All about mens bags

Get the Country Gent look

2011-07-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Glorious 12th is only a few weeks away and the country set are gearing up for the season.
But it is not only the die hard country folk who dusting down their favourite outfits, tweed and leather is in this Autumn and the look for men is Country Gent.
Ashwood Leather were one of the first to spot the fashion and they have brought out handsome new holdalls, a messenger bag, a shoulder bag as well as a couple of wash bags, all in tweed and brown leather.
The Duccani tweed holdall (£136.99) is is casual, yet stylish, rough and ready but luxurious. In distressed soft brown cow's leather and tweed with soft canvas carry straps that can be extended to go snugly over the shoulder. There are zip pockets front and back with another inside the main cotton lined compartment. The fittings are in brushed antique brass effect. Superb. It should also be good to carry it on, even the budget airlines would struggle to turn you back with this one over your shoulder! Or if you more mobility, there is the same bag with extendable handle and wheels for £175.99.
Measures 56 x 37 x 16.5 cms (22 x 14.5 x 6.5 ins)

If that isn't the one to carry to country retreat before the shoot then check out the Gladstone tweed (£154.99), two great traditions come together in this bag - the Gladstone design and the material, tweed.
Made from grained brown leather and tweed this hinged bag featues a zip pocket front along with antique brass effect clasps. The zip top folds out to a generous 30cms access revealing the luxurious striped brown on brown lining with a zipped pocket to the rear. Carrying is a choice of either the twin handles with leather press stud lock or an adjustable leather shoulder strap with comfort pad. Measures 48 x 36 x 24cms (18 x 14 x 9.5ins) giving it a 41 litre capacity.There are two great matching wash bags for your stay - with the Ashwood Game wash bag (£49.99)

The bottom unzips to reveal two bottle pockets and elasticated stays for your razor, toothbrush etc. as well as a zip net pocket. There's another zip net pocket in the main compartment. There are also grab handles on one end and one side.
Measures 28 x 16 x 15cms (11 x 6.25 x 6ins)

Alternatively there is the Game fold out wash bag (£49.99) with its own hook to hang on the back of the bathroom door. Open the press stud secured flap (which is adjustable depending on how much you are carrying) to reveal a toothpaste/toothbrush sized zip pocket at the top, a velcro secured pocket and bottle pockets in the middle and a large zip compartment across the bottom. Folded up it measures 26 x 16 and folded out 50 x 26cms (10.25 x 6.25 and 19.75 x 6.25ins)

But what to carry during the day? There is a fantastic Game messenger bag (£112.99) that really does look the part. Sam Brown studs hold down the cotton stripe lined flap which lifts to reveal two popper secured pockets on the front. Inside there is a full width leather piped drop pocket and drop pockets in the main compartment for you mobile and iPod. There is also a zip pocket inside across the back. On the back of the bag is another full width zip pocket. The brown canvas shoulder strap with soft leather comfort pad extends to 150cms. Measures 43 x 30 x 11cms (17 x 11.75 x 4.5ins)

Or if you want smaller then go for the Ashwood Game shoulder bag (£69.99) that for all the world looks as if it should be packing shotgun cartridges. A quick release buckle opens the leather cotton striped lined flap. The same lining goes throughout the main compartment which features a leather piped drop pocket in the front. There's another one across the back of the bag. The brown canvas strap is 120cms long Measures 24 x 23 x 10cms (9.5 x 9 x 4ins)

Finally if it is the look you want, but definitely not the animal carcases then go for the Matt and Nat Faithless tweed effect holdall (£199). The Matt and Nat range is devoid of any animal products (fur, leather, silk and wool) which means this holdall is made of faux 'vegan' leather which ages in much the same way as other leather bags.

The sky blue interior is made of 21 recycled plastic bottles and has a zip pocket and drop pockets for your mobile, ipod and pens Neat. The shoulder strap is removable making it great for a weekend away or for taking to the gym. Measures 47 x 27 x 20cms (18.5 x 10.5 x 8ins)

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Flying the flag with mens bags

2011-06-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

AN interesting trend is coming to the fore this year - the use of the Union Jack on men's bags.
Perhaps it is an increased patriotism based on the Royal Wedding, next year's Diamond Jubilee or more likely a national fervour whipped up by the pending London Olympics in 2012.
We have introduced several new bags from wash bags to holdalls at Blokesbags all featuring the Union Jack, loud and proud.

Both Storm UK and Dunlop have come out with a messenger bag and Culinary Concepts have gone one further with a day bag, laptop cover, wash bag and holdall all made from 100% recycled materials.

In fact Culinary Concepts don’t just recycle, they re-use and reclaim using old military canvas tents as their core material. No two of these bags are alike as each piece has its own character, patched and mended where necessary. It's a make and mend ethos using natural dyes on reclaimed canvas.

The day bag, wash bag and laptop bag each feature the Union Jack on the exterior, whilst the holdall is lined with it.

I can only think that some people are always looking for different ways of showing their pride in being British and these bags tick all the boxes whilst being practical for day to day use

The Vintage Flag day bag which retails for £84.99 measures 31 x 38 x 12cms; the Vintage Flag laptop sleeve (£75), 38 x 28 cm ( up to a 15inch laptop); the Vintage Flag wash bag (£69.99), 30 x 20 x 18 and the Vintage Flag holdall (£154.99) a generous 70 x 40 x 28cms.

The Storm Union Flag messenger bag which retails at £42.99 is made of black/grey PU, lift the half flap bearing its black and grey version of the Union Jack, and there is a full width velcro secured drop pocket below the singular Storm logo. And that is not all. The lining in the main compartment is a combination of red, white and blue. It measures 34 x 34 x 12cms (13.5 x 13.5 x 4.75ins).

The Dunlop flag shoulder bag retails at just £28.99. Made of PU, a distressed Union Jack Flag adorns this iconic shoulder bag from Dunlop which also features a metal Dunlop logo . Fully lined in grey fabric with the Dunlop logo printed on it. The blue shoulder strap expands to 170cms. Measures 36 x 28 x 13cms (14 x 11 x 5.5ins)

Technorati token

2011-06-10T03:49:00.001-07:00

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Top ten satchel bags for men

2011-06-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

Satchels are the bags for men to be seen with this summer.

Reflecting the trend on the High Street where fashion favours the ‘prep’ look, designers have come up with a range of men’s bags in tweed, leather and PU satchels.

They are worn dangling from the shoulder or across the chest or in the case of cyclists slung across the back and whilst they vary in detailing and construction material, the one thing they have in common is that they all look like oversized versions of the ubiquitous school satchels carried by school children in the sixties and seventies.

Online retailer www.blokesbags.co.uk has compiled a top ten list of satchels for men:

Top of the range is the Calvin Klein laptop satchel messenger made of a mix of leather and nylon at £190. Available in black or brown the double popper secured flap lifts to reveal another magnetic popper secured drop pocket. The main compartment has a removable padded laptop sleeve and a zip pocket in the back. There's another magnetic popper secured drop pocket across the back. The broad strap with comfort shoulder pad extends to 150cms. Very stylish.
Measures 36 x 28 x 10cms (14 x 11 x 4ins)

At the other end of the scale is the Troop work satchel messenger bag made of 100% cotton and Italian leather available for just £42.99. A very practical messenger bag in hard wearing cotton with Italian leather trim. The flap with zip compartment is secured by two magnetic poppers hidden behind the leather buckles. Open it up and there is a fully lined zip pocket with drop pockets for your credit cards, pens and mobile phone. The main compartment is secured by a zip and there is another zip pocket inside. There's a further zip pocket across the back and the canvas strap is fully adjustable.
Measures 38 x 36 x 5cms (15 x 14 x 2ins)

Here is the full Blokesbags top ten satchel guide:

1. Troop work satchel messenger bag £42.99 School meets the workplace http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Troop_work_messenger_bag.html

2. Woodland casual messenger £82.99 Ideal with jeans http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Woodland_casual_messenger_bag.html

3. Ashwood Jasper messenger bag £105 Just right to carry netbook or iPad http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Ashwood_Jasper_iPad_netbook_messenger.html

4. Pell Mell travel satchel game bag £129.99 Straight from the countryside onto the High Street http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Travel_satchel_game_bag.html

5. Nature Trail mini ipad messenger bag £59.99 Where better to put your shiny new iPad? http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Nature_Trail_iPad_netbook_messenger.html

6. Ashwood messenger game bag £112.99 New for this season – tweed http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Ashwood_messenger_game_bag.html

7. Mudd double buckle messenger bag £113.99 Back to the future? The school satchel only bigger http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Mudd_double_buckle_messenger_bag.html

8. Nature Trail satchel style messenger bag £105.99 A modern take on an old favourite http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Nature_Trail_satchel_style_messenger.html

9. Drift classic satchel messenger bag £169.99 Made of the same leather as your Gran’s sofa http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Drift_Classics_messenger_bag.html

10. Calvin Klein laptop satchel messenger £190 Top line High Street fashion from a bespoke designer http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/Calvin_Klein_laptop_satchel_messenger.html

Established in 2008 www.Blokesbags.co.uk was set up by a husband and wife team and was the first on the web to deal exclusively in a range of men’s bags and now has more than 350 bags to choose from.

All pictures are available in high resolution from David@Blokesbags.co.uk or by ringing David or Carole on 0333 123 0132. The can also be downloaded from Press Loft: http://www.pressloft.com/browser.php?ccid=2716&iid=1

END

Calvin Klein coming soon

2011-04-07T07:44:00.001-07:00

The new store is up and looking good http://www.blokesbags.co.uk. OK if truth be told there are a few things that still need finishing off and there are several new ranges of messenger bags and briefcases to be added over the next few weeks starting with Dunlop tomorrow.
Dunlop produce a superb range of retro shoulder bags out of PU and leather look materials. Think the original Pan Am shoulder bag and design wise are on the right lines and they are priced very low - great for students and youngsters generally. Keep an eye on http://www.blokesbags/
Our new range of Calvin Klein bags arrived in the store room yesterday and just when I thought I had finally finished all the new photography, product cut outs and descriptions it is back to the studio. I wish I could remember just what we bought from Mr Klein back in February, but I can't. I am pretty sure there are some pretty funky holdalls and messenger bags, but feel pretty sure there are a few very different men's shoulder bags in and among.
No doubt, as soon as I get those up and online the new Bench bags will arrive to join the fray. But hopefully that is it for six months or so until the designers wheel out the next round.
Actually, not true, there are still some new canvas and leather messenger bags and holdalls to come in from Ashwood leathers. Well overdue.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Blokesbags on the catwalk at London Fashion Week

2011-03-08T04:16:00.000-08:00

Three of our bags made it onto the catwalk at London Fashion Walk as part of the Autumn 2011 collections.
You will note that not only are men's bags at the forefront of men's fashion, the emphasis going forward is moving away from the established shades of brown to black.

Check out this Detour Hudson holdall:

Or this Rowallan oiled leather holdall:

And finally a non leather offering - the Faithless from Matt & Nat:

For more bags from one of the biggest ranges on the web go to Blokesbags or if it is just the holdalls

The biggest range of men's bags on the web is about to get bigger!

2011-03-03T07:19:00.001-08:00

Things are moving on apace in the world of mens bags.
Not only are more people coming to accept them and using bags for men in their daily lives, they can be seen on every high street in Britain.
Manufacturers are catching on and switching part of their production for their female clients to ranges dedicated exclusively to men.
Not surprisingly there are also a great many more people now selling bags for men on and off line than there were when we started two and a half years ago. Yes, two and a half years!
We have therefore bitten the proverbial bullet and undertaken a major overhaul of Blokesbags and redesigned it from top to bottom.
When it relaunches later this month there will be a bigger range of man bags in all headings - handbags, shoulder bags for men, messenger bags, ipad bags, wash bags for men, wallets, briefcases and holdalls.
Furthermore each photograph - we have taken just short of 2000 of them over the last few weeks - will be magnifiable allowing you to focus right down to the stitching.
New ranges being added over the next weeks and months will include everything from top designers to entry level affordable business bags.
We already have the largest range of men's bags on the web and we aim to consolidate that position with at least 50 or more new styles.
We are very excited and we hope that after the launch you will share our enthusiasm. We would love to get your feedback so please do drop us an email to: David

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone Blokesbags

Hard to believe

2010-10-06T22:32:00.001-07:00

Wow. Friday, October 8^th marks the second anniversary of www.blokesbags.co.uk. And what a two years it has been!

There are all sorts of (well founded) theories on the survival of new businesses in their first three years which if I recall correctly fail at the rate of 50 per cent in the first year and a staggering 95 per cent in their first five years.

Well we have got through the first 24 months, which is amazing given that at the outset we knew nothing about men's bags, we knew nothing about setting up an e-store and we knew nothing about website optimisation.

If as the saying goes, what a difference a day makes, imagine if you can, what a difference 730 days make!

It has been an incredibly bumpy ride and survival has been in no small part thanks to a heady mix of sheer bloody mindedness, desperation and an indefatigably supportive wife and co-director.

Somehow we managed to enter a nascent market just as it was gathering pace and we remain grateful to the geeks who continue to supply the world with a plethora of must have gadgets – must have gadgets that simply must have something to carry them around in. Bring on the necessity that is bags for men!

In the two years we have been trading in men's bags we have seen the product develop from an important, but non-essential travel item that might be used for holidays once or twice a year before being confined to the top shelf of the wardrobe for the rest of the year, into something that is carried by the majority of men on a daily basis.

In the world of women's handbags, fashions come and go, so much so that if the manufacturers had their way they would need replacing seasonally every spring/summer and every autumn/winter, whereas thankfully thus far the trend in the men's bag market has been one of need and practicality.

Ten years ago, few of us carried mobile phones, few of us carried personal music players and even fewer carried laptops, but as technology has continued to develop the must have products have continued to shrink both in size and weight, but not yet quite small enough to be carried in pockets.

Thank you Steve Jobs of Apple, his company's commitment to the must have gadget industry might be making millions for him and his shareholders, but it is also fuelling associated industries and one of them is the manufacture of man bags and as a result men's bags have developed not as a catch all for everything, but to meet a specific need.

Inside a man bag you will find compartments and pockets for every need – to protect your precious mobile phone, to keep secure your iTouch or stop your netbook/iPad getting scratched and once they are safe, there is space left over for your pens, pads, combs, cameras, wallets and other items that used to cause unsightly bulges in your pockets.

When we started out we struggled to find suppliers of bags for men, there were a handful, but they were in the minority and they were hard to find and even those that were there, were unsure of the market's durability and as a result kept supplies strictly limited.

Now not only are there many more suppliers, some have switched the majority of their production from women's to manufacturing bags for men and are doing very nicely thank you.

For our part, we are about to roll out a redesigned web store at www.blokesbags.co.uk and launch a new 'brother' store at www.mensbags.co.uk to mark our landmark anniversary and we also have another in the pipeline to cater for the top end of the market at www.designerbagsformen.co.uk

We have gone from a range of less than 100 man bags to soon to be more than 400 different bags for men in every shape and every size made of a wide variety of materials from canvas and hemp through PU to our mainstay, leather.

We do expect designs to change and we do expect a continuing shift in emphasis from bags with handles, such as briefcases, to bags carried over the shoulder such as messenger bags and men's shoulder bags, but we also expect to see more wrist bags:
No longer are men self-conscious about carrying a bag in fact instead of being the butt of jokes , he is more likely to be asked where he bought it from .And that is a big change from just two years ago.

Wrist bags or men's handbags, call them what you will, have been in vogue in the rest of Europe for decades and now they are becoming more popular in the UK as men become more confident and more accustomed to carrying their own bag with all that they need inside it.

As we said when we launched www.blokesbags.co.uk men's bags are the future, because there should only be one bulge in your suit.

Social Media - the next steps?

2010-05-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world of Social Media. The present and future of communication. If email killed the art of letter writing then Social Media spells the end of email.
The only question is how soon and can we keep up with tsunami of words and thoughts that wash around the world of the internet every minute of every day.
Think tweet, think facebook, think youtube, think linkedin and then keep on thinking.
All that remains is the mastery of an as yet undefined art, thus far without direction and without an ulitimate destination.
Scary, but exciting. Challenging and bewildering.

Organising Dad for Father’s Day

2010-04-22T06:33:00.001-07:00

Sons and daughters are planning on buying their fathers new bags this Father's Day to replace their ageing briefcases.

As more and more men carry bags over the shoulder to accommodate their growing number of must have gadgets, briefcases have also undergone a design revolution.

No longer do briefcases come with just handles, they nearly all now incorporate a shoulder strap making them more like messenger bags and they are available in a wider variety of materials including a range of both structured and soft leathers, canvas, hemp and even vegan faux leather .

"In fact the traditional briefcase is all but dead," said founder of online man bag shop Blokesbags, David Gledhill "Until just a few years ago briefcases were the only bag a man would be seen dead with, but with the proliferation of must have gadgets, bags have adjusted to meet the need"

Now men happily carry bags that have been specifically designed to accommodate their laptops , ipads, mobile phones, cameras and MP3 players. And they come in all shapes and sizes from handbags through shoulder bags, to messenger bags and holdalls.

"Because designers have started more or less from scratch, men's bags are in many ways more advanced than women's. They have been designed with specific needs in mind rather than large compartments that simply fill up," said David

Last year http://www.blokesbags.co.uk saw a peak in sales around Father's Day with offspring determined to modernise their father's accessories and this year the demand is expected to climb further.

"Through necessity bags for men have caught on very quickly and it is obvious that they are here to stay and even younger children, aided and abetted by their mothers, are determined to get their Dads carrying the right one."

The briefcase is dead. Long live the briefcase

2010-02-16T02:41:00.001-08:00

Until recently if you carried a bag to the office, you carried a briefcase, but no longer.

Sales of traditional briefcases are falling and are being replaced by messenger bags.

Over the last couple of years messenger bags have developed from simple cross bags favoured by bicycle messengers to purpose built laptop carriers.

They come in a variety of materials including leather, hemp, cotton and man-made materials, but they all have one purpose – to carry around the increasing number of gadgets we all have.

Messenger bags have developed quickly to accommodate not just laptops, but mobile phones, I-pods and other assorted gadgetry – anything to stop what http://www.Blokesbags.co.uk founder David Gledhill describes as bulging pocket syndrome.

"There is nothing worse than seeing a man in a well cut suit with bulges in all the wrong places," he said "Before gadgets became popular briefcases were the solution, but now everyone appreciates the convenience of the messenger bag"

Messenger bags can be worn across the body or on the shoulder and are typically rectangular in shape with a large flap over which is secured more often than not by magnetic poppers. Inside there are numerous pockets and compartments each designed with a gadget in mind.

The similarity to the briefcase can also be striking, but the messenger bag always comes with a shoulder strap, not a handle.

"Some manufacturers have added shoulder straps to their briefcases, but the true messenger is the one that is winning out,"said David "After all who wants to carry a bag like their Dad's?" he added.

The Fast Changing World of Men’s Bags

2010-02-10T09:50:00.001-08:00

The pace of change in the man bag market is a phenomenon to behold.
When we started selling bags for men through our web store at http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/ there were few to choose from and pulling together a range took a serious amount of effort. I remember our first trade show when we struggled to find what we were looking for among the mountains of women's bags and the whole visit took less than 90 minutes. We attended one last month and struggled to get away within four and a half hours.
The market has exploded.
All of a sudden the trade has recognised the true potential and hitherto specialists in women's accessories have recognised the opportunity and it is having an interesting effect. I have noticed before that in many ways men's bags are more advanced than those carried by their female counterparts because they are being designed from scratch. But that shouldn't be surprising when you consider that some of the world's best bag designers are now turning their attention to bags for men.
Briefcases were there in the beginning, but they are now phasing out as the messenger bag takes over – and how. Briefcases have evolved slowly over the years, but messenger bags have evolved overnight into practical, stylish, must have accessories.
They come in all materials with brown leather being by far the most popular (black is very last year) and some manufacturers are now getting braver and adding bright colours to the mix. Ashwood are about to launch a new range with coloured piping available in green, red, blue or yellow. Very exciting. I will keep you posted.
The same is happening to shoulder bags as more men are forced through the volume of their gadgets to adopt an easy way of carrying them around. Again they come fit for purpose with the option of mobile phone/ipod holders (as well as a grommet to feed your headphones through) and holders for your pens, credit cards and keys.
Nor does it stop there. The fresh approach to the design of bags carried over the shoulder has led to a revisiting of the traditional men's holdall (originally called a man's handbag when they were introduced in the 19^th Century). Now they too take into account what is being carried in them with compartments for everything including one – the Mudd Compartment holdall – which has a separate pocket for your smelly shoes.
Repeatedly I am told that no matter how much bags develop for men that they will not be seen dead carrying a wrist bag. Odd that, because of the handful that we supply one of the models is the best seller in the whole store , the Visconti wrist bag. Over Christmas those bags walked out of the door as fast as we could get them and they continue to do so.
Please do keep an eye on http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/ over the next few days and weeks because we are adding at least another 30 bags, not including our designer range of Matt by Matt and Nat bags. In a couple of months we will also be showcasing bags from Matt and Nat – something we could only dream of when we started just 16 months ago – but that is a lot of bags ago.
There is also a new range of soft Italian leather bags , mostly shoulder bags by Visconti Diffusione that should go down a storm. After all the Italians have decades of experience selling to men who didn't need persuading not walk around in bulging suits.
Watch this space. I will write the definitive guide to men's bags, after all there aren't many people even now that can say they live, breathe (and sell) men's bags.
I will also bring you news soon of a range of bags that we will be having designed. We have learned a lot, time to put all that experience and customer feedback to good use!

2009-09-23T09:53:00.001-07:00

Things move on a pace. I have a theory about customers on the web and it involves group psychology. How for instance do you explain why having not sold a bag for months you sell two identical ones in a row. How for instance does the whole nation stop buying, all at the same time as they did last week, only to come back with a vengence this week?
I don't know, but I do reckon there is a PHD in it somewhere.

We have added and continue to add lots of new ranges to Blokesbags and over the next few weeks there will be in excess of 200 bags on there, all in time for Christmas. The most expensive so far is a beautiful piece from Steven Harkin (pictured above) which can be found here - scroll down to the end because it costs £495! It was apparently created for James Corden (he of Gavin and Stacey).

But there are many cheaper items including a leather pouch bag for just £12.99 and we will soon be adding a range of wallets.

We have also sourced some really natty shopping bags that fold up and fit in your wallet, that we will have branded with the Blokesbags logo and will give away with every purchase.

To say the house is full is an understatement, we have bags everywhere. A four bedroom house with two people and two dogs and no space.

Still onwards and upwards (hopefully).

Incidentally and apropos of nothing, we are still only eleven months in and I have just discovered that Blokesbags is in the top 4.2% of all websites in the world - or as I guess you should express it, on the worldwide web. In UK terms it ranks as number 69,251. Tidy.

I will get round to the ultimate guide to men's bags and a guide to choosing the right man bag for you, just give me time...

Bags for men - a changing market

2009-08-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have had chance to write anything on this blog and that is because (thankfully) Blokesbags has taken off.

Hits are rising and sales are too which shows that men's bags are now part of every day life and attitudes have at last changed.

I keep reading elsewhere that men will never carry handbags. Not true! My best sellers over the last few months have been handbags - call them what you will, man bags, men's bags or whatever, but what they are in reality are men's handbags.

They have outsold messenger bags by quite a large percentage although I expect that to change as Summer gives way to Autumn.

We have some interesting decisions to make as we approach Christmas (which in retail terms starts around mid September) because we are running out of space at home. Our house might have four bedrooms, but there is no longer enough space for two adults and two dogs - not in between mountains of men's bags!

So we must decide whether to move out and find ourselves commercial premises. Big decision though because as with any new business, you need to keep costs to a minimum.

I will keep you posted.

Over the next few weeks I also intend providing my difinitive guide to messenger bags, shoulder bags for men, handbags, holdalls, briefcases, back packs and laptop bags, looking at which are on the up and which have had their day.

Watch this space!

2009-06-19T06:06:00.001-07:00

Wow - where does all the time go? Ok a short spell in hospital having ridden my bicycle into a tree and a while longer in recovery, but what about the rest of the time?

Here we are approaching the longest day already and the year just feels as if it is running away with me. It doesn't seem to matter how many hours I work, there are never enough hours in the day or days in the week.

Http://www.blokesbags.co.uk is going well and preparations for Picnics in Peculiar Places on behalf of http://sendacow.org.uk seem to be coming together well but there are another two projects that I have not even touched.

The worst thing is, I cannot see just when I will fit it in, tomorrow is the village fete and I have to be there for the Batheaston Twinning Association and Sunday is our Godson's confirmation in Lichfield. That takes care of the weekend then!

Meanwhile I have around 20 bags that I have yet to put on line and let's face it, I am not going to sell them if people don't know they are there.

They are good bags too - everything from more Ashwood messenger bags, to Rowallan bum bags and some fantastic Pell Mell mock croc messenger bags, that are wicked.

Enough already, the more time I spend writing this blog, the less time I spend putting bags on line....

2009-05-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

It has taken a while, but at last I have found a new range of wrist bags and travel wallets, given that the likes of Global Traveller seem to have missed the season. Their stock doesn't come back in until mid June, the holiday season started just before Easter. Go figure.

The good news is though, the new bags are from Visconti and are terrific value, the wrist bag above is just £34.99 and comes in brown or black.

The new travel wallet, perfect for the airport also comes in black or brown and is priced competitively at just £21.99 - you wont do better than that.

Over the next few days I will also be adding more bags from Ashwood leather, a range of shoulder and messenger bags in a couple of ranges - the new antiqued leather styles in tan or black and the more traditional Pedro messenger in brown or cognac and the Sligo, an upright messenger bag in brown.

At the top of the range I will also be adding messenger bags from Hansson which are beautifully made as only Hansson can, but weigh in at a premium price - £172.50.

Watch this space.

2009-05-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

The Visconti Atlantic Mini shoulder bag. Its cheap, it is not the best example of a man bag, but it sells in huge numbers. It also, despite our best efforts, returns to us in larger numbers than any other bags. And the biggest reasons for return? It is too small. Or the strap is on the thin side.

Expectations are high for a leather bag costing just £10.99. The measuresments are clearly shown as 18 x 22 x 1cms and the strap is clearly shown in the above photograph. It is also true to say that as small as it is, it will still take your passport and it will be carry your tickets and other odds and sods you need to hand at the airport.

I have thought seriously about taking this one off sale, because of the hassle it causes, but I like the idea of having an entry level of just £10.99, particularly given that it is a leather bag, albeit not one of the best available at: http://www.blokesbags.co.uk

The best laid plans..

2009-05-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

Http://www.blokesbags.co.uk is going from strength to strength, but each time I think I am nearing the end of my work, in as much as the site is up and running and just needs minimal maintenance, something else comes along.

Today I was due to photograph new stock and get it into the store - simples, as the meerkat, Aleksandr Orlov is wont to say - but just taking orders and tweaking the existing store content has eaten away the day.

More new stock is due in over the next few days including Thierry Mugler, Troop of London and Ashwood leather (see Pedro distressed leather messenger bag above). Great but more photos, more cutouts in Adobe photoshop and more descriptions in store.

Tomorrow is dedicated to www.sendacow.org.uk and organising Picnic parties and Picnics in peculiar places, which is great fun and will give me a much needed break from man bags, but it will be back to it with a vengeance on Wednesday.

One day it will be just a couple of days a week and that day is just around the corner (He told himself yet again....)

2009-05-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

Difficult to keep up at the moment. Despite my best efforts on DIY site engine optimisation Google keep sending http://www.blokesbags.co.uk backwards and there are any number of people queuing up to tell me why - at the right price of course. The question is who to believe.

One company provided me with a list of sites to look at yesterday and all were below me in the Alexa rankings (Blokesbags is currently around 2.4m). I know I should be patient, but when you are working with something every day it is frustrating. Very frustrating.

In between time we continue to seek out new stock and have just found some very nice top of the line messenger bags from Danish company Hansson. They should be on line within the next couple of days.

At the other end of the price table we are also awaiting new stock from Troop of London, so watch this space.

I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure we must now have the largest range of men's bags on the web and if it continues like this, then I will become an expert in men's bags. Well who would have thought it?

Gladstone bag

2009-05-03T02:04:00.000-07:00

They used to be common, in fact at one stage they were probably the only style of man bag available - the Gladstone. Invented towards the end of the 19th century they quickly became the mainstay men's luggage, but they also earned themselves the nickname of Doctor's bag.

But these days they are difficult to find - or at least quality ones are and therefore to find one at an affordable prices is an absolute boon.

Check out http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/holdall-bags.html and scroll down to the bottom.

Result!

Over the next couple of days we will be adding more bags from Ashwood leather who have brought out a funky range of distressed shoulder and messenger bags in three different sizes. Watch this space.

2009-04-29T01:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! What happened? Everything went a bit mad yesterday with a record eight orders through http://www.blokesbags.co.uk. There was no pattern we sold everything from arrogance hand bags (a really popular one at this time of year) through to the natural leather holdall. Interestingly the latter bought his bag because he had read about us on a blog somwhere. Here, perhaps? Or perhaps not.

No sooner had a I packed one box then the next order dropped in. Have I mention before, that sad act that I am, everytime an order comes in my Blackberry sounds a loud gong - three times. I am sure the novelty will wear off, but when it does I will be so happy with the constant level of sales that that is a good thing!
Anyway in this world of portfolio working, today is not technically a www.Blokesbags.co.uk day. Today is a Clare Teal day - working on the content of her website, which is great fun. Tomorrow is Send a Cow Day working on a project for a huge picnic in Bath in September to raise awareness of this superb charity and all hours in between it is www. Blokesbags.co.uk.

Confused? Moi?

Chic

2009-04-27T02:01:00.000-07:00

Went to Chic at Coventry yesterday and had no need to worry about buying in too much stock after all - because there were so few exhibitors in the main hall that they had to put in false walls to shrink the overall floor area.

Proportionate to that there were very few man bag suppliers - in fact we only got to talk to three and only one new one.

Once again we were enteratined by the ongoing saga of why we never get any bags from Ashwood leather - once agan they have been promised by the end of this week - watch this space: http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/messenger-bags.html and see if they are there by the end of the week!

Added a couple of messenger bags from Hansson at the top end and by contrast bought a whole bunch of stock from Troop of London who make canvas bags trimmed with leather and they have some great designs which will fit in nicely into shoulder bags, holdalls, handbags, laptop bags, and messenger bags.

As soon as the weather brightens I will get photographing the new stock and get it up on the site as soon as possible.

Happy Mondays!

2009-04-24T03:08:00.000-07:00

Ha! Just discovered that the competition to win an ipod touch that appears on http://www.blokesbags.co.uk has been posted on moneysavingexpert something and that is why I am being inundated with entries without seeing a rise in the number of visitors.

I don't want to discount anyone, because I do get their email addres which is what I am after, but I think it is only fair that they visit the site first and so have added a changing code to the email that shows it has come via the site.

Got some new Sativa bags today which I found whilst looking for a suitable bag for a friend who has had a stroke. He needs a bag he can get into with the minimum of fuss and I think I have found it in the shape of the Sativa multi zip shoulder bag - have a look at http://www.blokesbags.co.uk/acatalog/shoulder-bags.html 11th one down in brown.

Over the weekend I will also be adding another three designs from the Thierry Mugler range. I really must think about the drawing a line under the range at some stage before we run out of space.

And I am saying that before we go to check out the latest at the Chic exhibition at Ricoh centre in Coventry on Sunday.

2009-04-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

And here it is our very first designer bag on http://www.blokesbags.co.uk the Thierry Mugler messenger bag:

This Thierry Mugler split leather messenger bag has quality written all over it. Well actually it has the Mugler written all over it..
Full flap over opens to reveal a vibrant lilac cotton interior featuring credit card/business card, mobile phone and pen drop pockets to the front and a large drop pocket to the rear.
The back has a magnetic closing large drop pocket. All the fittings are skiny chrome and the brown canvas strap is fully adjustable.
Measures 38 x 35 x 5cms (15 x 13.75 x 2 ins).

What do you think?

2009-04-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Six months in and I finally feel like we are getting somewhere with http://blokesbags.co.uk

The range has expanded massively and over the weekend I will be adding our first designer range of men's bags from Thierry Mugler. Very exciting. It will be interesting to see how they are received.

Once they are up it will be a good time to approach some of the companies that said no to us first time around. Then again I am also saying no to some of those companies who are now coming to us having turned us down when we needed them. If they couldn't be bothered with us when we were struggling to get going, why should I be bothered with them now that we are up and running?

Hits are up and sales are up, but avoid the temptation of pay per click on Facebook. Spent $100 (you would think they would be able to charge in good old £'s) already and cannot prove a single sale down to them.

Our rankings continue to improve and we are managing to do it without throwing hundreds of pounds at snake oil salesmen who seem to camp on our virtual doorstep but it is a difficult journey and a much longer one than I could have possible forseen.

Naive? Moi?

Oh yes...

Technorati look here

2009-04-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Technorati look here everyone else look away because it is all about increased exposure for good old http://blokesbags.co.uk

Technorati Profile

2008-10-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable.

Four months in and I have been to hell and back to get my website www.blokesbags.co.uk ready for launch and everything seems to be working against me.

OK so some of it is because of my own ignorance/naivety, after all I have never done this before, but the rest?

Nearly two weeks ago just as things were coming together (or so I thought) the motherboard on my computer died. That's bad. But what made it worse was the fact that my backup had seemingly packed up just an hour before.

Stressed? Moi? Never more so.

Three anxious days later I got most of it back and continued my lonely life in front of a computer screen.

All seemed to be back on track until five days ago when I tried to upload and the computer said no.

Much head scratching and psycho stress out anxst later I tried again on Monday of this week - and the computer said no.

Last night having traced the problems I tried again and yes you have got it, the computer said no.

Today I discover that my website host server is has gone belly up.

Am I ever to get this business going? Will I ever get to sell a men's bag or are the nay sayers right?

If I were so inclined I would take up prayer, but I'm not so its back to the cigarettes and alcohol and even those finger nails are looking tasty right now...

2008-08-21T03:36:00.000-07:00

Blokesbags – a germ of an idea that nagged at the back of my mind for more than 12 months.
I knew the time was right – bags for men are appearing on catwalks across the globe and I wanted to be in at the beginning.
Some days I am entirely confident that the enterprise will be a success, others I wonder what the hell I am playing at.
I am playing at launching a website www.blokesbags.co.uk that will be exclusively dedicated to men's bags be small bags, messenger bag, laptop bags and 'something for the weekend' bags.
Everyone I meet becomes part of my ongoing market research and I am becoming a master at gauging their reactions.

Eyes

I watch their eyes intently when I tell them what I am doing:
Eyes widening means they think I am off my head.
A creasing around the eyes means, “Did he really say bags for men?”
A slight narrowing means scepticism, but they want to know more.
Eyes steady and holding your gaze means “I will think about that. You may have something”

Mouth

A pursing of the lips is accompanied by the whistle of a squeezed intake of breath again means scepticism.
A pursing of the lips accompanied by the whistle of a squeezed exhalation is “Wow, now there’s a though”
A huge grin means that they are stifling a laugh
A sideways clench (either way, try it) also means they need more information before deciding on its merits or otherwise.

Luckily those that think it a good idea outweigh those that think it mad by about two to one.
Phew, fewer to win over there then.