Manbags and Gladrags!
Hello darlings!
So, I've decided to give my recent rantings and frustrations with the lack of fashion opportunity in this, the second city, a rest for a while. And this week I'm concentrating on a new subject....
MEN!
Men and style, and to be precise, the MANBAG!
Now, I'm pretty sure there was a time when the concept of a man carrying a handbag(!) would have been unheard of;
"What? A man with a handbag? Why that's absurd! Ridiculous! He'd have to be gay!"
For no real man would prance around with a handbag, right?
Aaaaaah. How times have changed!
This is the era of the 'Metrosexual Male' afterall: no longer is it just women who use face creams, body creams, pluck their eyebrows, wear make-up, claim their favourite pastime is shopping...
Nope, the male population is becoming just as vain and preened as us ladies. Moreso in some cases, and some are even wearing pointy shoes! ( OK so technically these are called winklepickers, and I actually do like these... on the right person).
Anyway. The 'manbag'. Apparently (according to research carried out by MORE THAN), 8 out of 10 men now confess to carrying a manbag. In actual figures that would be approximately 18.4 million men. Yes I said 18.4 MILLION MEN CARRY A HAND...sorry MANBAG!
And if the directors at new brand 'Manbag' (see what they did there? Very original...) have anything to do with it, that figure could be set to rise.
Hurrah! A solution to the lumpy pocket syndrome favoured previously by many a man, and a relief for the poor woman in his life who had to carry the other half of his stuff in her handbag because he had no pockets left...
On second thoughts... "darling, if you're carrying a lot of money or plastic in your wallet, maybe I'd best look after it for you. I wouldn't want you to lose it..." (I've just spotted a fabulous pair of brand new carvela shoes with my name written all over them... teehee)
OK. A little note to you macho types out there. Before you go spluttering "I'm not going to prance around with a handbag" - go check out the Manbag range.
Just to clear it up, they're not actually pretty pretty, delicate and effeminate little handbags. The former Osprey designers new brand of 'manbags' have ensured these designs are considerably masculine looking, and I for one would be quite impressed to see one of their range walking down the street on the arm of a gentleman.
So. Go and check them out. Give them a go - you won't be alone I assure you. In fact do go and buy one and let me know what you think!
Ladies - are you with me on this?
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Sarah Morris - the Sunday Mercury's resident fashionista: pulls no punches when it comes to style.
I love manbags I have about 4!!
I wasn't sure what kind of "man bags" you were referring to initially.
I think man bags have been around a long time, usually in the form of sports bags or record bags (even if you're not a DJ).
There's no shame in it, but to be fair, I think a tiny bag would look plainly silly on a guy and what would you use it for? Record bags at the way forward. Or satchels :)
Record bags are old hat Nick my boy! Satchels i can go with though. But it sounds like you haven't shopped around very much for different styles. Google manbags and have another look! I'm a fan of the old-school leather lok so I think something like that could definitely work. I'd even go as far as to say a giant battered leather clutch as a man bag could work!
@ Jaymeetee - you truly are a metrosexual male. Well done!
I'll let you into a shameless little secret... the places I shop at... I like to keep the carrier bags for future street cred, even if they just contain my smelly old sandwiches (can't beat free).
You could be earning tesco clubcard points on that Nick!
:o
Good work! Adding to my faves :)
www.somethingdesigner.co.uk