Guys, would you carry a Murse?

Even if you wouldn’t, many men are starting to carry a male purse. While it still might be taboo for guys to carry a handbag, male purse sales show that it may soon be a norm. More and more men are buying men’s handbags, will you?

According to recent market research, there has been a 3 percent increase in men’s handbag sales from just one year ago. While 3 percent might not seem like a lot, when translated to dollars and cents it equals around $957 million in sales since last June. Sales that are closing in on $1 billion a year is just further proof that men want to carry handbags.

So what exactly counts as a male purse? If it’s a medium sized bag that typically has two top handles and looks like a manlier version of a girl’s bag, it’s a male purse. Totes are also considered part of the male purse category, and any bag really that holds a man’s things that he can’t fit in his pockets. With tablets, laptops, and other electronics becoming more common in everyday use, guys need somewhere to put them when they are on the go.

While it will probably be some time before the murse takes over backpacks as a man’s top choice for carrying things, the rise in murse sales does have significance. Backpacks can cause back sweat on those hot summer days, and the male purse just seems more convenient. The social stigma that says only women can use handbags could soon be a thing of the past.