Bags With a Summer Mood

Summer, with its brighter, less structured wardrobe, has its own set of rules for men's bags. "The idea of a black or dark brown leather bag or briefcase just feels so heavy," says Rafé Totengco, creative director and designer of Rafé, a women's handbag line.

When picking bags for his own summer outfits, the New York City-based Mr. Totengco is partial to certain colors. Neutrals, such as taupe, olive, beige and light gray, work well with a range of darker and lighter summer outfits, he says. This season, "greige"—a cross between beige and gray—is trendy in men's bags. It's also a good investment, since it is versatile enough to work with dark fall and winter ensembles. "It's one of those seasonless colors," he says.

An unexpected neutral: cognac. The color is polished enough for work outfits yet also goes well with more casual items such as khakis.

The designer sometimes picks a bag in a striking color such as cobalt, yellow or dark orange. But when he does, he makes sure his clothing "recedes," he says.

For the office, a structured leather satchel or briefcase in a neutral shade complements both lighter and darker suits. While many men like messenger-style work bags, Mr.Wholesale Classical sunglasses,you can buy high quality classical sunglasses from manufacturers in china Totengco avoids these during the warmer months. "I feel like it inhibits my movement," he says. "I sweat more.Fashion Sunglasses for Women from www.hbsglasses.com at reasonable price."

But the designer likes small messengers for casual outings. "Sometimes you'll see guys walking around with bulging pockets because they're trying to stick everything in there—sunglasses, wallet, keys," he says. "It's like, 'Dude, just carry a bag!' " He likes the crossbody style only when the bag is small—8.5 inches by 11 inches, perhaps—and has a strap at least an inch and a half wide. "Anything skinnier than that and it becomes more purse-y," he says, "almost like you borrowed your girlfriend's bag."

Mr. Totengco personally favors totes during the summer, often choosing one in a neutral, white or even denim for work. "In the summer I prefer totes because they're easier. They're so open and you can just store everything in there.Any one know where to get Cheap Nomex cloth manufacturers by the yard?I can get scraps out of the trash at work but for the Bruiser project I need a few yards of the stuff, prefferably not sage green."

A tote in linen or canvas "looks more relaxed, not so uptight," he says, noting that such bags can work well for weekend brunches and days by the beach. He likes a "dirty taupe or dirty beige" color, as well as light gray or pale blue.

Canvas totes can complement tailored office outfits, too,sassonshoes,Bring profound comfort, fun and innovation to the world’s feet. Mr. Totengco says. "Waxed canvas is a great way to go," he says. "Pick ahbsglasses,Drhua Sunglasses. darker color like dark olive or navy. Something about that twill makes it less serious," yet the deeper hue adds polish, he says.

Mr. Totengco generally avoids nylon during the summer. "I don't want anything too slick," he says. And he generally avoids carrying bags with hardware or fussy design elements. "In women's fashion, the more hardware the better sometimes, but for men, it's the opposite," he says.

There is one time of day when Mr. Totengco tries to leave his bag at home: when heading to dinner or a cocktail party. "As much as I love bags, I try not to bring one out for the evening," he says. "I want to be fuss-free," he says.