy . :) Men's bags are usually too big for everyday use and pockets wont fit all of the items one might need to carry around.

Thanks jadeaymanalac ! Stripe loafers are Charles Philip Shanghai.
 
of course if carrying a "woman's bag" is the look you're going for, then who cares what everyone else thinks.

I agree. If you decide to wear a bag that is easily recognized as a women's handbag, then you shouldn't mind what others say.

I do prefer the larger mens versions of womens bags that the brands make, like Fendi's Peekaboo for men and a lot of Givenchy's Nightengales. A small bag looks too much like a purse in my opinion, and they can't store much anyway. My bags are often quite empty because they're usually large, but every once in a while, I really need the empty space for shopping and carrying other things.

When the designers make larger men's versions, they also do away with the more "feminine" features of a bag which I appreciate, because the mens versions often look more understated.

I know that men's bags tend to be more boring, but every once in a while, a brand makes a super nice men's bag that is just perfect (interesting enough without being over-the-top), and I rather wait for these than to buy women's bags now.

I've sold all of the bags that I used to have that were actually large women's bags that work well on men, because I started to mind how some people could see that they were women's bags. But this is just me. If you can rock a women's bag well, then rock it all the way! :D
 
I agree. If you decide to wear a bag that is easily recognized as a women's handbag, then you shouldn't mind what others say.



I do prefer the larger mens versions of womens bags that the brands make, like Fendi's Peekaboo for men and a lot of Givenchy's Nightengales. A small bag looks too much like a purse in my opinion, and they can't store much anyway. My bags are often quite empty because they're usually large, but every once in a while, I really need the empty space for shopping and carrying other things.



When the designers make larger men's versions, they also do away with the more "feminine" features of a bag which I appreciate, because the mens versions often look more understated.



I know that men's bags tend to be more boring, but every once in a while, a brand makes a super nice men's bag that is just perfect (interesting enough without being over-the-top), and I rather wait for these than to buy women's bags now.



I've sold all of the bags that I used to have that were actually large women's bags that work well on men, because I started to mind how some people could see that they were women's bags. But this is just me. If you can rock a women's bag well, then rock it all the way! :D


I do sometimes use larger bags but only if I am going to gym or I know I'll be out all day and for weekends getaway. It really depends on my schedule and the stuff I need to bring. But for a sunday shopping or brunch with friends I just bring a decent size bag. I don't carry that much stuff actually so using a weekender bag for just a stroll the city is a lil bit too much for me imo. Oh also when I carry a big bag I tend fill it up of stuff I don't got to use. LOL

But yeah you're right carrying it with confidence is the best way rock anything. Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
 
I do sometimes use larger bags but only if I am going to gym or I know I'll be out all day and for weekends getaway. It really depends on my schedule and the stuff I need to bring. But for a sunday shopping or brunch with friends I just bring a decent size bag. I don't carry that much stuff actually so using a weekender bag for just a stroll the city is a lil bit too much for me imo. Oh also when I carry a big bag I tend fill it up of stuff I don't got to use. LOL

But yeah you're right carrying it with confidence is the best way rock anything. Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)

You're welcome! This is an interesting thread.

I guess it also depends on where you live. I'm in Toronto and most of the guys here dress very conservatively (stereotypical "guy" clothing). Anything other than conservative seems to look a bit out of place.
 
You're welcome! This is an interesting thread.

I guess it also depends on where you live. I'm in Toronto and most of the guys here dress very conservatively (stereotypical "guy" clothing). Anything other than conservative seems to look a bit out of place.

Which always confuses me and was a bit disappointing for me to discover when I moved here. In terms of fashion I expected a large city like Toronto to be much more diverse and expressive but on the whole it's quite tame except for a few exciting bloggers here and there.
 
You're welcome! This is an interesting thread.

I guess it also depends on where you live. I'm in Toronto and most of the guys here dress very conservatively (stereotypical "guy" clothing). Anything other than conservative seems to look a bit out of place.
I think it also depends how you are wearing the bag and style yourself. You can make it look pretty masculine (not totally but still not looking like a lady).
 
I think it also depends how you are wearing the bag and style yourself. You can make it look pretty masculine (not totally but still not looking like a lady).


For me, I try not to carry my handbags crooked to my arms to avoid looking awkward. Also when I'm getting women's handbag I like to have it in black or something earth tone hues so it won't look too feminine on me.
 
LOL my mom and some relatives ask the same question. I usually answer it's what I want and I show them pictures of other guys carrying the same bag. Before I decide to buy a bag I like, I have to search for pictures of men carrying that bag first so that I can see if it works for guys and if anyone asks, I can prove that there are other guys out there who are into the same bag as well. :laugh:

Besides, designer bags made for men are more expensive, usually small, and not iconic.
 
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