The Humble Men’s Briefcase Undergoes A Luxe Metamorphosis

Yesterday was the day of the briefcase. I mean, the Finance Minister’s briefcase, the contents of which were eagerly lapped up by the whole nation, though perhaps with lukewarm response. The British budget papers too were historically held in a red briefcase; perhaps that explains where we adapted the same for our budget sessions. In fact the very term ‘budget’ finds its roots in Latin and Irish words that mean ‘leather bag’. According to this source, the ancestors of the briefcase can be traced back to 1st-3rd centuries A.D. The briefcase has hence proved to be quite resilient, withstanding the test of almost 20 centuries!

Photo Courtesy: Guruprasad.net

That got me thinking about this humble bag that I have seen my Dad and my friends’ Dads carry to their workplace all through my childhood. And honestly, the ‘office’ came to be associated with something boring as the briefcase was rather lackluster in those days with equally lifeless colors (not to mention the ‘office’ keeping my Dad away from home for most of the day!).

Fast-forward to the present day and now we find a quirky, fun, modern or luxurious twist to anything and everything. The briefcase, thankfully, has not been spared either and has been mostly given a luxurious transformation, what with exotic leather skins such as the Ostritch. With such a plush makeover, the briefcase radiates more power than ever before. We’ve rounded up the sleekest briefcases available to us today that are also functionally optimal for official purposes. Personally, I’d recommend a portfolio/messenger bag for my man simply for the additional shoulder strap that makes it much more practical. But then we all have our own reasons for sticking to a few particular choices. If that’s the case and you must have a briefcase, do check out the listed options. And some of these do come with a cross-body strap. The major differentiation then would be that the briefcase is more rigid, structured and austere than a messenger bag. The rigid structure is much helpful when important business documents need to be stored without the risk of crumpling. Shape-wise, the briefcase resembles a miniature suitcase whereas the messenger is usually characterized by a broad flap.

Let’s get started with out list; click on the image to be taken to the purchase page. These are not affiliate links.

1. Nappa Dori

INR 13,500

2. Kosher

INR 9,097 (After 30% Discount)

3. Da Milano

INR 21,999

4. Adamis

INR 15,750

5. LeatherTalks

INR 4,995

6. Taws

INR 6,949

7. Bosa Leather

INR 5,947 (After a 30% Discount)