The Sexiest Bag You, a Man, Can Carry

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Not only is planning an entire trip for your partner one of the hottest things you, a man, can do, it’s even hotter when you’re traveling in style.

InsideHook travel editor Lindsay Rogers recently penned a piece on what is (and is not) acceptable to wear when traveling. (Think sweatpants that present as jeans and closed-toe shoes). However, while we have written style guides and lengthy roundups of the best travel products — from suitcases and Dopp kits to eye masks and neck pillows — we haven’t evaluated these items in terms of their sex appeal.

I type this as I am currently 30,000 feet in the air on a delayed plane headed for Dallas, where I may or may not make my connecting flight to Mexico. So, instead of anxiously worrying about the potential headache of rebooking the flight — and the fear of spending an unknown amount of extra hours, and money, drinking at the airport bar, I am thinking about the type of luggage that turns me on.

I’ve always had a somewhat strange attraction to the type of baggage men carry, and I’m quite fond of leather Dopp kits, crisp passport holders and monogrammed duffel bags.

There’s something admirable about a man who takes stock of his appearance and accessories while jetsetting. It’s easy to throw everything in a Jansport backpack and get on your way, so the attention to the quality and design of your travel essentials is impressive. A leather weekender bag or a passport holder engraved with your initials are both easy travel upgrades that make all the difference.

Now, I know there are a handful of extremely popular and essential travel items that aren’t exactly titillating (say, neck pillows and compression socks). Plus, everyone travels with a hardshell suitcase these days, including me.

Most of us have purchased these polycarbonate suitcases because we believed they could withstand the baggage handlers with even the heaviest of hands (although, as InsideHook editor-in-chief Mike Conklin examined a couple of weeks ago in his Friday newsletter, are these hardshell suitcases actually that more durable than their soft-sided counterparts?). These bags also, admittedly, boast a modern, sleek design that isn’t entirely offensive.

Still, hardshell suitcases are monotonous, rigid and devoid of any personality (aside from the color you choose). I think if a hardshell suitcase were a man, he’d be stiff and a little too buttoned-up for my taste. He’d probably never stray from his Sweetgreen order. Plus, you typically have to replace them every two or three years due to scuffs and dents. Hey, they come and they go.

Rather, if a leather bag anthropomorphized into a man, I’d want to sit next to him on a long-haul flight. I’d imagine he’d be one of those guys who enters the plane with his sunglasses on and offers to put my carry-on in the overhead bin without me even asking. I also imagine that, in the face of a calamity as severe as missing a connecting flight, he would act cool, calm and collected. He’s a worldly guy, knows a thing or two about airline operations, and if he has to camp out in Texas for a night, it’s all part of the adventure (but he has confidence the plane will catch a tailwind and propel us to our destination on time). A soft, supple leather weekender would put me at ease.

Now, you might be thinking, “The altitude is totally getting to this lady’s head.” And yes, yes it is. So while I eat my complimentary Biscoff, I will leave you with a few sexy travel items I think every jetsetting man should be hauling around.

Here’s hoping I don’t have to spend the night in the airport, but if I do, I pray it’s surrounded by delicious leather goods and handsome baggage.

Meet your guide

Logan Mahan

InsideHook’s Commerce Editor, Logan Mahan joined the team in 2019 and has had many roles since. She coined a recurring series at InsideHook called Take It From a Woman, where she offers InsideHook’s male readers style, dating and gifting advice from the perspective of a woman. She’s also an expert on all things women’s gifting spanning across multiple product categories: style, beauty, fitness and wellness, home and kitchen.