The London Lounge

That question intrigues me for a long time.

For the ladies all shapes and sizes of stylish bags and purses are available and acceptable, but for the man?

I am looking for a solution to store me: keys, phone, passport or ID card, credit card, cash and coins too! Yeah, we Europeans need to carry that much stuff!

One option is to stuff all these in my pockets but it's just not very practical... from most standard pant pockets they just fall out. Alternatively, I can wear only high pocketed pants (I don't know what's the correct terminology). I am a young guy but not a jeans type - as most of you on this forum.

What's the solution for these necessities if I don't want to carry a full size bag just for this?

The only suitable bag a man may carry around the city when not travelling would be an Attache Case. Unless you wish to cary one around you I'm afraid that the only other option is to buy a coat with many pockets to put things in.

internationalist wrote:For the ladies all shapes and sizes of stylish bags and purses are available and acceptable, but for the man?

Sorry, but no. Not acceptable. If pockets do not suffice, a briefcase is fine. Best without one, of course.

If you really have a lot of paperwork, consider going paperless, getting a sheet-fed scanner, and using it whenever necessary. More efficient that way.

The inside pockets of a jacket should fit a passport, without a cover as covers just add thickness, a slim wallet, or better, no wallet, just cash and a card, and keys. One of the pockets may also hold your calling cards. Place tickets and phone in the outer pockets for convenience.

Put receipts into your trouser pockets and empty them for accounting or shredding as necessary later.

I have to say that I cannot see why you have a problem. The items you mention can be quite safely kept in the basic pockets found in a suit - even before you have your tailor make them in a way to suit you which is always to be recommended. In any event you should not be carrying so much that these are insufficient - the line of your clothes would be ruined.

You passport and a breast wallet can go in the breast pockets, pens in a pen pocket, get an inner pocket made for your phone and the odds and ends you gather in the day in the in-ticket pocket(s) or out-side pockets. Trouser side or back pockets for a handkerchief and a wallet can also go in a back pocket. This is all restating the truly obvious but illustrates the point that a 'man-bag' is really unnecessary.

I have never had things fall out of pockets in ordinary use and surely you empty your pockets prior to removing a garment?

What are you trying to describe by "high pocketed pants"?

Dear Internationalist,

I feel your pain, and am similarly loathe to weigh down my suit with the pen, notebook, cash, keys, mobile phone and wallet that constitute my minimum requirements. As an advocate for the pleasures of light tailoring it would be strange to voluntarily weigh down my suit. I even resent the weight of a handkerchief in my hip pocket.
My answer is a folio, when I don't need to carry much, and a document case when I do. Swaine Adeney Brigg makes excellent examples. For casual wear I've yet to come across anything that beats an Ariel fishing bag by Brady bags.

Manself

I feel your pain, and am similarly loathe to weigh down my suit with the pen, notebook, cash, keys, mobile phone and wallet that constitute my minimum requirements. As an advocate for the pleasures of light tailoring it would be strange to voluntarily weigh down my suit. I even resent the weight of a handkerchief in my hip pocket.
My answer is a folio, when I don't need to carry much, and a document case when I do. Swaine Adeney Brigg makes excellent examples. For casual wear I've yet to come across anything that beats an Ariel fishing bag by Brady bags.

Mind reading? My sentiments as well. And it is funny because I have my tailor craft all kinds of pockets that I am equally loathe to use.

Brady bags are my choice as well, though I am working on my own version that should be ready soon.

Cheers

Michael

alden wrote:

I feel your pain, and am similarly loathe to weigh down my suit with the pen, notebook, cash, keys, mobile phone and wallet that constitute my minimum requirements. As an advocate for the pleasures of light tailoring it would be strange to voluntarily weigh down my suit. I even resent the weight of a handkerchief in my hip pocket.
My answer is a folio, when I don't need to carry much, and a document case when I do. Swaine Adeney Brigg makes excellent examples. For casual wear I've yet to come across anything that beats an Ariel fishing bag by Brady bags.

Mind reading? My sentiments as well. And it is funny because I have my tailor craft all kinds of pockets that I am equally loathe to use.

Brady bags are my choice as well, though I am working on my own version that should be ready soon.

Cheers

Michael

Michael

I am slightly surprised that having your tailor/cutter craft such pockets leaves yopu dissatisfied. I also have my own quite unusual requirements which have been developped over many years - on size/position etc which Gordon Yao faithfully follows - and I find all is well. Minimal contents in each but well balanced and quite unobtrusive.

I am slightly surprised that having your tailor/cutter craft such pockets leaves yopu dissatisfied. I also have my own quite unusual requirements which have been developped over many years - on size/position etc which Gordon Yao faithfully follows - and I find all is well. Minimal contents in each but well balanced and quite unobtrusive.

DFR

My tailor makes great pockets. I just don't like all the clutter we have to carry around these days. I suppose its a generational thing.

Michael

alden wrote:

I am slightly surprised that having your tailor/cutter craft such pockets leaves yopu dissatisfied. I also have my own quite unusual requirements which have been developped over many years - on size/position etc which Gordon Yao faithfully follows - and I find all is well. Minimal contents in each but well balanced and quite unobtrusive.

DFR

My tailor makes great pockets. I just don't like all the clutter we have to carry around these days. I suppose its a generational thing.

Michael

Michael

I can understand that!

Duncan

I wonder if one really carries more then before. One difference is certainly the mobile phone, but they're getting thinner and thinner, as you rightly mentioned above. A bit more and they're no more of a nuisance than 1990s phone booth cards.

Another annoying issue that didn't bother people a generation or two ago is the ever-increasing number of those very plastic cards, but how many of them do you actually need? Of course, it might make sense to have your medical insurance card handy, your local traffic card and obviously credit and debit cards. But do you have to have your three BigHotel Honours cards, your two frequent flyer cards and your four rental-car cards about you just in case on the way to your grocer's, you decide to fly overseas? And do you need them at all, or is it enough to store the numbers in your telephone? How many different credit cards do you need unless you buy quite a lot or want to make sure at least one is accepted when you're abroad? And when you're actually in that obscure country, do you really think your local restaurant's discount card will be of much use? Or back home, most of the time, for that matter? Do you even need your passport after border controls? Many countries allow you to carry a photocopy or don't insist on any ID to carry all the time.

Apart from that, most treasury notes are smaller these days, and you don't need to carry around much money because cards are accepted even when you buy a single box of matches, which also means no or hardly any coins in your pocket. When you're changing countries often, you'll probably need to carry much less today with non-cash means of paying and the kind of cash being the same between many European countries. Even pens typically aren't as heavy as they used to be. Chances are you're not stuffing a heavy pocket watch in your clothes but either have a wristwatch or rely on your mobile, and chances are you don't carry a pipe and a tobacco pouch nor a pewter snuff box. With the possible exception of remote-control car keys, keys are lighter and smaller, too. If you're one of those who'd have pictures in their pockets to have them near their hearts or show them to total strangers, you'll probably have a thousand times as many today - but on your telephone.

[quote]For casual wear I've yet to come across anything that beats an Ariel fishing bag by Brady bags./quote]

I am not familiar with Brady Bags (although I have just looked at their website and they seem very fine), as a keen photographer I have always been fond of Billingham bags. Although designed for cameras many of them are suitable for general use. A friend recommended Chapman Bags, they do a range of luggage and general purpose bags, certainly worth considering.

I try to travel light these days but a bag is often needed on a day out. I do detest the term man bag!

Edward Bainbridge wrote: Another annoying issue that didn't bother people a generation or two ago is the ever-increasing number of those very plastic cards, but how many of them do you actually need? Of course, it might make sense to have your medical insurance card handy, your local traffic card and obviously credit and debit cards. But do you have to have your three BigHotel Honours cards, your two frequent flyer cards and your four rental-car cards about you just in case on the way to your grocer's, you decide to fly overseas? And do you need them at all, or is it enough to store the numbers in your telephone? How many different credit cards do you need unless you buy quite a lot or want to make sure at least one is accepted when you're abroad? And when you're actually in that obscure country, do you really think your local restaurant's discount card will be of much use? Or back home, most of the time, for that matter? Do you even need your passport after border controls? Many countries allow you to carry a photocopy or don't insist on any ID to carry all the time.

i agree...i carry only a thin front pocket wallet with drivers license, medical card and 2-3 credit cards at most
but that way is not for everyone to be sure

AndyM wrote: I am not familiar with Brady Bags (although I have just looked at their website and they seem very fine), as a keen photographer I have always been fond of Billingham bags. Although designed for cameras many of them are suitable for general use. A friend recommended Chapman Bags, they do a range of luggage and general purpose bags, certainly worth considering.

What a coincidence I also like the Billingham Hadley Small Camera Bag at http://www.billingham.co.uk/acatalog/Hadleys.html and I also still have to take a look at the Chapman bags. Thanks for all your recommendations guys!