Men are adopting bags for Net gear

Accessory sales boom since 2013

Sales figures for men's accessories.
Sales figures for men's accessories.

In the '80s, they were called "man-purses," but the retail industry now considers them simply "bags," and they're an accessory that men are latching onto fast. The trend is driven mostly by the amount of stuff they have to carry, such as their electronic devices, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Group.

A recent study by The NPD Group shows the bag business for men is up 26 percent to $1.8 billion for the 12 months that ended in May, over the same period in 2012-13. Sales of men's luggage are up 19 percent to $766 million, the group found.

"The European man has been carrying it for a long, long, long time without any phobia about it," Cohen said about men's bags. "Here in the states, we're starting to see it make a resurgence."

The younger generation of men doesn't have the same resistance to carrying a bag that the older "X" and baby boomer generations did, he said. And designers and manufacturers have tailored the look by putting a shoulder strap on it and making it a bit bigger.

"They made it look more like messenger bag than a purse," he said.

Tim Gunn, men's fashion guru and co-star and mentor of the popular Lifetime reality series Project Runway, said the need for bags is driven mostly by electronics. Gone are the days when men could leave the house with a wallet and a set of keys.

"Today, we need a smartphone, an iPad or the like, and for many of us a laptop is essential," Gunn said in an email interview. "And if you function as a portable office, then chargers for all of this digital stuff are essentials, too." He packs his all into what he describes as a "dark brown portfolio bag" from SuitSupply.com.

Style also dictates how much men can carry on their person.

"The cut of men's clothing has become trimmer," Gunn said. "Slouchy and baggy styles invited us to stuff the pockets of pants and jackets with myriad items. Today's slimmer cuts eschew that tendency."

In addition to the double-digit increases in sales of men's bags and luggage, sales of sunglasses were up 7 percent, watch purchases climbed 6 percent and the sale of small leather goods -- wallets, change bags and the like -- rose 5 percent. While revenue from men's bags and luggage grew at a higher rate over the year, jewelry, watches and sunglasses represent a larger part of the men's accessory business -- $3.3 billion, $3.1 billion and $2 billion, respectively.

Specialty retailers agree. Wayne Ratcliff, president and owner of Baumans Men's Fine Clothing, said accessory sales, specifically bags, have been booming over the last 18 months, "all the way from small luggage pieces ... to a small briefcase or an easy carry-on sort of work bag.

"I don't want to call it a man-bag because it's not," he said.

Gunn agreed.

"The term 'man-purse' only had relevance back in the '80s when some men, especially European, carried small clutch-like bags," he said. "Frankly, they were as silly as the term. Today's bags for men have a heft and a scale that couldn't be more masculine. If any guy today grimaces at the thought of carry a bag, then he doth protest too much."

Fanny packs have gone to the wayside -- "thank God," Gunn said.

The bags sold at Baumans are used to carry everything from electronics to gym clothes and shoes, making them a cross between the briefcase and gym bag. Most of what Ratcliff sells is on the casual side, made of canvas trimmed in leather, a combination of cloth/canvas or distressed leather. Baumans has operated in Little Rock since 1919.

Baumans also has seen pocket handkerchiefs, lapel pins, belts and belt buckles flying off their shelves -- "anything that kind of enhances another piece of clothing. It changes up what they already have," Ratcliff said.

"It's a nice way to do something nice for themselves without making a huge investment," he added.

Accessories are not only practical, but they're also a means for men to express their individuality and personal style, said Jud Lee, co-owner of The Independent, a newer player to the state's men's retail clothing scene. Already, Lee and partner Mike Malone have stores in Little Rock, Rogers and on the Fayetteville Square.

"Lots of guys are moving away from just the utilitarian sort of uniform to something that's a little bit more like self-expression and personal style," said Lee. "I think accessories and bags go right along with that."

The Independent sells everything from a $50 backpack -- geared more toward the University of Arkansas students in Fayetteville -- to custom Italian leather bags that cost several thousand dollars.

Guys are expressing who they are through what they wear again, much like we saw 20 years ago and haven't seen it since," Cohen, the analyst, said.

"Now we're back at that point where they're willing to spend but not necessarily go out and completely create a whole new wardrobe. They're looking to update their wardrobe, and accessories play a huge role in that," he said.

SundayMonday Business on 08/10/2014

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