Look of the Week: LeBron James flies the flag for the man bag. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Sensationalism

The article uses sensational language to describe the fashion choices of LeBron James and other male celebrities.

Four-time NBA champion LeBron James is the latest male celebrity to be spotted out and about wearing a high-fashion bag. On Tuesday, the 34-year-old professional basketball player arrived at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado for the latest LA Lakers game against Denver’s Nuggets. If James wanted to make a sartorial statement for his first game of the season, it came in the form of the forest green Speedy bag from Louis Vuitton which sat at his hip — one of the standout pieces from . James paired the cross-body bag with a custom tweed “Damoflage” jacket (Pharell’s pixelated, Minecraft-esque print which has already become a brand motif, endorsed by Kim Kardashian and Rihanna), sunglasses and black derby shoes. He follows in the footsteps of several famous men of late who have been seen sporting not just any functional receptacle, but an “it bag.” This year, Australian actor Jacob Elordi (who is set to star as Elvis in Sofia Coppola’s forthcoming biopic “Priscilla”) has appeared with a series of highly coveted luxury bags slung over his shoulder including, but not limited to, a Bottega Veneta Cassette bag, a Chanel Mini Messenger, a Burberry Sanford leather tote, a Valentino Loco bag and a yellow version of James’ LV Speedy.

1 suggestion

Remove sensational language and focus on providing objective information about the fashion choices of LeBron James and other male celebrities.

Biased language

The article uses biased language to describe the fashion choices of LeBron James and other male celebrities.

A gendered stigma has long been attached to men who wear shoulder bags, however. In series five, episode 13 of “Friends” (“The One with Joey’s Bag”), when Joey debuts a new leather tote bag, his masculinity and sexual orientation is persistently mocked by Chandler and Ross. Indeed, men wearing bags are consistently the butt of jokes in internet memes, , and even . “You better keep a gun in here bro,” comic Andrew Schulz told a male audience member who attended a 2019 show wearing a small leather satchel. But the tide is changing. In August, Pharrell told GQ Magazine that designing accessories was something he was eager to tackle in the Louis Vuitton top job. One of the things I wanted to do when I got here was I definitely wanted to work on the bags,” he said. Doubtless it’s a dedication appreciated by the likes of James, Elordi, A$AP and Tyler, whose street style looks contribute further proof — were any needed — that man purses are enjoying a newfound socio-cultural appreciation. Because at the end of the day, manbags shouldn’t carry so much baggage.

1 suggestion

Use neutral language when discussing the gendered stigma attached to men who wear shoulder bags. Avoid using biased language that may influence the reader's perception.

Omission of key information

The article omits key information about the societal perception of men wearing bags and the historical context of this fashion trend.

A gendered stigma has long been attached to men who wear shoulder bags, however. In series five, episode 13 of “Friends” (“The One with Joey’s Bag”), when Joey debuts a new leather tote bag, his masculinity and sexual orientation is persistently mocked by Chandler and Ross. Indeed, men wearing bags are consistently the butt of jokes in internet memes, , and even . “You better keep a gun in here bro,” comic Andrew Schulz told a male audience member who attended a 2019 show wearing a small leather satchel. But the tide is changing. In August, Pharrell told GQ Magazine that designing accessories was something he was eager to tackle in the Louis Vuitton top job. One of the things I wanted to do when I got here was I definitely wanted to work on the bags,” he said. Doubtless it’s a dedication appreciated by the likes of James, Elordi, A$AP and Tyler, whose street style looks contribute further proof — were any needed — that man purses are enjoying a newfound socio-cultural appreciation. Because at the end of the day, manbags shouldn’t carry so much baggage.

1 suggestion

Include information about the societal perception of men wearing bags and provide historical context to give a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.