|
Lynx fans
watching the WNBA finals might have noticed a certain
accoutrement toted by rapper Lil Wayne. If it looked
suspiciously like a purse, that’s because it was.
The “murse,”
or man purse, might not sound like something that
masculine types would even consider, but it’s proving
popular among not only celebrities but stylish
Minnesotans of a certain age.
“Young
guys like that kind of stuff, and the fact that other
people notice what they’re carrying,” said Anthony
Andler, who owns Heimie’s Haberdashery in St. Paul,
Minn., and designs the men’s bags sold there. “Guys
want to go back to something artful, back to those
personal items that are important to us.”
More
important is that the container does not have a hint of
girliness, said Larry Felitto, assistant sales and
product manager of leather producer J.W. Hulme . “A
tote bag can be perceived as feminine, so you have to
have a tote bag that doesn’t look like a tote bag,”
Felitto said.
Size
matters to a degree; more important are the look and
utility. “Guys are really into how gear works,”
Andler said, “so it’s important that the object is
easy to use and has an aesthetic that connects
emotionally. If it resembles a messenger bag or
haversack in smaller form, they are likely to like
that.”
Toward
that end, Andler has designed a bag that can be a
clutch, or have straps added (one for a shoulder bag,
two for a backpack).
While
containers such as J.W. Hulme’s “correspondent
bag” and Heimie’s “bird watcher” look like 1950s
throwbacks, they are built for 21st-century technology
(tablets and smartphones).
“We’re
seeing a narrowing gap between big wallets and
briefcases,” said Sam Fehrenbach, manager of the
Martin Patrick3 store in Minneapolis. “And as
electronics get smaller, so does the demand for man
bags.”
So it’s
not just the rappers, actors and male models who are
“manning up” with a small tote. “A few years ago
you would only see this in New York or L.A.,” Felitto
said. “Now we’re even getting customers in Texas.”
|
