My MANy Bags News #67

Below: A digitally retouched image (by muah!) of Daniel Craig carrying a Balenciaga Giant Part Time (proportions are inaccurate. Weekender is better for a macho hunk like him. Part time is too small!). I choose officier colour for him...I think he is the blue kinda guy:-P

Guys Just Love Bags! So Does Daniel Craig...

This is an interesting article (believe it at your own discretion:-) on how Man Bags are getting into the lives of stylish men in UK, with celebrities like Daniel Craig (Oh my!!!) and David Beckham affirming the trend.

I cannot believe what I am reading when it is being reported that ultra sexy, masculine, hunky Daniel Craig bought a Balenciaga Giant Hardware (not just the regular hardware!) PT bag? Is it for himself? Of all guys, Daniel Craig and Balenciaga?!?!?!

Read the article below:

Why more men are opting to carry a manbag
Jan 24 2009 By Maria Croce

FOOTBALL star David Beckham and James Bond actor Daniel Craig own one, but now it seems an increasing number of guys are opting for manbags.

Research from insurance company MORE THAN has revealed British men are now more metrosexual than ever. And a staggering 18.4million adult males - which is around eight in 10 - now admit to carrying a manbag around with them.

Women pack a variety of items in their handbags, from lippy and perfume, to purses and mobile phones.

Those with children can always unearth some crayons, sweets and perhaps babywipes lurking deep down.

But now men are getting in on the act and a surprising 4.5million - one in five - males admit to carrying grooming products such as moisturiser, hairwax and even “guy-liner”.

And despite the usual macho image of Scots males, Edinburgh came out top for the place where men are most likely to carry skin and hair products with them.

This will probably come as something of a surprise to the many men who still stuff keys and cash into their pockets and don’t see the need for any kind of bag - apart from the occasional use of a rucksack.

But manbags are now viewed as much more acceptable.

They’re not as stuffy as a briefcase and, for the real fashion-conscious male, they can make a style statement.

Gone are the days of the battered sports bag, today’s Brits are now more likely to opt for a satchel.

The average male now spends about £92 on a designer bag but the value, including the contents, comes out on average at more than £650.

Style Spy on GQ.com talks about fashionable bags for men, but is against the term manbag.

Jamie Millar, from Style Spy, said: “What, one asks, did men do before the invention of the manbag - wander about the place with armfuls of stuff? No. There were simply bags, some of which are made for men.”

A Style Spy section highlighted a number of designer bags for men from Harvey Nichols. And with tough guy rappers and James Bond buying bags, you certainly couldn’t accuse them of being too girly.

James Bond star Daniel Craig apparently picked up a Balenciaga Giant PT bag worth £990.

Billionaire Boys Club is the label of Pharrell Williams and popular with hip-hoppers from Jay-Z to P Diddy. The label produced a Diamonds and Dollars bag worth £185.

Rap superstar Kanye West opted for a pony-skin bag from Lanvin worth £1305.

The report also revealed that fashion conscious Brits need to be increasingly on their guard when out and about, as higher bag values - among both men and women - are proving an increasingly tempting target for thieves.

One in 10 Brits say they’ve suffered a bag theft, with the UK carrying a total of £25.2billion in belongings around with them on a daily basis.

But four in five of us report we aren’t adequately insured when we leave the house.

Pete Markey from MORE THAN said: “It’s clear that so-called metrosexuality is no longer just a London trend, and is now a truly nationwide phenomenon. “Male celebrities have increasingly been photographed carrying manbags, reducing the stigma for the rest of us. “But we can’t afford to be complacent against the threat of bag snatchers, as this research proves we’ve got a lot to lose. “British men around the country are now starting to take their appearance, and accessories, as seriously as their female counterparts do. “We could be entering the age of Barry, rather than Carrie, Bradshaw.”

However, it remains to be seen whether men will follow Sex And The City’s lead by matching their shoes to their manbags.

MATT KIRK MANBAG OWNER

SOFTWEAR engineer Matt Kirk now has even more use for his manbag since his one-year-old son Thomas arrived.

Matt, 33, uses his bag for baby items as well as his own belongings.

He lives in Edinburgh with his wife Madeleine, 34, an IT consultant, and was given the satchel a few years ago.

“My friend gave it to me because she thought I’d like it,” he explained. “Initially I thought, ‘What am I going to do with that?’ But it’s actually quite useful. And since becoming a parent I’ve been carrying around even more things in it.”

Matt’s bag usually contains hair wax, moisturiser, deodorant, sunglasses, baby wipes and nappies.

He said: “Everything just goes in my bag. I just put my moisturiser in there and it ended up staying. It’s useful for handcream because I’m washing my hands all the time because of changing nappies. “Before my son was born, I didn’t use it quite as often, but I’d still carry around my iPod and a book. It’s like a briefcase - but not as stuffy. I got teased by my mates when I first got it, but now they’ve got bags, too. “I see a lot of men about now with bags. I don’t think people think there’s anything unusual about it. “Personally I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on buying a bag.”

Matt also says it’s common for men to use hair and skin products. He added: “I’ve had moisturisers and products bought for me, so I use them.”

Source: Daily Record UK