Nov. 22, 2013 2:14 p.m. ET
THOUGH I TEND to suffer from a case of "too many gurus," one person whose advice I nearly always follow is my acupuncturist, Richard. Because of him, I've used Bach Flowers homeopathic tinctures in varieties like Hornbeam, which, according to the label, "restores energy when you are mentally weary." At Richard's behest, I massage my foot on top of a golf ball.
Lately, I've been complaining of pain in my right shoulder, which, he says, is where I carry a lot of my stress. But it's also where for years I've slung my zippered Filson tote. Recently, an accidental rip in the bag signaled its impending death. This coincided with Richard's suggestion that I might consider a backpack.
Richard uses a plain black nylon Victorinox two-strap, in which he carries his needles, alcohol swabs, supplements, cotton balls, tweezers and forceps so that he can perform acupuncture on the go.
I tend to carry a lot, too: plenty of magazines and newspapers, should I ever find a moment to read them; my iPad Mini; two phones and chargers; a few hard-bound notebooks; my Filofax, which, yes, is heavy, and which I still use; sometimes, my MacBook Air and a power cord; and on other occasions, gym clothes and a pair of Nike[1] NKE +1.00% [2] Nike Inc. Cl B[3] U.S.: NYSE $78.87 +0.78 +1.00% Nov. 22, 2013 4:01 pm Volume (Delayed 15m) : 3.47M AFTER HOURS $78.87 +0.00 0.00% Nov. 22, 2013 4:42 pm Volume (Delayed 15m): 52,768 P/E Ratio 28.03 Market Cap $69.47 Billion Dividend Yield 1.22% Rev. per Employee $537,521 11/18/13 Boeing Powers Dow to 16000[4] 11/10/13 Where Is the 'University of Ni...[5] 11/07/13 A Day in the Life of Nike CEO ...[6] More quote details and news »[7] Flyknit sneakers.
The point: I realized that a backpack, an accessory I hadn't used for over a decade, could probably do me some good.
Coincidentally, it seems, backpacks are, well, back. They've been all over the menswear runways—at Lanvin, Dries Van Noten, Gucci and 3.1 Phillip Lim. Meanwhile, brands I hadn't thought about since high school have begun fashion collaborations. Eastpak, for instance, now has a collection by Belgian designer Raf Simons. When I tried one of the resulting bags, practicality didn't seem to be a priority. Made of a silky material, it was so small and dainty, I could barely get it on my back, let alone fit a Hollywood Reporter inside.
The backpack I initially coveted—Filson's new twill and leather version—wasn't much roomier. It barely fit my gym clothes and magazines. It also wasn't easy to zip up, and I scratched my hands while adjusting the back-straps.
No matter. There is suddenly a lot of choice. Just looking at the website for Herschel Supply Co., a Vancouver-based bag company founded in 2009, gave me agita. I couldn't figure out what made one pack different from another. But the ubiquity of that brand on well-dressed men my age made me think the stigma of the backpack—that it signaled a Peter Pan complex—might no longer exist. I decided to ask around.
"Do I feel a little weird wearing a suit and a big orange backpack? Sure," said my friend Zach Iscol, a Marine-turned-entrepreneur, about the Kelty camping bag he carries most days. "Do I care? Not really."
"My initial resistance to wearing a backpack was that it made me look like I was in high school," said Jon Cohen, who's based in Los Angeles and works in development for a comedy website. He got over it, eventually buying a Jansport Thunderclap ($50). For him, it fills the same purpose as a briefcase traditionally would. "It's kind of like my office," he said.
Lucas Ossendrijver, the menswear designer at Lanvin, carries a backpack every day, too. "It's actually the most manly bag there is," he said. "It gives you a sense of action, an urgency that you're going somewhere." In his fall show, Mr. Ossendrijver showed a series of one-strap backpacks to counter the tailored clothing with "something a lot less serious."
The Lanvin calfskin leather bag ($1,495) I tried was quite versatile and roomy. But its single strap isn't adjustable, meaning the more I put in it, the more it started to inch up my body and choke me. Mr. Ossendrijver said he'll soon introduce a two-strap bag.
American designer Alexander Wang also showed backpacks because of a personal preference. "I've carried a backpack since I was in high school," he said. "I really like the functionality."
When I brought one of his bags on a recent trip to the theater, however, I found it relatively lacking in function. The thick leather straps and flap closure made it heavy, and the woolly fleece body made my back hot. When full, it was so bulky that my theater date, actress Natasha Lyonne, told me that it was like I was carrying an extra person on my back, one that seriously decreased my range of motion.
"You need to learn how to carry that thing," Natasha said.
“ It was so small and dainty, I could barely get it on my back, let alone fit a Hollywood Reporter inside. ”
I fell in love with Saint Laurent's Classic Hunter backpack. It seemed the perfect size, and didn't have any obvious brand marking. It was so subtle and refined, I almost forgot it was a backpack. But at $850, it was out of my price range.
I really liked the lightness of the boxy Kånken laptop bag from Swedish outdoor brand Fjällräven, as well as the way it zipped open all around. It could hold a lot, including my laptop and sneakers, and I could carry it from the top. Yet, there was something about it that felt juvenile, even if I did welcome the pop of color in its blue nylon. I also had trouble getting into a taxi with it on my back.
("The trick," my acupuncturist told me later, "is to take one strap off before you jump in.")
Jack Spade's Waxwear Backpack had just the right number of pockets—including one on top for a cellphone—and I enjoyed using it on a trip to Los Angeles. (I noticed most men on the airplane carried backpacks.) The only thing that bugged me was the label, which wasn't huge by any standard, but was still undeniably present.
A small tweed-and-leather pack by Want Les Essentiels de la Vie also caught my eye, for its traditional half-moon shape and high quality materials, even if it was rather heavy.
Nevertheless, I kept finding ways not to carry a backpack. Instead, I'd use a simple canvas Mountain Khakis tote I bought in Jackson Hole, Wyo. I didn't have to worry about packing it well. I could just casually throw things in. And as long as I didn't carry it on my shoulder, my acupuncturist was OK with it, too. Richard, however, can be satisfied that a growing number of stylish men are unknowingly heeding his advice. He shouldn't worry about me, though. We'll always have the Hornbeam.
References
- ^ Nike (quotes.wsj.com)
- ^ NKE +1.00% (quotes.wsj.com)
- ^ Nike Inc. Cl B (quotes.wsj.com)
- ^ Boeing Powers Dow to 16000 (blogs.wsj.com)
- ^ Where Is the 'University of Ni... (online.wsj.com)
- ^ A Day in the Life of Nike CEO ... (online.wsj.com)
- ^ More quote details and news » (quotes.wsj.com)
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