A few years ago, your average British man wouldn't be caught dead with a handbag. Nowadays, every Tom, Dick and Harry is carrying some sort of tote or fashion satchel.

It is tiny, made from cream leather and has short brown straps. It bobs coyly up and down on the right shoulder of a man. A man's man, too, wearing a suit, serious and confident. There's another one, this time a vintage-style distressed leather messenger bag, sported by a trendy-looking student. A man in his early forties carries one at his side. It is sleek, black and businesslike but too small for a briefcase. And there is a tourist, wearing a leather pouch bag with a multitude of pockets across the body. Man alive! London is alive with manbags.

Following in the footsteps of David Beckham, Jose Mourinho, Jude Law who saunter around town clutching creations by the likes of Louis Vuitton and Prada, men of all shapes and sizes can now be seen sporting stylish, leather messengers or grab bags. The manbag has gone mainstream. As with most fashion movements, gay men lead the way and have indeed played a vital role in bringing manbags to the masses. But the history of the manbag has taken many unexpected twists and turns. The worst thing about manbags is the name; still it is a lot better than taking the American word for handbag 'purse' and mixing it with 'man' to come up with 'murse'. The term 'manbag' was first popularised by Joey from the American TV Friends, although it had been common amongst fashionistas for a while before it reached the small screen. The episode The One With Joey's Bag centred around a series of jokes about Joey's enthusiasm for a unisex bag that to Ross and Chandler's mind resembled a ladies' handbag. Unfortunately for Joey, he was mocked by his friends and unfortunately for the manbag, the moral of the story was that if you carry a bag you will not be successful in a job interview. Joey loses out on a role at an audition because the casting director thinks he is a travelling salesman. Rachel consoles Joey and suggests that he is a man ahead of his time. And this proved to be true! Although many men are in denial about their manbags, they are manbags nevertheless. They are not glittery little clutches or oversized tassel-adorned hobos. They are bags for men that combine style with practicality. They are more casual than briefcases but far more stylish and sophisticated than rucksacks. It is likely that the British man has found it difficult to come to terms with the concept of manbags as a result of their European forbearers. The French and Italians have long carried small, smart leather bags for money, keys, phones and other valuables. They have recognised the advantages of carrying a neat and compact bag as opposed to a heavy briefcase or scruffy rucksack and in no way do they see them as effeminate or silly. However, as many fashion industry experts have pointed out, many trends such as city shorts and flip-flops were mainstream on the continent long before the made it across the channel to the British Isles.