Men, Just Call Your Bag a Purse
We’ve come a long way since men were afraid to carry a bag that could be mistaken for a bag worn by women and therefore bad.
But we have one important step left: stop juggling names for your bag, your “bag”, your wallet, your murder. Just call it a wallet.
This matters for two reasons. First, the only reason you don’t call it a wallet is the tacit cultural consensus that things about women are bad. You don’t call it a backpack because of its shape. Women have satchels, clutches, handbags and handbags. And they – or at least you courageous man – call them all wallets.
So while you may hate to admit it, being afraid to call your wallet a wallet is a bit of a misogynist and / or homophobic. You act like a character from Friends , which is usually a bad sign.
Second, once you know you have a wallet, you can actually use it like a wallet. All I had in my bag was a paperback, a notebook, and headphones. But as soon as I realized that my summer bag was really just a purse, I immediately thought about everything that could be carried in it: lip balm, wet wipes, aspirin, purrell, cardigan. You know the wallet. None of this looked very masculine, but, well, who cares?
You don’t have to go crazy. Keep your wallet, phone and keys in your pockets. Not because it’s masculine, but because everyone who has pockets should do this, so when their wallet gets stolen, it’s not such a problem. But if you do toss your keys in your purse, add a Tile Bluetooth key fob so you can track them from your phone.
And no one asks you for a pink purse or a jeweled clutch. Just buy something that matches most of your outfits. Most branded bags are gender neutral. Or, you know, if you want something girly and floral, go for it, man. Who looks dumber, you or someone who doesn’t care what color bag you put your iPad in?
Calling it a wallet may seem silly and performative at first. But as our culture gradually overcomes centuries of panic over gender roles, this word will sound normal. Because in the end it is.