You think you got the perfect bag that solves all your issues with caring for plenty of wallets, keys, and cigarettes. So, it seems that the comfort provided by your bag is all that counts. In fact, you are right in thinking that the bag should be useful and practical in the first place. But, one wrong step in matching it with your style and personality can ruin all your efforts in looking like a person familiar with etiquette. And yes: wearing bags does have an etiquette.
According to certain statistics, half of the men don’t bother a lot when choosing a bag. Any black or brown, medium-sized, and plenty of additional pockets will perfectly do. They might not even think about whether the multi-pocket bag is indeed necessary for them. On top of that, the whole concept of men’s bags is completely underestimated. While ladies see them as luxury and fashion accessories, (most part of) men perceive them as functional tools exclusively.
At this point, I would like to interfere and bring a little light on the subject. The mistakes I notice on every corner make me wonder how much time is needed until men realize that there IS a culture in wearing a bag correctly. So, let’s spot the most frequent errors and see what solutions exist to sweep them away.
Mistake #1: mismatching the outfit with the bag
In case you are not interested in looking fashionable according to style guides and practices, you can skip this step. But, until then, take into account that this is the most frequent mistake men make when it comes to wearing a bag. They use the accessory as an “outlander” element when it should be a complementary unit. So, don’t be surprised when you receive a refusal anytime you try to court a pretty lady. The incorrect matching of the bag with the outfit is nothing more than an indicator of bad taste and lack of etiquette.
Solution #1: Simply, begin matching
Just like the watch needs to be paired with the outfit, so does the bag. Not sure if a briefcase would do with a casual style. You probably don’t wear briefcases nowadays, but I believe you got my sarcastic tone. If it’s about a dress style, I hope you wouldn’t be thinking about a canvas bag option. Premium materials would better solve the puzzle and make you look “friendlier” with the fashion guides. So, when looking for a bag, consider the predominant outfits from your wardrobe. And don’t even think about having a single bag for all styles and occasions. Every type of style should be coupled with at least one type of bag.
Mistake #2: color underrating
Always remember the world we are living in: a world in which casual motifs have merged with business ones, creating a completely new trend. In such circumstances, to avoid mass appearance (looking similar to thousands of other persons), people have begun spicing their looks with complementary design elements. You can use your bag as a tool to contour your personality, whenever done accurately and preserving the style limits. So, the problem is that many men do it wrong, exceeding these limits. As a result, we often see men wearing bags of one color paired with shoes of another color. On top of it, the completely different (in style) wristwatch completes the “rainbow” look.
Solution #2: get some education in color selection and combination
Sounds rude, but this is what it takes. Several initial “lessons” about color rules will teach you that the secret of any well-dressed man consists in getting the basics right. What does it mean more specifically? To avoid the color mess from your outfit, you should start with basic colors first. The basic colors of your outfit should limit to white, black, brown, and grey. In consequence, you can add some “crazy stuff” by adding a louder bag. But the color of the bag should be part of the same color palette as any of your outfit elements. It can be a “loud” bag, with interesting fabrics or eye-catching design elements. It’s ok. But always preserve the same chromatic composition on you.
Mistake #3: un-fitting the purpose
Let’s assume you bought a slim, elegant, captivating bag, ready to generate envy in your social environment. And here you spoil it all by placing phone chargers, cigarettes, lighters, 3 couples of keys, a wallet, some documents you forgot to leave at home, maybe your sunglasses, and a hand cream, just in case. So, your bag turns into luggage, losing its shape and form and its attractiveness. In the same context, I’ve seen plenty of men wearing a good-looking tote that was almost…empty. Maybe you don’t always realize how evident the un-fitting can be. The worst part is that it looks not only un-fitting but useless as well.
Solution #3: think in advance
So, let’s settle one important rule here: you should take the bag to meet the needs of your daily scenario. Here is where practicality is the key priority. Think in advance about your tasks and activities for the day ahead and opt for the bag that meets all these activities. If it’s about an office meeting, opt for the folio option. If it’s about a long trip, go for the backpack, excluding the tiny bag only for keys and credit cards. And if it is about a shopping day, then your tote bag makes all sense.
Mistake#4: purchasing cheap bags (thinking that no one will notice)
You should first decide for yourself: do you want to waste money or invest them? Opting for cheap items equals wasting your money since you have to buy another bag within 1-2 months. The reason is clear: cheap products equal no quality. If, on the other hand, you look for a durable item- you will have to spend a little more, but you should consider it as a long-term investment. In this context, perhaps is meaningless to remind you that real leather bags are far more wearable and qualitative that the faux versions. By the way, these are not as expensive as you might think, compared to certain faux models.
Another misconception, apart from the quality vs price aspect, is thinking that no one will notice the difference between a cheap and a high-quality bag. “But they look identical”-you would say. No, they don’t. It’s very easy to spot the difference between cheap and high-quality manufacturing and no arguments can make me think otherwise. After all, it’s your inner voice that shouldn’t accept a low-quality bag, since you are an upright personality and diverse all the best, including the best bag.
Solution #4: always opt for quality
I embrace people having patience. Even though they don’t allow a high-quality bag because of higher than average prices, they don’t rush into buying a cheap alternative. They are ok with earning some additional money but have instead a bag of the best standards. That’s what I would recommend to readers: make all the possible to buy from trusted sources that guarantee high quality.
Don’t be misled by thinking that buying a cheap bag saves you money (even though you afford an expensive item). Think in advance and take into account that you will have to pay twice within a couple of months, just because the cheap bag does not last any longer.
All I can help you with is suggesting you a trustworthy source to save you time in searching. The AAAReplica store is a worthy place to get a great bag matching your style, preferences, quality expectations, and budget. Now that you know how to avoid the most common mistakes regarding bags, grab a coffee and explore the wide bag collection from the store.