Case against man-bags (CRI) Updated: 2006-05-31 16:41
You've seen them around... tucked beneath the arms of businessmen and
clutched casually in the hands of big spenders. It's bigger than a wallet but
smaller than a brief case... yes, it's the man bag. Usually brown or black, and
made of snakeskin or leather, these man bags are all the rage among Chinese men,
with the accessory now making its way into the international fashion scene.
Every few years or so there is an attempt by the fashion industry to
persuade men that what is lacking from their lives is a handbag. The latest
efforts have been dubbed man-bags, a term which sounds oddly testicular and
that's will never sound attractive.
Various celebrities have been photographed carrying Mulberry or Louis Vuitton
man-bags and it seems it's even possible they paid for them themselves. The
idea, of course, is that other men who are not famous will see well-known
footballers and actors sporting their man-bags and will then want to fork out an
exorbitant sum to get one for themselves.
Well, that's how it usually works, and with phenomenal success, in the world
of women's fashion. But I don't think the male consumer is quite so easily
bagged. First of all an example for all men out there, if you see a snapshot of
David Beckham carrying a Louis Vuitton clutch bag, I would hope your first
reaction is not to gasp with envy and immediately run to your local mall to
purchase that very bag.
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