To jog your memory, there was the hard plastic cased one called PRESIDENT that used a combination of numbers to open. Long before all these lap and hand-held devices and their enablers like Wi Fi and 3G networks, briefcases allowed men to work outside the confines of the office.
For the most part the briefcase was and remains an office on the go. But far from the convenience of holding a man's confidential stuff, the briefcase was more a sign of status, shouting out to whoever sees you that you have arrived.
As a businessman, no deal went down if you didn't come with a briefcase. After all, don't you agree that one is addressed the way they are dressed?
Briefcases today are hard to find and so is a man holding one. They are a suave masterpiece of an era when indeed men were men. A quick internet search on the briefcase takes you many places on fashion websites with glowing tributes on this accessory that was an embodiment of masculinity much as the spear was soon after the Stone Age.
Men affairs website, askmen.com, says the following about the briefcase:
"Briefcases have become such an ingrained part of our professional existence that we forget the prominent role they've played in the evolution of modern business. We also forget the major role they've played in the development of the modern businessman. Briefcases have always been functional pieces, allowing men to do the work they needed to get done.
The earliest forms were satchels designed for the transport of money. But as time progressed, so has the briefcase. It's continually adapted to meet the professional needs of businessmen. In the 1920s, the briefcase, as we know it, emerged in courtrooms everywhere. It's no longer its hard-cased self, though. Today's briefcases come in many forms, accommodate many careers and complement many different lifestyles."
Clearly, we have not seen the last of the briefcase. Like many functional things men hold, this too is evolving. The briefcase is like the watch, belt or tie because it has the ability to accentuate your look and project you as a ruthlessly meticulous 'corporato'.
And like everything we wear and hold, the briefcase demands care and pampering. The hard-case plastic one needs a wet cloth wiping on the surface every so often. The inside too will need a brush-up regularly; otherwise, it could be your next cockroach breeding ground. Woe unto you if some roaches emanated from your briefcase at a meeting.
The leather varieties will no doubt need a polishing shine. Effort must be made to keep them in shape by putting in just the right amount of stuff. You don't want your briefcase nicknamed 'stuffed turkey'.
So guys, rather than those untidy plastic folders, bulky rucksacks and worn khaki envelopes, let's get back to the classic briefcase--nothing takes you back in time in elegance as this.
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