The woman has been the gatherer ever since cave-dwelling families sat down to Sunday dinner.
While the male talked about the rough day he’d had and the courage he’d displayed – “And then this saber tooth suddenly turned on us, and for a second I thought we’d be his dinner!” – she was trying to make a tasty combination of the beans and nuts she’d assembled while still addressing her yowling children. (No, contrary to what many might think, I wasn’t there! I’ve just seen the cave drawings.)
And so it went, throughout history: woman acquiring the things for the house, outfitting the kids, even selecting her man’s wardrobe, while always on the lookout for something nice for herself.
Store designers learned they had to appeal to the female of the species. Famously, Sears found to its surprise in the 1990s that women dominated buying choices even for things like car batteries and power tools.
A few years ago, though, we were told to start paying attention to the “metrosexual,” the cool urban guy who liked to shop and put his own outfits together. That mini-trend lasted until the recession forced everyone, male and female, to pull in the reins. In 2009, men’s apparel sales dropped almost twice as fast as women’s, largely because men’s unemployment was hit so disproportionately.
Well, look who’s back! In January, men’s and women’s employment rates reached the same level. And, not coincidentally, sales of men’s products rose more than 8 percent, outpacing the growth in women’s sales.
Particularly robust were sales of men’s accessories, which grew 14 percent in the last half of 2011, to about $6 billion (according to the market research firm NPD Group). That means umbrellas, hats, watches, briefcases, scarves. It also apparently means bracelets and bags. Not that they’re necessarily being called “bracelets and bags.”
“Some designers are giving them manly names and styles,” writes Stephanie Clifford in The New York Times. “That’s not really a bracelet; it’s wrist wear. And that’s not a purse – nor the dreaded ‘murse’ – but a hold-all.”
The fluctuating economy is still the driver. Today’s successful young male is like successful young males of any generation. Maybe he can’t match a shirt and tie, but he knows enough about brands to flaunt an expensive watch or trendy briefcase. (Someone’s looking at all those ads in GQ.)
And if he’s not successful? “If men learned one thing through the recession, it’s that looking schlumpy is not going to help you keep your job, get promoted or get a new job,” Eric Jennings, fashion director for menswear at Saks Fifth Avenue, told Clifford.
It’s all about the sweet smell – and look – of success.