It’s a well-known fact that women of the UAE know how to wear a handbag. Last month marked the celebration of National Handbag Day in the United States. I am sure it will only be time until the UAE has its own National Handbag Day, especially when you begin to understand the value of this new emerging trend.
So it got me thinking, why are handbags so important to women? And is this trend becoming important to men too?
Well, the truth is nothing quite unites women (who love style) like a handbag. If you’re like me, then you carry your life around in your handbag – phone, wallet(s), nappies, bottles, snacks and, of course, our beloved make-up, which gets its own special bag.
Before parenthood, I certainly bought more handbags than I do today, a clutch for this and another handbag for that. My love affair for handbags reached its peak when I came across my LV Neverfull bag. It’s not the most glamorous of bags, but it is practical. So much so, in fact, that I have not bought another bag since.
The reason is because of the design and quality. It has the flexibility to be a school bag for many young women, a briefcase for the corporate woman and even a nappie bag for the stylish mum.
Handbags are an essential part of our everyday lives, but a question many women have asked me over and over again is: are they a good investment?
So, are they?
Well, some women and many men have disagreed with me and believe that spending on a bag is a big waste of money. I am on the other team, as you might have guessed. I think we all have a choice on what we spend our money on and I think a handbag is a good investment.
I acknowledge that you only have so much money to spend each month, so spend it mindfully and don’t spend all of it. Last year I encouraged a good friend of mine who works in finance to buy her own LV Neverfull bag, and just this week she told me this really was a great investment.
And yet despite National Handbag Day being celebrated in America, it’s not all good in the luxury world. Data from the research firm Euromonitor International confirms that the luxury industry is in a bit of a slump. Global luxury sales are on track to grow 3 per cent this year, the slowest rate in four years.
Euromonitor believes that growth will pick up next year, though, driven by its strongest segment in recent years: accessories, specifically men’s accessories. What? Yes that’s right, the “man’s purse” is now big business.
Looking back on my many conversations with men – who haven’t agreed with me that a handbag is a good investment – and it appears that they were wrong. The handbag is a good investment, even for investors.
Over the past five years, sales of men’s handbags have grown at nearly twice the rate of the overall luxury industry. The man bag market in Asia has doubled since 2008, and in the Middle East it is growing by two-thirds over the same period.
The global market for men’s luxury bags will reach just under US$9 billion this year, according to Euromonitor.
My husband is a good example of the trend. He has more bags than me. Yes that’s right – as a photographer he is always researching different ways to travel faster and lighter and getting through airports with ease. And every trip or photographic adventure seems to demand a new camera bag – or man bag of some description. He loves his man bags and he has plenty of them, too.
Many of us will have noticed that men have been quietly carrying around what women have been addicted to for decades – a bag for their essential items.
Men have finally learnt just how important it is to have a bag to carry their “stuff”. All those cameras, lenses, electronics, chargers, headphones, glasses, keys and even their wallets.
So what does all this mean? Simply put, men are taking a page out of the women’s book and moving towards the bag.
Once a source of mockery – the man bag is the new emerging market and there are $9bn reasons why. Lets see how long it will take for the UAE to have a National Man Bag Day.
Janelle Malone is a wealth commentator, writer and author. You can read her blog at www.womenmoneyandstyle.com
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Persuasion
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