Adult men should carry mini tote bags! I used to be against them, thinking "It's a ladies' item..." but when I tried using one, it was just too good.

2024/08 HushTug Editorial Department

When walking down the street, have you ever seen a young man carrying a small handbag?

This is the mini tote bag, an item that has recently become popular among young people.

As a person in my 30s, I even thought that this mini tote was a bit feminine and weird, but after using it, I found it to be so great that I decided to review it.

Popular mini tote from "HushTug"

Let me introduce myself again. My name is Toda, and I am the representative of the leather brand HushTug.

It's in the middle of the photo

The products used this time are from HushTug, the leather brand he runs himself, so you might be thinking, "Is this just a promotional ad?" but let me ask you one thing.

To be honest, even though it is our own product , I am completely against mini tote bags.

The mini tote product was conceived by an employee in charge of product development, so my personal view of it was simply that it was "something that was popular among women."

This is an item that would never have been an option for me to use in my life.

We didn't even think it was something that men over 30 would use, but when we started selling it , we sold over 700 units in just a few months, and we also received a lot of positive reviews.

Naturally, the customers who buy from me are not all young people; most of them are in their 30s and 40s like me, and some are even older than 60 .

Until now, I thought of mini totes as "small bags for women only (lol)."

However, seeing how highly rated it was by people my age, my interest was stirred and I decided to actually give it a try.

To tell you the results, it was so great that I confronted the employee who recommended it to me, asking, "Why didn't you tell me about it earlier?"

From here, I'd like to introduce three reasons why I personally think mini totes are especially recommended for adult men .

1. Casual elegance. "A bag for grown men"

The first thing I felt was, surprisingly, that this is a bag that adult men like me, especially those of my generation who are active both at work and on their days off, should have.

・Carrying a laptop to work
・Go to a cafe on your day off with a book or tablet
・Going out with your girlfriend or wife

This is a situation that adults often find themselves in. When you want to carry bulky items like plastic bottles or books, but want to organize them smartly, a mini tote bag is the best choice.

Of course, it can't be carried over the shoulder, so one hand is occupied, but the lightness and comfort more than make up for that, and I was impressed.

In the past, I used to go out with a backpack, but even though I wasn't carrying anything particularly heavy, I often felt that it was too casual .

However, if you wanted a smarter style, your only option was a shoulder bag, like a tote.

Those bags had disadvantages, such as being too big and bulky, or fitting too close to the body and causing discomfort when you sweat, but so far I haven't noticed any of these disadvantages with mini totes.

2. The size is just right! "It fits perfectly on A4 size paper."

This depends on the brand and product, but in the case of mini totes, the size is just right.

When considering the various situations mentioned in ①, many similar products are unable to store A4-sized notebooks or paper, limiting the scenarios in which they can be used.

For example, it was extremely convenient because it was the perfect size to fit modern essentials such as a laptop , a 500ml plastic bottle , and a business book to pass the time .

Other popular compact bags include clutch bags, but I personally find leather mini totes with handles to be just the right amount of smart, and best of all, they are easy to carry without any stress.

3) It can be worn with any outfit. "A simple design in a good way."

Something I noticed while carrying it around myself, and also while reading customer reviews, is that mini totes can surprisingly be worn with any outfit .

I had the impression that these items did not go well with men's fashion simply because "they were used by women," but this mini tote, especially made from genuine leather, looks natural whether worn with sophisticated attire such as a jacket or casual clothing such as a T-shirt and jeans.

Casual backpacks and formal tote bags are only suitable for a certain outfit, but men's mini totes tend to be in muted colors like black or navy blue and are generally basic in shape, so they have a low profile in a good way and are surprisingly suitable for any outfit .

This might not suit such a person.

However, of course, there are some people for whom mini totes don't suit them .

These people are "people who always have a lot of things" and "people who don't like to adopt new fashion trends."

For example, a mini tote is a great item if you want to go out light and carry only your laptop, tablet and a few small items, but if you want to carry a lot of books and documents, or if you don't want your personal style to show in your outfit, it might be difficult to go out with a mini tote.

Also, the size of a typical mini tote is obviously smaller than a regular tote bag or backpack, so it may not be suitable for people who want to carry a lot of things without worrying about capacity.

People who feel that a backpack or tote bag is too big even though they only have a small amount of luggage will be able to use a mini tote comfortably , so if you're the type who wants to carry a lot of things with you because you're worried, I would recommend a bag with a larger capacity than a mini tote.

A mini tote recommended for beginners

Just as I was impressed by how comfortable a mini tote was when I used it for the first time, I would recommend the HushTug mini tote to anyone using a mini tote for the first time.

・The size is large for a mini tote ・Made of genuine leather for a luxurious feel ・Exceptional value for money for a genuine leather mini tote made in Japan

These are the three reasons why this will not disappoint as your first mini tote bag.

The size is also large for a mini tote.

The one on the left is a mini tote

Mini totes are generally small in size, but there is considerable variation in size among mini totes.

Some of the smaller ones are so small that they can only hold paperback books, so it is recommended to choose a mini tote bag of a certain size.

Made of genuine leather for a luxurious feel

Mini totes are often made from materials such as cotton or nylon, but they can give off a more casual impression and look cheap.

Of course, there are people who are fine with that, but a luxurious mini tote made from genuine leather can be used regardless of outfit or situation.

Considering its versatility, as it can be used not only for everyday outings but also on dates and formal occasions, you can't go wrong with genuine leather.

Exceptional value for money for a genuine leather mini tote bag made in Japan

Can be shared with a partner

The only drawback to genuine leather products is the high price.

If you actually look into it, you'll find that it's not uncommon to find a similar mini tote made from sturdy genuine leather selling for over 50,000 yen .

HushTug's mini totes were designed with cost-effectiveness in mind, based on customer feedback, so even though they are made in Japan and made from genuine leather, they can be purchased for less than 30,000 yen.

An unprecedented number of pre-orders for the first sale! Over 85% of the items are highly rated.

After developing the mini tote bag, we advertised it primarily to customers who had previously purchased the product . Within just a few days, over 200 people had made reservations, and most of them ended up buying one when it was released.

Furthermore, most of the reviews from customers who have purchased the product are highly rated, with over 85% giving it 4 stars or more .

Actual reviews
(You can slide it sideways)

Also, when we talk to our customers, they seem to be particularly satisfied with the "good value for money ."

Normally, products are produced in factories and then shipped through several other companies before reaching customers, but HushTug manages everything from production to sales in-house, allowing us to offer genuine leather at affordable prices.

What's more, it comes with peace of mind support that allows you to return or exchange the product free of charge for any reason within one month of purchase, no matter how much you use it .

HushTug products are not sold in department stores or shops, so they can basically only be purchased through our online store.

・I want to try a genuine leather mini tote, but I don't know if it will suit me...
・I'm worried about buying online in the first place because the product might be different from what I expected.

For such people, we would like to reiterate that "for any reason, no matter how much you use the product, you can return or exchange it free of charge within 30 days ."

With free returns, you can never go wrong, so if you're considering buying a mini tote, be sure to give it a try.