Backpacks for Men Get Sophisticated

FASHION & STYLE | TRADING UP Civilizing the Pack Mentality By DAVID COLMAN SEPT. 14, 2011 Dav id Needleman for The New York Times TEES have done it. Jeans have done it. And, of course, a zillion teens have done it. Not fallen in love — grown up. As a generation of adolescents adolesced, they defiantly hauled their old-school clothing ideas with them. And fashion houses were only too happy to play along, putting a grown-up gloss on T- shirts, jeans, sneakers and the like. The missing piece was, until recently, where to stuff it. Sure, 15 years ago, at the dawn of the Age of Information, the messenger bag was newly born (and borne) as the hands-free junior-exec briefcase. But its onetime assets — a modest size and tech-ish look linked to its intended inhabitant, the laptop — now make you wonder if “rectangle” is the new “square.” So now, it seems, that earnest campus favorite, the backpack, has been picked up enthusiastically by grown men, and design houses are playing catch-up to meet the demand. According to NPD Group, which tracks retail spending, sales of backpacks to men increased 40 percent between Aug. 1, 2009, and Aug. 1, 2011, a striking figure given how few items can claim boosts of any kind. It indicates not only that more men are buying backpacks, but also that they are buying more adult and more costly ones, from the century-old canvas styles available from Duluth Pack, in Duluth, Minn., to the gleaming nylon visions at Prada. “Men are driving this market,” said Marshal Cohen, NPD’s chief analyst. “One of the reasons is the traveling guy buying backpacks for professional use. Instead of a laptop bag, these guys want something that can hold all of their stuff. And another thing is that the backpack has become socially acceptable for a guy to carry. It’s not looked at as something only young people carry.” Retailers echoed the assessment. “Backpacks have been huge for us,” said Tom Kalenderian, the vice president for men’s wear at Barneys New York. “What’s great about them is that your hands are free to carry other things, but you can put more things in them, like your sneakers. You don’t need another bag.” As with nearly every successful trend, style is also a factor. “In the never- ending quest for old-school style, the backpack is the new heritage item,” Mr. Kalenderian said, citing brands like Duluth Pack. “It’s the work-wear equivalent of a bag.” Others mentioned additional factors, like the growing number of men riding bicycles to work, in the backpack’s growing appeal. Mr. Cohen said that in his opinion the demand was just beginning, and he added that as the backpack becomes more acceptable as a professional accouterment, the offerings will likely become more exciting. “These people need to realize that there are things besides nylon to make backpacks out of,” he said. As it is, the backpack still bespeaks a certain practicality. A few months ago, the playwright Tony Kushner decided that the heavy shoulder bag he had long carried was bad for his back and decided to look into a backpack. Dubious of nylon ones that screamed “undergrad,” he found a fairly dignified model called the Islington rucksack from Brooks, the venerable British bicycling company. “It was sort of simple and plain, and it was waxed canvas instead of nylon, so that was a nice thing,” he said. And it was well made and comfortable, even loaded with books. But stylish? He was not quite sure. “I think you still probably look like you’re hitchhiking around Europe,” he said. But perhaps you’re a little more likely to be picked up. A version of this article appears in print on September 15, 2011, on Page E13 of the New York edition with the headline: Civilizing The Pack Mentality. Order Reprints | Today's Paper |Subscribe RELATED COVERAGE Backpacks: Civilizing The Pack Mentality SEPT. 14, 2011 Street Style Photos: Chic Backpacks AUG. 7, 2011 NEWS World U.S. Politics N.Y. Business Tech Science Health Sports Education Obituaries Today's Paper Corrections OPINION Today's Opinion Op-Ed Columnists Editorials Contributing Writers Op-Ed Contributors Opinionator Letters Sunday Review Taking Note Room for Debate Public Editor Video: Opinion ARTS Today's Arts Art & Design Books Dance Movies Music N.Y.C. Events Guide Television Theater Video: Arts LIVING Automobiles Crossword Food Education Fashion & Style Health Jobs Magazine N.Y.C. Events Guide Real Estate T Magazine Travel Weddings & Celebrations LISTINGS & MORE Classifieds Tools & Services Times Topics Public Editor N.Y.C. Events Guide Blogs Multimedia Photography Video NYT Store Times Journeys Subscribe Manage My Account SUBSCRIBE Home Delivery Digital Subscriptions Crossword Email Newsletters Alerts Gift Subscriptions Corporate Subscriptions Education Rate Mobile Applications Replica Edition © 2017 The New York Times Company Privacy Terms of Service Site Map Help Site Feedback.

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