Fancy Schmacy Dresser

I saw this elderly gentleman waiting outside the Christian Dior store on 57th Street near Madison Avenue yesterday evening. He was probably waiting for the car service to pick him up after an afternoon of shopping.

Notice the canvas tote with the green handles on the floor next to him. That is such an upper middle class NYC thing, i.e. older men carry canvas totes. I'm not upper middle class (not even close) but I do have one of those totes at home. A friend gave it to me because it was too big for her small frame. The bag is great for picnics, except I haven't been on a picnic in ages.

So what kind of bag do you carry?

Baggy Reflection

I was looking to buy a new bag for work a couple weeks ago so I visited some interesting stores that carry obscure brands with unconventional designs. This was one of the stores I visited -- NYC Velo is a essentially bicycle shop in the East Village that also sells a range of messenger bags including this one in the photo.

Normally, this would be a boring photo but when I downloaded it onto my laptop, I noticed the reflection on the glass window. You can see part of a bicycle wheel on the upper right hand corner. I didn't buy that bag in the window. I bought a Jack Spade messenger bag instead.

Check out this outdoor fashion show of Jack Spade's bags during the recent New York Fashion Week at Bryant Park. It was staged in the middle of the park around regular New Yorkers who were outside enjoying the weather. Everyone there pretty much ignored the commotion -- so typically New York.

So when was the last time you bought a bag?

Cat in the Bag

Do you remember my neighbor, Billy the Cat who likes to be walked on a lease? Here he is again hiding in the bag and refusing to come out. The owner said sometimes Billy gets too lazy or is too spooked by the dogs in the neighborhood that he won't come out. He will stay in the bag but pops his head out to enjoy the walk around the neighborhood.

This photo makes me smile! So what makes you smile?

Men's Bags

Lately, I have been following The Sartorialist, a daily photo blog by fashion photographer, Scott Schuman. The photos on his blog are absolutely amazing. So as an ode to Mr. Schuman and The Sartorialist, I decided to post a photo on men's fashion today.

Men in New York City carry bags!! Oh yes, we do. We carry all kinds of bags -- computer bags, messenger bags, gym bags, backpacks, briefcases, European carry-alls (as Seinfeld called it), etc. We carry bags because we have to tote everything we need for the day when we leave the apartment. And since most of us commute on buses and trains, we do not have the luxury of temporary storage in the trunk of a car.

The type of bag a New Yorker carries largely depends on his fashion aesthetic. The hip and fashionable yuppie may prefer a Jack Spade messenger bag. while the conservative business executive may carry a Tumi computer case. The college student usually carries a backpack and the retiree, a PBS logo canvas bag. It is as much a statement about your personal style as it is what you need to carry in it.

So what kind of bag do you guys carry?