Avoiding the "man-purse" thought

[RobbyT43]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to make the MKVII more "manlier" and not so much of a "man-purse." I know that the leather strap helps, but my sister and mom insist on calling it a man-purse.

Any tips on how to make it look better?

Thanks,

Robby

[Castor Dioscuri]

Sure. Don't wear it if it makes you feel bad.

IMO people afraid to wear those types of bags are unsure of their masculinity, so just go for it, I say.

[McFly]

Splatter some blood on it. And put a large male symbol on it. I think that'd work...

In Christ,
Shane

[Ripper]

FLAMES !! Add Flames.....It will make it "manlier" and Kick azz !
Plus you will get that whole flaming bag , Temple Of Doom thing going on !

[binkmeisterRick]

Robby, it's hard to get more masculine than a gas mask bag!

[HANSOLOJONES]

Please Delete

[Indiana G]

i'm with hsj.....i could give a flying...well you know....what anyone thinks of me anywhere regardless of whether i work with them, work for them, acquainted with them or related to them.

besides, i just bought some nice olive drab pumps that are to die for and match my mkvii bag perfectly. the only bad thing about the bag is that i could never find anything in it............

[HANSOLOJONES]

Please delete.

[binkmeisterRick]

What's more, the small pocket inside is perfect for a lipstick and small compact.

[Dostacos]

get a cheap disposable camera and call it your camera bag

[Ripper]

....or a "puffy shirt" and call it a European Carry all.............

[McFly]

....or a dead mouse and call it a science experiment......

In Christ,
Shane

[Bufflehead Jones]

....or a dead mouse and call it a science experiment......

In Christ,
Shane

When you are wearing your Lennie gear, you have to carry that one in your pocket and call it a pet.









(Of Mice and Men ref.)

[McFly]

But if I did that I'd be afraid all my friends would shoot me in the back of the head. I don't know anybody named George though - or he'd be #1 on my list.

In Christ,
Shane


(Steinbeck is a good author, but I thought that one was kind of boring. Mark Twain is fun though!)

[Captain Ron Solo]

Ripper wrote:

FLAMES !! Add Flames.....It will make it "manlier" and Kick azz !

I don't know that "flaming" screams masculinity.

Ron

[Gater]

soooooo lemme get this straight....you have a bag for a gas mask that some guy had strapped to him while he sat in the trenches of Europe, fighting against the Nazis, not knowing whether that guy lived or died for his country and the freedom of the free world, and your worried whether your mommy thinks it's manly enough??!!!

Maybe we should be more worried if WE'RE manly enough to wear a Mark VII!!!

(hey Mark...tell me about the rabbit felts, tell me about the rabbit felts!)

[RobbyT43]

actually I don't have one yet. But you make a good point. I'll be sure to bring that up next time they say something about it being girly! I will be proud to wear it when I get now that I think of the sacrifice the young men made to fight for their country.

Thanks Gater!

-Robby

[Ripper]

don't know that "flaming" screams masculinity.

Ron

HA! I had not thought of that ..........

[Chewbacca Jones]

It is a man purse! Get over it, embrace it, and enjoy life and the bag to it's fullest. The only reason we don't like calling it a purse is because the 20th century socialized us into thinking of the word "purse" as a feminine item. Used to be every man had a purse, no- needed a purse. Then somebody got the wacky idea that everything a man needed could fit in his wallet. Now, we have "messanger bags".... but we're not messangers! We're men and we have purses! If the women can't handle it, we'll stage a protest and burn our wallets (empty, of course)! Vive La Manpurse!

eh, hem. 8-[

[IndyFan89]

I could care less what people think. Just don't where it all the time.

[Michaelson]

Purse? I don't know about you, but mine's is an ex-military British gas mask bag. If someone else wants to call it a 'purse', that's their problem, and shows their ignorance of the item.

What's to explain?

Yeah, I know....blunt, but to the point.

Gater, once upon a time there were these rabbit felts living in a hole in a BIG forest in England.......

Regards! Michaelson

[Tennessee Smith]

Dude, go for it, ....wear it, ....add the flames. Do it.

Seriously, Liberaci had flames on one of his piano's and no one thought he was... feminine. It'll be fine, trust me.

Make sure you post the pics!!!!!

[Nameless]

If you want it to be more "masculine" instead of wearing it by your side, just wear it where it's just behind your hip and you cant see it from the front. That's what I do.

-Josh

[Canada Jones]

This has never come up when I wear it. Personally I wouldn't worry about people think. If it is good enough for Indy...
Canada

[Indiana G]

If you want it to be more "masculine" instead of wearing it by your side, just wear it where it's just behind your hip and you cant see it from the front. That's what I do.

-Josh

but then the buckle won't be at the middle of your chest....it'll be lower on your blouse and could get hidden behind your floral print driving coat


....sorry....i find this quite humorous. i think the bottom line is you should never care what other people think if you enjoy something (as long as its legal and not immoral of course).....if that wasn't the case, i wouldn't be wearing the clothes of a fictional action adventure hero.

[Michaelson]

It's all age related, I'm sure.

Once you reach MY age, you get to the point you flat don't care....and quite frankly, you'll find out folks don't really care either.

Regards! Michaelson

[Nameless]

but then the buckle won't be at the middle of your chest....it'll be lower on your blouse and could get hidden behind your floral print driving coat

Right I always forget about the floral print driving coat. I am ashamed of myself

-Josh

[Indyextra1]

My family calls mine a "Man-Bag." But only because that's what someone else called Jack Bauer's bag

[Tennessee Smith]

It's all age related, I'm sure.

Once you reach MY age, you get to the point you flat don't care....and quite frankly, you'll find out folks don't really care either.

Regards! Michaelson

I agree, it reminds me of something I heard once in a movie and it's stuck with me:
"Most people are worried about how someone might think little of them, when in fact they would be amazed of just how little people think of them."

I mean really after you see someone wear something do you really analyze it for more than a passing thought? Most people are so preoccupied and self absorbed with themselves they don't have time to think about you.

So bottom line, when you wear your bag make sure your not wearing white after Labor Day.

[Gater]

...or white socks with dark pants, sneakers with dress slacks, a black leather belt with brown shoes, a brown fedora with black shoes, a tie that the point is above or below the middle of your belt buckle (NOT your gun belt, your trouser belt ) or mix stripes with dots!

other than that, you'll be fine with your sissy man-purse, you wussy!*


*gawd, I miss Ken Titus!

[Tennessee Smith]

...you forgot panties that show lines Gator.

[Gater]

...you forgot panties that show lines Gator.

heck no! I have my double-standards where that's concerned, but not anything I can relate while in this forum...they'd revoke my membership!

[Michaelson]

...and before Robby gets the wrong idea, NO one is making light of your question. It's one we've ALL heard or read or have been asked many times here.

It's an honest to gosh concern for some folks, but after all is said and done, it really doesn't amount to anything to be the least bit concerned with.

If you're uncomfortable with your Mom's or sisters statements, either confront them with that fact, or don't wear it until you ARE comfortable about using it.

Heck, there's not a thing that says you EVER have to use one. Just owning one may be enough.

I rarely carry mine, to be quite honest. I carry a REALLY big Porta Brace production bag, as a MkVII just isn't big enough to carry my work gear. Even with that, I'm occasionally asked if I'm heading 'to the gym', as it does look a little like a gym bag.

No biggie. I just say 'sure' and walk on. In their case they're happy, as has been pointed out above, once they're past me the subject is closed, and in my case I could care less and life moves forward.

Do I ever wear my MkVII? Absolutely. No one has ever said a word to me about it either, but then they can tell it's being used for a purpose...not as a costume piece or an 'accent' to my 'garb'. It's a great airplane carry-on, I might add....

So,do whatever is comfortable for YOU and your situation.

Regards! Michaelson

[Canada Jones]

Good comments Michaelson. Portabrace! A fellow techie. I have one of those as well. They are pricey but great bags. I have a blue one but I have seen they now make them in black. The Mark VII is a great bag but it really is on the small size when it comes to carrying stuff around. Which PB bag do you have?
Canada

[Chewbacca Jones]

My family calls mine a "Man-Bag." But only because that's what someone else called Jack Bauer's bag

Dude! I have that exact bag. It's HUGE!!!! I wish I was good with a needle & thread; it needs more compartments.

[Michaelson]

Which PB bag do you have?
Canada

Mid size 'run bag'. I've had it since it was introduced in 1988. I returned it once to them for a rebuild, and they called me, telling me it was the oldest existing PB run bag they had ever seen, as most of them get totally destroyed within 5 years. 1988 was the year the run bag line was introduced, so they were stunned to see mine come in.

Mine is still going strong.

Regards! Michaelson

[Dostacos]

funny, we had the same topic on a camera board I am on. We are always talking about the bag not looking like a camera bag, they joke about me having DOMKE bags strapped all over my chair

[Michaelson]

Regard! Michaelson

[agent5]

Purse? I don't know about you, but mine's is an ex-military British gas mask bag.

Very true. However, we all use it like a purse.

[Gater]

all kidding aside, I recall a similar thread to this, but the member in question was refering to wearing the fedora outdoors. He was bothered by some of the teasing by those ignorant Backward-Hat Brigade, and we all shared our stories of confrontation, and retort. The basic fact is, there will always be those who feel the need to make fun of others, for no matter what reason. The choice of how one reacts is up to you, though. As Michaelson has pointed out, if you are bothered by the 'teasing', then perhaps you should wait until you are more comfortable...but as stated in the hat thread, if you are unsure and uncomfortable with wearing it, this will show through,and make for an easy target. Wear your gear with pride, and not care about what others say, and you will be much less of a target. The weak prey on the weak, and if you walk tall, and proud, then there is less 'fun' in teasing...or just DM their @sses!!

[Gater]

What about that leather bag that Noah Whiley (sp?) had in those Librarian flicks??

[Indiana MarkVII]

I wear my MarkVII bag with leather strap every day to work, sometimes with my AB or HJ hat, and sometimes like today with my Aldens. Only a coworker whose office is next to my cube ever tries to tease me about looking like Indy as we walk out together at the end of a day, but he is always in good fun. I wear the bag as Indy does, across the chest and just walk tall.

I understand what the other guys were trying to say, but I really couldn't care less what anyone else thought. It can be a bit on the small side, but it's taught me to slim down what I was lugging from the car into the office every day. I carries my sunglasses, a small book, my toothbrush, the excess keys I don't want in my pants pocket, and one of my Challenge coins, along with a bunch of other stuff I can cram in there.

Wear it with pride, and as Michaelson said, if you need to wait a while to feel that, then just wait. I say go for it when you are ready.

[Indiana Jess]

If you start carrying an additional bag like McFly, nobody's gonna make remarks about the MK VII bag. In fact, they'll probably never even notice it.

[Michaelson]

That photo has always amused me, Jess, but not for the reason offered. If you look directly BELOW the infamous pink bag, you'll see a huge holster containing........

Anyone packing a revolver that size and carry any dang thing he WANTS, in MY opinion.

Regards! Michaelson

[Swindiana]

-The pink bag? Oh, I keep my hand grenades in it.

Regards,
Swindiana

[McFly]

Anyone packing a revolver that size and carry any dang thing he WANTS, in MY opinion.

Regards! Michaelson

Yup. THAT's how you wear a "man-purse:" with a revolver and bullwhip. I really like your comment though... I also think it's funny how this picture keeps popping up in weird threads like this. I think the guys who post them just like me though. You know how girls pick on boys they "like?"

Robby - just say, if confronted with it, that your "man-purse" could have saved somebody's life in the 40s during an Axis chemical attack. I think that's pretty cool.

In Christ,
Shane

[Ark Hunter]

Robby, it's hard to get more masculine than a gas mask bag!

That's the solution! Just carry the gas mask in it.

[Forrestal]

Two quick suggestions:
1. Make sure your Man Purse matches your shoes
2. Buy a Musette bag from the Army/Navy store. They run about $10.00, wear like iron, hold twice as much “stuff” and doesn’t look like a purse. If you can find a WWII Musette bag strap and you can sling the thing over your shoulder like you would with your MKVII.
I use my Musette bag every day…this way my MKVI (yes, I have a MKVI) doesn’t get wrecked.
Just FYI,
Forrestal

[Ark Hunter]

Looks like a diaper bag instead.

[Dostacos]

Robby, it's hard to get more masculine than a gas mask bag!

That's the solution! Just carry the gas mask in it.

I actually laughed out loud on that one

If it is a real problem smack'em with it