So, as fashion moves on, saying goodbye to London and hello to Milan, it should be noted that it is not just women's wear on the catwalks that looks different, but men's wear on the streets, too. Although the latest wave of early adopting fashionistas in New York and London are carrying what amounts to a handbag (small leather pochettes awkwardly dubbed the “murse”, or man's purse) there is, says Carlos de Freitas, creative director of Dunhill, “an alternative”.
In the battle to keep men's wear masculine, strong competition to the murse is appearing in the shape – usually rectangular, sometimes with flaps – of the pocket. Witness the fact that this season Dunhill has seen demand for one particular jacket soar: a dark, tailored, conservative style with four large outer pockets, not to mention a detachable gilet-style lining with up to five further pockets. “That's a lot of pockets,” concedes de Freitas, “and I try not to fill them all, but it's hard not to, especially when travelling.”
Increased travel and complicated airline carry-on rules have certainly boosted demand for anything with an above-average pocket count, as has the growing number of personal items considered essential for everyday use such as keys, wallets, mobiles, BlackBerrys, and iPods. As a result, designers are focusing ever more attention on the pocket, with different shapes and depths created with different objects in mind. Apple even ran a promotional “Made for iPod” campaign encouraging designers to build an MP3-dedicated pocket into everything from jeans to boxer shorts, with Levi's and shirtmakers Thomas Pink among the brands taking up the challenge.