A Slew of Sling Bag Styles

How would you design a sling bag?

After making Miko Craft's Eggsy Shoulder Bag as a birthday present for hubby, I was intrigued by what other styles of sling bags are currently out there, in terms of sewing patterns. If you were to make a bag for the men in your life, what would they want?

Of particular interest to me are thinner designs (to be worn closer against the body) that might appeal more to guys not used to carrying such an item.

Let's establish what exactly I'm talking about. A sling bag to me is something that can be slung over your shoulder and worn as a handsfree bag.

A single strap mini backpack qualifies in this discussion, as do those absolutely horrible – my personal opinion only; you may love them and more power to you if that's the case – "bum bags" or "hip packs" that people have stopped carrying around their waist and instead are draping them unattractively – again, my personal opinion only – against their chest.

Perhaps we should call these "boob bags."

Shown here is an example. By no means am I critiquing this designer's (AllSewPetite) creation. It looks to be a perfectly well constructed item – albeit rather large – but as I am just not a fan of the style or how they're commonly being "worn," I shall not cover similar bags in this discussion.

(By the way, unless indicated otherwise, all of the images shown here were taken from listings on Etsy. I've endeavoured to include the information for the designers in the screen grabs, so if you're interested in the patterns, you can go search for them.)

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Before I start, let me clarify that I have no experience with the work of any of these designers except for the last one. The patterns I'm featuring here are not endorsements; they just happen to have drawn my attention for the purposes of writing up this blog post.

Four for Da Dudes

These first few bags have a distinct masculine vibe. They vary quite a bit in size, however, and while I can't speak for all guys, I know my guy prefers a more compact "murse" — ha, ha!

This canvas one (by ProperFit) appears to be the biggest (at 19.5" x 11"). It sports two smallish pockets on the front, one that closes with snaps and the other with a zipper (that pocket actually has an opening behind it that can hold something, but it wouldn't be very secure). The larger zipper facilitates access into the main compartment, which has a slip pocket inside to store a tablet or something similar.

There is a YouTube video accompanying this pattern that can be freely accessed.

While this bag certainly looks sporty, I'm not sure those two pockets on top would be the most useful for hubby.  And of course, he'd like the whole thing to be way smaller.

These next two designs are by HeavyBoyPattern; the designer is Russian. (The brand doesn't really show up on a basic Google search, so if you're interested, you should go directly to Etsy and look it up there.) The pattern consists simply of the templates and a YouTube video. I was able to view the video for free, so if the designs appeal to you, you can evaluate the sewing process before buying, which is certainly advantageous.

The first one here is a leather sling, with a zippered 3D pocket on top. (Is there an actual name for this type of pocket that I don't know about? Enlighten me, please.) Two other zippers provide access to the main compartment and to a flat pocket on the front panel.

It's not as big as the first one, but still not small. I personally love the oval shape. Speaking of shape...

This vinyl bag by the same designer is an upside down oval. (And truth be told, it looks somewhat odd to me; I'd want to orient it the other way.) From what I gathered on the video, it seems to have just one big central cavity (with a slip pocket inside) accessed through the zipper. I don't think the front seam area (the black panel) is an open slip pocket, despite its appearance.

I believe this one is smaller than previous one by the same designer.

Fourth up on the list is this leather sling by Goatro. (As with the other patterns, a freely accessible YouTube video is the only source of instructions available.)

I want to highlight this one specifically because it has that "tab" detailing on the front. While I think the secured tab was unique when it first appeared and is still stylish as a design feature, in actual use, it would aggravate me to no end. (Again, my personal opinion only.) To have to snap, unbuckle, twist or undo that closure to get to that part of the bag – which includes not just the open section, but also the zippered pocket – is a huge inconvenience that I wouldn't want to deal with.

I would strongly recommend, before choosing to make a sling bag that incorporates this feature, to consider whether the end user is a "style" person or a "practical" person.

Four Thin Ones for Anyone

These next sling bags all have an intriguing style element that would be handy for travel: they're all fairly flat. Unisex by design, these can be worn underneath jackets for the utmost in security. And as for wearing a bag across the chest, at least with these versions, they're thinner and will not create as much additional bulk.

This rectangular sling is a compact choice. At 11.5" x 6.5", it will allow someone to carry just the essentials in two compartments. The pocket on the front is limited to holding flat items, but the main pocket looks to be somewhat "gusseted" to store more. (Both are zippered.)

The strap attachment along the bottom of the bag can be clipped to either corner, making it easy to switch for lefties or righties. Made up in appropriate fabrics, this would work well for all ages and sexes.

Oh, and like the others, this pattern is templates and video instruction only. (Am I seeing a pattern here??)

Let me freely admit that the rectangular shape of the last bag isn't my fave.

This next one is definitely not a rectangle, but the item itself is categorized as a embroidery machine pattern. I'm including it here to show the creative possibilities. For those among us who are capable of drafting our own patterns for something simple like this, cutting fabric into a stylized triangle is not a big deal. 

This particular design appears to have two storage areas: a zippered main compartment and a flapped pocket on the front. (Unfortunately, the listing's main photo here was a poor choice to showcase the design; due to the busy fabric, you really can't see the flapped pocket.)

Design number three is working for me: it's got an asymmetrical, angular, yet rounded shape. (It's meant to conjure up a bottle.) It looks to be thin enough to be worn against the body – front or back – without creating undesirable bulk.

This one has three pockets: the zippered one that you see on the front, the open, sloped slip pocket above it and another zippered one on the back. Finished size is 6" x 14".

Ideal for tucking valuables away under a jacket when traveling, or just for everyday use for folks who may not otherwise have pockets for their phones and credit cards. The D-ring along the side is meant for clipping keys. (I would suggest that my lanyard-like wallet would be a good add-on there, so it can be tossed inside the open pocket and kept more securely.)

Unlike the others, this pattern provides written instructions (with photos) only.

Sling bag number four in this category is another "made for traveling" candidate. It appears also to fit underneath jackets discreetly without being bulky. It finishes at 9" x 12.75" and can be carried in various ways, including as a traditional shoulder bag.

From what I can see, it has three pockets. Two are accessible from the front: the one with a snap tab closure is designed for a phone. A zipper along the side on the back provides access to the main central compartment.

Pattern includes instructions and templates only. While she doesn't have an accompanying video, she makes mention of a YouTube video done by someone else that could be helpful.

Personally, I would love to see a small sling bag that combines the added storage capacity of the first (the rectangular one that has a gusseted main compartment) with a more intriguing shape like the others. Three pockets – one accessed from the front, one main and one against the back – would be ideal.

Wait... am I looking for something similar to my own crossbody sling bag??

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Many years ago, I made the Summit Pack sling bag that was quite a popular pattern. Don't know if anyone made it for the men in their lives (my hubby said it was too big), but here's a similar one that caught my eye while I was putting together the above list.

This is a newer pattern from Sara at Sew Sweetness, (whose free Oriole bag I made back in 2019). At 7" x 15" – with varying depth depending on how you make it – it's still probably on the "too big" side, but it looks fantastic and has the minimal three pockets that I'd like in a sling bag. (There is one on the back.)

One last opinion that I must express... this is an example of a test bag that's been made with the "right" fabric. I know we all have different tastes when it comes to fabric, but there are times when I wonder what the thought process was, when I see samples made out of – seemingly – bargain basement materials. It's one thing if the project is an upcycling effort, but designers with an actual intention to sell patterns should always showcase their work with the best fabrics available.

Before I go, I want to acknowledge that everything I've featured so far are paid patterns. Can't just ignore the other side, so here are some freebie sling bag projects that you can find on YouTube.

images courtesy of YouTube...

The above projects are from the following channels respectively: Shooka Leather, Tendersmile Handmade and SewingTimes. That first one provides a full set of templates, so it's a great opportunity to use them to make your own fabric version if you're so inclined.

To end this post on the same note as it began, one other sling that I want to single out is the Wakasa from Miko Craft. It's described as a men's crossbody, but with appropriate fabrics, it's very much unisex in design. As usual, he provides all required templates and his instructions are great.

image courtesy of YouTube (Miko Craft)...

I hope you enjoyed seeing the variety of sling bags in this post. If you have any strong opinions about them – or if you have design thoughts of your own and want to throw out suggestions – let me know!

'Til next... 🇨🇦🍁