» What is it: A faux-leather bag, 51⁄2 inches square, that clips to belt loops or to a provided waist strap that fits 24 to 45 inches around.

» The good: For those who don’t want to wear a fanny pack that screams tourist, this is a smaller, stylish alternative for carrying keys, phone, MP3 player, cash, cards and, yes, a passport, which fits perfectly zipped inside the main compartment or in the back sleeve. The larger of two small zippered compartments in front would make a handy cash stash.

The bag would be especially nice for hands-free shopping excursions, dinner on the town or simply carrying all the things you tend to lose track of while navigating airports.

Though it’s attractive enough to display, a blazer would cover it. Hipzbag markets heavily to women, but the brown and black passport bags are no compromise to masculinity. The "polyurethane leatheroid" made me think it was leather. It even seemed to smell like it.

» The bad: The smaller zipper compartment is very tiny. I’m not sure what it would be used for other than vitamins or Dramamine.

» Cost: $28

» Available from: hipzbag.com

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