Written by Abi Tottenham Smith in Trends on the 27th November 2014

Photography by Craig Landale

The man bag - something we have all come to terms with and accepted as a wardrobe staple in a man's everyday life. However, no longer is a man bag just a man bag... they are getting cooler and classier with more outlandish and stylish designs cropping up each month. 

'As men are starting to get more experimental with their accessories, the man bag is continuously evolving'

No longer is the man bag purely for carting round your daily essentials, it is something you can build your outfit around or wear as a way to succinctly round off a look.

The number one hot new trend has to be the 'granny shopping trolley'. A cross between a holdall and a suitcase, the new trend is for dragging around your luggage. 

Practical and stylish, the granny trolley is no longer associated with the former. A stylish, leather bag on a simple metal frame is the way to travel in style. Plus, no more back-breaking carrying of shopping - no wonder grannies love them!

Secondly, the man clutch is going from strength to strength. Not necessarily about function, these streamlined bags coerce you to simplify your life, as there is no room for much more than a tablet, pen and your car keys - but they definitely pay off in the style stakes. 

They make a clean, streamlined statement and finish off a look perfectly. With a man clutch, the simpler the better. There is nothing smarter than a basic black leather pouch to bring your outfit together.

Finally, the backpack. Previously considered a 100% functional item with absolutely no fashion credits, the backpack has evolved to be firmly rooted on the menswear map. The backpack epitomises the definition of "fashion meets function" with the new wave of backpacks building on the work of their predecessors. 

More practical than a holdall but with all the fashion credentials and almost all the smart points, the leather backpack is the way forward.

Brands such as Cherchbi, Montblanc, and Mulberry have some stunning designs, which will make you look at backpacks in a whole new light. All in all, man bags are here to stay with more and more great designs and styles coming into the mainstream constantly. What's your favourite type of man bag?

In this guide to men's bags we take a look at bags for men and 2014 bag trends. Dubbed Man Bag 2.0, we cover everything you need to know.