Leather bags and briefcases for men are all the rage these days and you would be hard pressed to walk around a major city and not see a lot of mean proudly showing of their leather. There is a big difference between a man’s leather bag and a briefcase though.
The stigma that surrounded men and leather bags has all but evaporated and the sales of leather bags to men are increasing by the day. So what look are you going for?
1. Make sure that the bag suits your look
You may think that you want a leather bag, but will it complement your look or clash with it. When you first try on the bag, try to wear clothes that you would be wearing with the leather bag on a regular basis. This is one of the only ways to get a true feel for if the bag is for you or not. For example, if you are going to be wearing the bag for work then you need to make sure that it looks good with the style of suit that you wear to work. Or if you don’t wear a suit to work, does it still look good with your trendy semi casual outfit.
2. Picture yourself using it
When you’re trying to decide if a bag is for you or not, take the time to think carefully about when you will use it. Can you picture yourself getting on and off the bus with the briefcase, or will that be too cumbersome and you think a leather bag would be better suited to your commute.
Is a leather bag formal enough to bring into meetings with senior people at your work, or would you prefer to place a briefcase on the table and look extremely professional? Only you can answer these questions about your day to day life and know which bag or briefcase will suit you the best.
3. Take a look at the design
Now that you have decided that you need a bag or a briefcase you need to make sure that you are happy with the design. When looking at the design you should focus on two things. The first being the appearance of the bag or briefcase and the second being the functionality.
Try to think again about your daily routine. What do you need to carry with you from meeting to meeting every day? Take stock of what you often need to bring with you and it will be cleat if you need many pockets or just a few. You should also check the action of opening and closing the briefcase or bag. Is it loud and cumbersome, or smooth and quiet?
4. Will the bag or briefcase last the test of time?
Take a look at the finishing and the locking mechanism. Does it look well made and secure? Ideally the fewer moving parts the better. After all, if the bag or briefcase has a simple mechanism then it is less likely to fail when you need it most.
5. Can you travel with the bag?
If you travel a lot for work then you will need the bag to stand to some degree of knocks and scrapes. It will also need to be the right size to fit into an overhead locker on an airplane. The last thing you want is to find out that your brand new leather bag or briefcase will not be allowed on the plane with you.
Ideally, the bag that you choose should be versatile and allow you to jump on a plane at a moment’s notice.
