You've seen them around... tucked beneath the arms of businessmen and clutched casually in the hands of big spenders. It's bigger than a wallet but smaller than a brief case... yes, it's the man bag. Usually brown or black, and made of snakeskin or leather, these man bags are all the rage among Chinese men, with the accessory now making its way into the international fashion scene.

Every few years or so there is an attempt by the fashion industry to persuade men that what is lacking from their lives is a handbag. The latest efforts have been dubbed man-bags, a term which sounds oddly testicular and that's will never sound attractive.

Various celebrities have been photographed carrying Mulberry or Louis Vuitton man-bags and it seems it's even possible they paid for them themselves. The idea, of course, is that other men who are not famous will see well-known footballers and actors sporting their man-bags and will then want to fork out an exorbitant sum to get one for themselves.

Well, that's how it usually works, and with phenomenal success, in the world of women's fashion. But I don't think the male consumer is quite so easily bagged. First of all an example for all men out there, if you see a snapshot of David Beckham carrying a Louis Vuitton clutch bag, I would hope your first reaction is not to gasp with envy and immediately run to your local mall to purchase that very bag.

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