Most men carry more than they expect to when they leave the house. Laptop, gym kit, lunch, a jacket when the weather turns. A tote is often the most sensible answer to that problem, but the category has a reputation for looking like an afterthought. Either cheap and crumpled or expensive for no obvious reason. What we were looking for here were bags that hold their structure, use materials that age properly rather than peeling after six months, and carry themselves well enough that they look considered rather than convenient. Canvas with reinforced stitching. Vegetable tanned leather handles that darken with use. Proportions that work on a shoulder without swamping a frame. None of these require a mortgage. That is rather the point. The tote bag is one of the most practical things a man can carry and there is no reason it should look like it was grabbed at a conference registration desk.