Never underestimate the potency of the accessory. Work, weekends, working out – bags are no longer an afterthought.

These days, the long-overlooked accessory has become a finishing touch to any outfit, just as shoes or cufflinks have in the past.

Whether it is for your gym kit, or personal office, the days where the modern gent could easily fit his life in the back pocket of his favourite jeans are done.

This season, it’s back to the most refined of basics. Form the core of you Autumn/winter wardrobe with classic, practical staples that can be dressed up or down for multifunctional style.

In the early ’00s, the messenger bag was seen slung across the shoulders of fashion-forward gents. These early styles were often unstructured, casual and completely out of place for today’s more style-conscious and detail-driven man.

Here in Australia, although the messenger bag is still popular, day bags or folios are also growing in preference. Corporates used to carry a briefcase and a carry-on bag for travel, now we see many more varieties such as smaller duffle bags and document holders.

Most major accessories brands now offer a broad range of sophisticated choices in a variety of styles. Mr. Porter is a pioneering example that not only offer briefcases and backpacks, have an additional six categories to choose from.

Streamlined elegance.

The other noticeable movement is towards the slim. The three-piece suit looks much more polished sporting a sleek tote, folio or leather duffle bag.

Say bye bye bulky bags, as our tech gets thinner by the update, it is all about thin, lightweight, functional man-bags, with the luxury-end of the market delivering a range of stylishly slick options that are no less capable than their chunky counterparts.

So what are the core staples for the modern man’s wardrobe?

The murse

You may laugh, but the muse is everything the practical man appreciates. Hold your phone, keys, cash, coins and any running around essential in one streamlined pouch to grab and go between meetings.

The slimline folio for the boardroom

Designed to hold its own, the folio or document holder, demands court in the boardroom, adding functional elegance to your everyday attire.

See our Hills & West business folio, crafted in black and whiskey, to match your accessory preference, holds your slimline laptops, notebook, phone cardholder, keys and earphones in practical style.

The modern messenger

This modern bag is designed around the functional form of the traditional messenger bag however using premium leather materials that only gain character with age.

The 24-hour bag

It is important that accessories serve a purpose, above and beyond their aesthetics. Easy, versatile and sophisticated day bags, that work equally well for last–minute weekend trips, should be a wardrobe essential.

Men want to keep it clean

An important element to pulling off the luxury look, aside from an attainable price point, is keeping it understated. Keep designs functional, refined, of the highest quality and keep the branding to a minimum. Less is more when it comes to investment pieces.

Last year, men’s bags accounted for $2.3 billion in sales in the US, making up nearly one quarter of total sales in the accessories market.

As men become more appreciative of the finer details that make for successful style, it makes no sense to ruin all that hard work by dragging around a beaten up backpack or free-with-membership gym bag. The high-end accessories are an inevitable evolution for the modern man with style.

For more perfect examples of the man bag check out Benson & Morgan who featured our post.