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Now Blogging Afresh at Ad Orientem 西儒 - The Western Confucian



Monday, January 24, 2005

Men's Purses

Re: Metrosexual Revolution Leads to Boom in Men's Bags

The above article seems to imply that this is a new trend, but I've noticed Korean dandies* carrying purses since I arrived in 1997. A Canadian man I know received a purse as a gift from a group of women he was teaching in that same year. His reaction was, "Gee, thanks... a purse... just what I needed."

* It should be noted that such foppishness exists only among a certain Korean youth culture known as the 꽃미남 (ggotminam). I can think of no better translation for this term than my student's rendering of it as "flower boys." These proto-metrosexuals have been dying and moussing their hair, using make-up, and wearing jewelry and very feminine clothes for years. Most Korean young men and the entire older generation, in contrast, are about as masculine as you can get.