One of the questions many men have about fashion and style is whether you can wear a backpack with a suit. Such a combo is easy and comfortable, but many guys fear that they will look infantile and unprofessional and that, whenever they wear a suit (business or casual), they should carry a briefcase. In this guide, we answer this question and give you the tools you need to make sure you will always look and feel comfortable and stylish.
The context
The short and easy answer to this burning question is: yes, you can wear a backpack with a suit.
However, you should consider the context in which you want to wear this combo before wearing it. For example, if you work in the Financial District and want to wear a backpack for work every day, it probably isn’t a good idea to do so for several reasons. First of all, when you work in such an environment, you need to be able to project a professional image and wearing a backpack day in and day out will make others see you as someone who is interested only in passing by and not making a career. Needless to say, we don’t recommend wearing a backpack with a suit to a job interview: you need, as the saying goes, to dress for the job you want.
Secondly, wearing a backpack with a suit all the time will damage the fabric of the jacket, so you will have to get new suits all the time. A solution to this problem would be leaving your jacket at the office and putting it only when you arrive, but then we are back to the first issue. Not to mention you might have things in your jacket you need and don’t want to always move them from one place to another.
Other than that, you can actually wear a backpack with a suit anywhere. There is no reason why you should not: a backpack is practical, can carry your laptop and many other things, it will keep you standing well and balanced and your arms will be free, which will allow you to do more. Just watch out for people who might try to steal from your backpack.
So basically, if it’s not hurting your career or anything else, you can definitely wear a backpack with a suit as far as we’re concerned.
The backpack
However, if you decide to wear a backpack with a suit, you should definitely consider the backpack you wear. This should be in harmony with your suit. Leather backpacks and simple sporty ones are generally OK. Big, hiking and travel backpacks should not be worn with a suit. What are you doing: going glamping?
Also, linen backpacks tend not to look harmonious with a suit – we recommend avoiding this combination.
To conclude, we can say a backpack is a utilitarian and comfortable way to carry most things you need: from your laptop to a camera and even exchange clothes, even though we don’t recommend overstuffing your backpack. If you know how to mix it up with your suit and if your context allows you, there is no reason you should not go for a backpack and suit combination. It’s practical, youthful and comfortable, and that is what fashion is all about.
Pulling this combo off well will not only make you look good, but it will make you feel good as well, as, as we always say, when you look good, you have a better attitude and your confidence level grows and you therefore feel good as well!
Fraquoh and Franchomme
