Tuesday, March 30, 2010

manbag goes mainstream

jcpbag The JCPenney advertising flyer inserted in Sunday’s newspaper here included a male modeling a suit, while carrying a “manbag,” the manly name for a male purse (see photo right).

It is the first time I can recall a manbag being shown by a mainstream retailer. It is another milestone in the feminization of male fashions.

JCPenney is not selling manbags, yet. The store probably assumes that males wanting to buy purses can find them in the women’s department along with other femmed-menswear ("femmenswear") not yet stocked in the men’s department.

3 comments:

  1. I think it's rather another step in the laptopization of men's fashions. Until men are sporting lipstick, dresses and breast implants (the girly kind) I thin it's a bit early to declare the great shift under way.

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  2. Anonymous above is right. That is a laptop case. I think this is just wishful, and not very realistic, thinking on your part.

    Back in the seventies, designers attempted to market pants without pockets, necessitating men to carry a bag. The concept failed miserably. I wouldn't buy pants without pockets. I have my keys and pocket knife in one front pocket, my change in the other and my wallet in the back pocket. I just won't carry any more items that can comfortably fit in pants pockets.

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  3. One still sees the "man with a purse" played for laughs. There's an ad for Progressive Insurance:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRecos7TcA0

    "It's a European shoulder bag."

    Whatever, dude.

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