Before we jump in and take a look at some of the best luxury designer bags and briefcases for men, lets ask ourselves, where did the humble briefcase originate from?

Dating back to the first century, leather bags have long been the bag of choice for men. Business, for one, has always required a bag and while the briefcase has remained a strong contender for centuries, they were originally used as a necessity rather than a luxury. 

The earliest known example was a loculus, a leather document pouch, used by the ancient Romans. Today, this is otherwise known as the briefcase. Made from single hide and fastened with a metal ring and leather straps, the pouch often had no interior pockets and was used for carrying important documents by men of the elite, such as lawyers or doctors.

 

As the popularity of the briefcase remained consistent, the trend spread to men of all classes in the 50s and 60s when square, boxed briefcases were pushed out of style in favour of slim and sophisticated black leather bags. Over the years, as books were replaced with ipads and documents with laptops, the briefcase evolved into a much slimmer design. 

In today’s age, a briefcase is no longer restricted to a black leather bag but more of an expression of your personality.  A variety of materials are used as well as different colours and designs, paying careful attention to practicality, comfort and of course, style.

From Prada’s slim and sophisticated crocodile leather briefcase to Gucci‘s quirky Bee Star messenger bag, our roundup of luxury designer bags and briefcases for men will inspire you to reinvent your work attire. 

 

Text: Hira Desai

Images courtesy of:

Bottega Veneta
Burberry
Fendi
Gucci
Hermes
Prada
Tom Ford
Tumi
Versace
Valentino