Five of the Best: Designer Man Bags

With little room in the average man's trouser pockets for all the requirements of a busy modern life, any last struggle against the man bag is slowly fading away and along with it the idea that real men don't carry bags.

There is now a wide range of men's bags on offer, from the rucksack through to the shopper, in a variety of styles, colours, materials and prices. And if it's okay for Hugh 'Wolverine' Jackman to carry a bag (pictured below), then it's okay for you too!

It might not be long before we see the rise of the male IT bag, the much coveted, usually sky-high priced bags, such as the Hermes Kelly, that have women breaking out in a sweat when they are unveiled and which usually have waiting lists running into months. Particularly as Burberry have recently announced that its sales of men's bags have leapt 27% in the last year. And in a recession!

So here are five of the best designer men's bags, in no particular order. Credit cards at the ready boys...

1. The Classic: If you want a stylish hard-wearing bag that will last you for years, and mine certainly has, then you should definitely opt for the Mulberry 'Barnaby' bag. It's been around for a while but will never date and looks as good fresh out of the dust-bag as it does once it's been bashed about a bit. It has simple details such as the push-lock disguised as a buckle and comes in a range of colours (shown here in chocolate), it's a bag for any occasion. Price £506. www.mulberry.com.

2. The Budget Blower: If you've just got your banker's bonus, won the lottery or just want to treat your self to something unashamedly extravagant, this 'Bigger Cube Bag' from the mighty Fashion House Balenciaga will do the trick. With soft black leather and signature stud detailing this bag just screams indulgence and might just have your girlfriend/wife/sister attempting to steal it for themselves. Not that this bag is in any way feminine, it's just pure class. Price £1,025. Available from Matches.com.

3. The Monogrammed: If you are into monogrammed bags, and many people are (just not me personally) then keep it tasteful and simple with this Gucci messenger bag. Matches is obviously a good place to browse some quality bags as this one is available there too. This black leather GG embossed bag comes with a simple leather strap and lots of lovely details inside and out. Price £640. Matches.com

4. The Overnight Bag: This Vivienne Westwood Man 'Resort' bag is not the largest overnight bag in the world, but it sure is aesthetically pleasing. It would be fine for a single night away, if you don't pack the kitchen sink. Alternatively it would make a very stylish gym bag. The bag is black canvas and features the famous orb detailing on the front, with contrasting grey 'Vivienne Westwood' printed handles. The really exciting thing about this bag though has got to be the price. £135, down from £270. Viviennewestwood.com.

5. The One You'll Have to Wait For: Not yet in the shops, these bright and playful Burberry Prorsum totes are perfect if you want to make a statement. With detachable shoulder straps and leather bottoms, these bags are sure to fly out of the shops when they hit the stores later this year and will brighten up any outfit during those dull Autumn/Winter months. Get saving now because these babies won't come cheap. Price unknown. Burberry.com.

Chocolate Guilt: Conflict Cocoa and the Ivory Coast

It’s mid-January and by now you are probably either finishing off the humungous box of chocolates you bought or were given over Christmas; or have started the diet or exercise to shed the pounds gained by scoffing them all. Maybe you now feel a pang of guilt for devouring all those calories? Or possibly you are one of the lucky ones who haven’t put on a pound over Christmas?

We all know how too much chocolate can be bad for you, but a little bit in moderation is okay isn’t it? Well maybe not as it happens, there is another chocolate guilt-trip in town and it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.


Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years you’ve probably heard of conflict diamonds. Whether it’s seeing Leonardo DiCaprio in the film ‘Blood Diamond’, or hearing about Naomi Campbell’s attendance at the war crimes trial of Charles Kennedy, most of us now understand the link between diamonds and war-torn countries and will hopefully choose wisely, if and when purchasing one. But can the same be said of chocolate, or more specifically cocoa?


The Ivory Coast, in West Africa, is the world's largest producer of cocoa, producing between 35 and 45 percent of the source of the delicous brown stuff we consume so much of here in the western world. It is also a country facing yet another civil war, only eight years after the bloody conflict that led to the country effectively being split into North and South. 

In November 2010 the country held presidential elections, which many hoped would finally begin to heal the wounds of the 2002 war and reunite the largely Muslim North and the Christian South. The initial election results showed Allesane Outtara, a candidate from the North, to be the victor. But after the authorities cancelled the votes of thousands of people from the North, the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo reinstated himself as president.

        

Incumbent: Laurent Gbagbo

Election Victor: Allesane Outtara

The resulting unrest caused by the election results has now turned to bloodshed, with reports of Gbagbo's army murdering hundreds of Outtara's supporters. The United Nations has been stepping up its efforts to bring peace to the troubled country, fearing that genocide and ethnic cleansing will occur. It is sending additional peacekeepers to the country and putting pressure on Gbagbo to step down. 

A significant amount of the financing for the conflict has come from the sale of cocoa the country produces, meaning that of the millions of pounds we spend on chocolate each day some of it is likely to be paying for the bloodshed in the Ivory Coast. So what can we do about it?

The Key: Chocolate Companies

Avaaz, the global campaigning organisation, with a membership of over 6.5 million people is currently running a campaign to encourage people to write to the CEO's of the mulitnational chocolate companies, such as Nestle, Mars and Hershey's to demand that they don't do business with Gbagbo. Without income from cocoa sales, Gbagbo and his army will be powerless. 

An email sent out to Avaarz members states, "it is crucial that the international community escalate pressure, but at this critical time if they act fast, cocoa companies could hold the key to removing Gbagbo's illegitimate regime."

So next time you are about to purchase that innocent looking chocolate bar, remember... a moment on the lips, possible bloodshed in the Ivory Coast... and a lifetime on the hips.
Mr Musing

Facial discrimination: are we all secretly faceist?

Until I saw his photograph I felt a bit sorry for Edward Woollard. The 18 year-old college student, pictured below, was recently sentenced to 32 months imprisonment for throwing a fire extinguisher from the roof of the Tory HQ building, during the protest about university tuition fees.

I doubt he deliberately meant to cause anyone harm. More likely he was caught up in the excitement of the moment and acted not out of malice but extreme stupidity. His actions could have resulted in the death of anyone unlucky enough to be standing directly below, but fortunately the extinguisher landed without causing injury.

Now he faces a prison sentence, which could potentially affect him for the rest of his life, and I did wonder if a custodial sentence really was the best way to deal with the situation or whether he was made a scapegoat by a Government keen to assert its authority?

Anyway, I digress. As I said, I felt sorry for him. That is, until I saw his photograph; then I started to think maybe he had got what he deserved. It was his disconnected glare from those sinister looking eyes that did it; and his unruly curly mullet certainly didn’t help matters. He looked evil.

This got me thinking. What is it about the faces and features of some people that can make one person dislike, fear or suspect another without reason? Is it instinct, a throwback from our days as hunter-gathers, when we needed to decipher friend or foe in a split second? Or maybe we subconsciously pick up on certain ‘looks’ that we deem to be right or wrong, from the millions of images we are exposed to every day in the media? 

Todorov and Oosterhof, scientists at Princeton University, have been researching what it is about people's faces that cause people to fear or trust them and have even come up with a computer programme that allows them to analyse this. Todorov says, "Humans seem to be wired to look to faces to understand the person's intentions... People are always asking themselves, 'Does this person have good or bad intentions?'"

Take for example Chris Jeffries, pictured above, the landlord of murdered Joanna Yeates, who was recently brought in by police for questioning. Even without reading the story I took one look at his face and the voice inside my head screamed HE’S GUILTY. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one but as it turns out, he was released without any charge.

Was Maxine Carr, pictured below, really an innocent, naïve victim of Ian Huntley or was there something more sinister at play? Who knows, and maybe we never will, but I know what my gut says and I am convinced it is because of her face why I feel that way.

For me it is the dead-behind-the-eyes look that cause alarm bells to start ringing and a send a shiver running down my spine. 

For Cesare Lombroso, the Italian criminologist, it was hard shifty eyes, high cheekbones, upturned or twisted noses and unusual shaped ears. In his 1876 book ‘The Criminal Man’, Cesare said, “…one has to conclude that while offenders may not look fierce, there is nearly always something strange about their appearance. It can even be said that each type of crime is committed by men with particular physiognomic characteristics.”

That was nearly 140 years ago and Lombroso's work is now considered to be outdated. People may no longer consciously associate shifty eyes with a tendency to commit a crime, but that's not to say we don't make decisions each day based on our reactions to peoples faces. 

If I had never heard of Chris Jeffries or Maxine Carr and they turned up for a job interview, would I give them a job? Or would I subconsciously write them off because of an illogical reaction to their faces? I like to think I am a logical and rational person so would hope not. But can we ever be sure? Are we all secretly faceist, and if so, is there anything we can do about it?

Residents' anger at Norwood Park Eyesore

Angry residents in Gipsy Hill, South London, gathered in Norwood Park on Saturday January 8, to protest against a proposed Network Rail mast, fearing it will ruin the protected views of the London skyline.

Frustrated by a lack of consultation, residents on Gipsy Road have started a Stop the Mast Campaign and are urging Network Rail to halt its plans and find an alternative location.

The communications mast, which will be up to 24 metres tall and tower over nearby houses and trees, is planned for the end of January.

Hippolyte Grigg, Chairman of the Friends of Norwood Park said, “I have two issues. Number one, what extent is it going to impinge on the views from the ridge of the park? The second is damage to the original oak tree, right next to it; and what extent this construction has already damaged the roots of that tree. The trees are listed, they are protected and unless they are diseased they should not be cut down.”

Norwood Park offers panoramic views of London from one of the highest points in Lambeth and the mast will be situated less than a metre from the park perimeter. The view from Norwood Park was designated a ‘protected view’ in 1986, by what is now the Greater London Authority, and a plaque in the park marks this.

Lambeth Council’s Unitary Development Plan states, “Permission will not be granted for developments which detract from important views, backdrops or settings” and specifically lists Norwood Park as being one of those views.

Surprisingly, Network Rail does not have to obtain planning permission from Lambeth Council to install the mast as it has Permitted Development Rights, which allows it to develop the land it owns where it deems it ‘necessary’ for the running of the railway.

Residents living on Gipsy Road and Finch Avenue are also worried the view from their properties. Stephen Hodge’s house will overlook the mast. “Network Rail seem to have chosen the location because of the access, without thinking about how close it will be to people’s houses, he said.”

Bowing to the pressure of the campaign, Network Rail has now promised to meet residents before it installs the mast. Nick Gray, head of Customer relations at Network Rail said, “we are planning to hold a drop in information session for residents in the near future. Project staff will be available to answer any questions about the Mast.” The meeting will be held at Kingswood School on Gipsy Road on Tuesday January 18, between 4pm and 8pm. 

This is not the first time Network Rail has faced the fury of residents. In 2010, protesters in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, successfully prevented a rail mast being erected, using their cars to block access to the site.

Mr Musing

Finally Menswear Get the Attention it Deserves at London Fashion Week

AW Anderson

I am so glad that menswear is now being given the time of day at London Fashion Week. Now with it's own dedicated day, us men finally get to see the wonderful creations of a whole host of leading menswear designers and find out what will be hot for next season.

Carolyn Massey

As can be expected in London, some of the designs were truly wacky; ranging from bondage gear to shiny gold trousers, but by the time the looks hit the shops they will be toned down slightly and made more 'wearable'. The thing I love about seeing these collections is it inspires me to consider items of clothing, styles and colours I may not have thought about.

James Long

The menswear day was opened by collections from James Long and Carolyn Massey both graduates of the Royal College of Art. There were 25 designers showing collections including AW Anderson, Topman Design, Katie Eary and a range of designers showcasing as part of Fashion East's MAN show.

Menswear gaining momentum and visibility can only be a good thing for those who love their fashion, with designers working harder to create innovative and fashion-forward collections to satify their potential customers needs and the availability of more choice in the shops. Not so good for the wallet though...