The athletic shoe market is showing significant signs of decline amidst controversial issues such as Virgil Abloh’s departure and Supreme’s misleading advertising. It seems that men are shifting their attention to the realm of bags.
According to representatives of some of the world’s most renowned luxury retailers, more and more men are opting to invest in a shoulder accessory rather than a pair of shoes. At Browns, the Lemaire Croissant bag is beloved by both men and women, and the demand for the Jacquemus Chiquito bag from men is now on the rise.
Daniel Todd, the buying director at Mr Porter, explains, “This is seen as a more flexible approach to masculinity, clearly reflected in ready-to-wear clothing across multiple seasons. Many brands have changed men’s perceptions of accessories, including jewelry and watches. We see an increasing demand for bags, with more diverse designs made of high-quality fabric or leather.”
With this trend, the stigma surrounding men carrying bags seems to be fading—at least in the world of fashion and entertainment. While in 1999, characters on the TV show Friends mocked their friend Joey for walking around with a shoulder bag, nowadays, seeing an individual at a party with a colorful clutch or a crossbody bag has become quite normalized.
Jacob Elordi, the star of the Euphoria series, gained fame for his tall, attractive, and talented demeanor. Paparazzi photos of Jacob Elordi strolling around Los Angeles have become a sensation on social media. Jacob Elordi owns a prestigious collection of bags: from the Andiamo tote bag from Bottega Veneta to smaller crossbody bags from Burberry.
The Telfair Tote, launched in 2015, represents a fusion between a 24-hour bag and a luxury bag, as comfortable and spacious as a backpack but with a much more stylish appearance. It’s no surprise that in New York, it’s often referred to as the “Bushwick Birkin.” Since the introduction of the Telfar bag to the market, the demand for accessories from various high-end fashion brands has increased—and in this case, the endorsement of shoulder bags by many brands has influenced the growing demand from male customers.
If 2018 was the explosion of logo-laden shoulder bags from brands like Gucci and Prada, then this year is about “silent luxury” with minimalist leather goods and clean geometric lines, such as those from Bottega and Loewe.
And who knows, in the future, perhaps dresses will take center stage in men’s wardrobes, or maybe, as trend forecasters predict, makeup products will become the new trend.
