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Papa's Got A Brand-New Bag

Tribune photos by JAY NOLAN

Cloe Cabrera's brother, Julio, has been carrying a man-bag since he was 17.

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By CLOE CABRERA

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 13, 2008

The bag is sleek and smart and made from soft brown leather that feels as soft as butter. The straps are long, wide and so comfy. And it hangs coquettishly from my brother's shoulder. That's right, my brother.

Whether he's wearing a guayabera or a sport coat, Julio is usually carrying a REALLY nice manbag.

You'll never see any unsightly bulges in Julio's pockets from keys, a BlackBerry or a wallet. They're in the bag.

He has been toting one since our mother bought him a black wrist-bag as a gift when he was 17. And in case you're wondering, he has never been berated because of his bag.

"It just proves a point that I've known all my life, that women are much smarter than men," says my brother, who is masculine but not menacing. "Look how long they've been carrying bags."

Guys, before you frown on anyone carrying a manbag, remember that only a man confident in his, ah, manhood can get away with one.

"As men take more interest in their appearance, the need for a bag to complement their style and carry all the stuff they need is becoming more evident," says Doreen Hing, 41, a designer and founder of Plank, a company that specializes in trendy bags and yoga accessories. "They man bags are more for functionality. They aren't recognized as a fashion statement for men as they are for women. Not yet."

European men have been carrying bags around at least since the '50s. Here, though, it has been a tricky thing to pull off. Jerry Seinfeld tried it (on TV, anyway) when he decided he really liked toting a "European carry-all." And when Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) fell in love with a unisex handbag on "Friends," not only was he mocked by his buddies, but also his devotion to the bag cost him an audition when he refused to put it down.

Joey, Joey, Joey. The world just wasn't ready for a heterosexual man and his bag. A few years on, it seems to be.

Now ladies, before you go rummaging in your closet, let's be clear: We're not talking about a purse for RuPaul, more like a "murse" for the Rock. These are bags that are stylish but very manly and very functional.

Major design houses, including Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Balenciaga and Prada, offer a wide range of bags with man appeal.

Male celebs seem to be spurring the manbag movement. David Beckham is regularly seen with a Louis Vuitton clutch tucked under his arm; actors Matthew McConaughey and Jude Law also carry bags around town.

At a mall outing recently, I spotted at least a half-dozen men carrying bags that didn't belong to the "I'm holding my woman's purse while she shops" club.

Hing says the perfect bag for a man has masculine detailing and should be roomy enough to carry all the necessary male accouterment - keys, wallet, cell phone, planner, a little black book, etc.

Guys will opt for colors such as black, navy and brown, Hing says, though you can find manbags in brighter colors like green and yellow.

"It takes men longer to be more comfortable with color," she says. "They're slowly accepting it's OK to have a bit of color in their fashion."

One of my favorites this season is the "Jamie" by Storksak, which doubles as a diaper bag (that's right, I said diaper bag). It's crafted of "pebbled" leather and comes in black and brown. The bag has lots of compartments, and it's big enough to fit a laptop. It retails for $210 at www.storksak.com and at a Pea in the Pod in Tampa.

Unlike women's bags, there isn't really an "it" bag for men. But who knows, maybe someday men will wait in line to get their hands on that "must-have" manbag.

Man, Joey sure would be proud.

Keyword: Hot Pursuits for some do's and dont's when choosing a manbag. And find out which Hollywood hunk is partial to the "Jamie" manbag by Storksak.

Have you spotted a fashion or beauty trend worth hot pursuit? Contact Cloe Cabrera at (813) 259-7656 or ccabrera@tampatrib.com.

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