A messenger bag (also called a courier bag) is a type of

sack A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), ...

, usually made of

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...

(natural or synthetic). It is worn over one shoulder with a strap that goes across the chest resting the bag on the lower back. While messenger bags are sometimes used by

courier A courier is a person or organization that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are ...

s, they are now also an urban fashion

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

. Some types of messenger bags are called carryalls. A smaller version is often called a sling bag.

History

This design of bag has been used in the transportation of

mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letter (message), letters, and parcel (package), parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid ...

and

good In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil. The specific meaning and etymology of the term and its ...

s by numerous types of messengers, including Pony Express riders, postal workers, messengers on foot (especially in ancient times), and

bicycle courier Bicycle messengers (also known as bike or cycle couriers) are people who work for courier companies (also known as messenger companies) carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business dist ...

s. Some

Royal Mail Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...

carriers currently use large messenger bags to deliver mail in lieu of a postbag. Pre-dating today's messenger bags described herein as specifically for bicycle messengers, fashion brands had been creating "messenger style" bags modelled after military map case bags and document pouches featuring a shoulder strap intended for wear across the chest for over a century.

Use

Similar in function to backpacks, messenger bags ensure comfort for people carrying heavy and/or bulky items, while allowing easy access to the contents. They typically incorporate features that make them suitable for cycling. Such features may include fittings for easy adjustment of the shoulder strap, quick release buckles, an adjustable hinged buckle on the strap, and the ability to attach accessories, such as lights, phone holsters, or U-locks. The top-opening one-strap design allows messenger bags to be easily swung around front so that their contents can be accessed without removing the bag. A true messenger bag includes a second, thinner, stabilising strap that is fastened either around the rider's waist or diagonally across the chest. Without a stabilising strap, the bag tends to swing around to the rider's front, making pedalling difficult. Messenger bags are often used as a

fashion accessory In fashion, an accessory is an item used to contribute, in a secondary manner, to an individual's outfit. Accessories are often chosen to complete an outfit and complement the wearer's look. They have the capacity to further express an individua ...

. Messenger bags have become fashionable in urban environments, among students, cyclists and

commuter Commuting is periodically recurring travel between a place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regular o ...

s. Many

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

and high-school students and bicycle commuters use them for fashionable and functional purposes. Many companies design messenger bags specifically for the collegiate market. Compared to a backpack, it is easier to place and remove text-books, notebooks and supplies from a messenger bag because they can be easily shifted to the side of the body, providing better accessibility. Messenger bags provide more weather resistance than leather

satchel A satchel is a bag with a strap, traditionally used for carrying books.Satchel
The Cambridge Dictionary. ...

-style school bags.

Construction

Materials used in messenger bags are often more durable and water-resistant than other over-the-shoulder bags. Contemporary bags use thicker gauges of waxed

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...

and tarp shielding for the inner waterproof lining. Other materials include ballistic nylon, vinyl waterproof tarpaulin lining used to make the bag waterproof. The liner provides the support structure for the bag; this keeps the bag from falling over on itself. Some companies eschew the standard PVC waterproof lining for compounds such as thermoplastic polyurethanes, which are more expensive, more durable, more environmentally friendly, and less volatile.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Messenger Bag Bags (fashion) Luggage

History

Use

Construction

See also

References