For the past year and a half I’ve been largely working from home, so I forget what it’s like to commute with other fellow city-dwellers on public transportation in the rush periods. But the past few weeks I’ve been up and out early in the morning and was reminded of the all-to-common practice of men wearing backpacks with their suits.
The look is very unprofessional. Seeing a grown man walking to his office wearing a backpack that would be found in a high-school student’s locker strikes me as juvenile. The ballistic nylon, the tactical pouches, way-too many zippers and often-terrible color schemes look tacky on a guy who went through the trouble to wear a suit to make a favorable impression.
If you have items that need to be carried to and from work, then buy a briefcase. You can find them in almost any configuration to carry whatever you need and it will compliment your business attire. And there’s the added bonus you won’t be that guy who keeps his backpack on his shoulders while riding the crowded bus or train that hits everyone else in the face and takes up room (please, at least put it on the ground like gentleman).
And don’t think of this as being against all backpacks all the time. We’ve recommended backpacks in the past, but for more casual attire and situations. But if you’re going to the office, then leave them at home.
-Kiyoshi
(Image via primatage)