‘We don’t call them manbags’: Are you man enough to carry a handbag?

The age of men trembling with fear at the innocent request to hold a woman’s handbag has come to an end.

White Speedos and pink shirts may continue to pack an emasculating punch, but the fragile male ego has been strengthened by sightings of celebrities such as Harry Styles, Oscar nominee Jacob Elordi and rapper A$AP Rocky clutching clutches and swaggering with handbags.

As luxury labels Chanel, Dior and Bottega Veneta drive the acceptance of accessories overseas, 88-year-old brand Oroton is easing Australian men into the idea of toting a tote to the pub.

“If you think about the Australian male, compared to European customers, men’s accessories have taken a bit of a back seat,” says Oroton creative director Sophie Holt. “But I feel like the Australian man is finally embracing fashionability.”

Oroton former men’s range – determinedly masculine, and mostly bland briefcases, toiletry cases and black underpants – disappeared from shelves when Will Vicars bought the struggling brand in 2018.

The new Oroton For Him collection has relaxed briefcases, suede totes and weekenders in conservative browns and blacks. Holt plans future collections with more adventurous silhouettes, colours and materials, to accompany a men’s ready-to-wear line launching nationally in flagship stores and outlets in 12 months.

“It’s all about finding fresh ways to grow Oroton as a lifestyle brand. The clothing line will be part of that and the bags are a great introduction.”

The global men’s luxury bag market is projected to grow from $12.2 billion this year to $18.4 billion in 2035, according to a January report from Global Market Insights.

“Even five years ago, the Australian male was probably a bit nervous about even using a tote, but I feel like that has changed,” Holt says. “The time is right.”

Retail entrepreneur Amanda Rettig – founder of bag brand A-esque in 2012, having sold the Mimco accessories label for a reported $45 million in 2007 to ­Gresham Private Equity – grew up with a father who confidently wielded a small leather bag with a wristlet strap. “My grandfather had one as well,” she says.

She has resisted the urge to revive these styles or create a dedicated men’s line.

“Men have gravitated to our bags since we launched because the styles are pretty androgynous … so it’s not intimidating.”

Men are mostly drawn to capacious totes produced in A-esque’s atelier in inner-Melbourne Richmond. Rettig is watching them slowly embrace styles closer to her father’s modest bag, without a wristlet, in a new boutique in nearby Armadale.

“They are finding there way towards clutches, but it’s not necessarily driven by fashion. Men appreciate the quality and the craftsmanship of a bag as well as the practicality.”

“It’s all about appreciating style. We are slowly catching up to European men,” Rettig says. “We don’t call them manbags.”

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