The way I see it, nobody expects to see a man walking down the street holding anything other than a briefcase or maybe some piece of luggage.  There just isn't an accepted norm of what kind of bag a man is supposed to have. I know they have lots to haul around--iPods, newspapers, umbrellas, gym clothes, and God knows what else--yet we don't even have a name for the various lugging devices men make do with. I've heard all sorts of terms that don't seem quite right: man bag, satchel bag, and worst of all, murse.

I've noticed that men adopt mysterious rules to keep themselves far from the female leagues of purse-toters. My husband carries a black nylon tote with red straps and only ever in his hand, never over his shoulder--not exactly sure what that's about. I like how messenger bags look, with their cross-body strap, and when they're made out of leather, they look more grown-up than the original canvas or nylon--and one step away from the gritty bicycling tribe that popularized them. And sometimes I see bags men lug back and forth from the gym that are so big that it seems like a whole locker was dumped in there--these should look like gym bags, not body bags.

The newest thing I've noticed is men using bags to express an interest, an image, or a hobby. A vintage Lonsdale boxing bag made one guy look rugged no matter what else he had on, and I liked when I spotted someone with a small canvas bag with the logo of a cool gallery or out-of-the-way bookstore. Even a canvas shoulder bag with big stripes can turn a guy in a classic button-down and plain-front trousers into someone worth knowing.

 

When I asked my husband if he liked this picture of Bjorn Borg with his tennis bag, he said, "What's not to like about Bjorn Borg?" 1979 (Getty Images).

 

This is actually my favorite bag I've seen on the street. It's classic, it's functional, and I've never seen one like it before. Madison Avenue, NYC, July 2007.

 

British Heavyweight boxing champ Henry Cooper, with an old-fashioned gym bag, 1970 (Getty Images).

 

Sometimes it's cool to carry something that just works and is easy to carry, like this highly functional backpack. Bleecker Street, NYC, September 2007.

 

Prince Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden on his way to school with his buddies. All of these bags are great. 1957 (Corbis).

 

French novelist Pascal Bruckner in his library with a good-looking and functional carry-all. I was really excited when I found this photo on the Internet--I love discovering people this way. 1983.

 

This guy is going for a more casual banker look (or I assume so: His bag said Morgan Stanley all over the trim). I just can't tell if his too-short pants are intentional or not. The bag definitely works though. Bleecker Street, September 2007.

 

London D.J. Johnnie Walker with a leather "doctor's bag." 1967 (Getty Images).

 

This guy was a cool cat. It's clever the way his overall look makes his L.L. Bean canvas tote seem NOT preppy, despite the monogram. Bleecker Street, NYC, September 2007.

 

The Twilight Zone writer and TV host Ron Serling with his family. By now, the TWA bag is a confirmed classic. 1962.

 

I love the design of this Filson bag but can't help but think of its original function, which was to carry home dead fish. To me, these bags look better in the country than in the city. Brooklyn, NY, September 2007.

 

A paper boy in England. Love the bag. 1959 (Getty Images).

 

A writer with a "message" bag. As it advertises a contemporary art space, I guess it tells us that he is up on his culture. Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. September 2007.

 

When Mick Jagger isn't busy being an over-the-top rock star he actually has great taste, as evidenced here by this very classic (probably old Gucci) carry-on bag. 1972 (Getty Images).

 

Highly celebrated war photographer Don McCullin on assignment with a nylon shoulder bag in the Philippines. 1986 (Getty Images).

 

When you are as glamorous as Egon Von Furstenberg was in the seventies (pictured here with then-wife, Diane), you can get away with carrying around your stuff in a brown paper bag. (Getty Images)