Chanel “Boy” Bags: You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea

When you hear the two words, “Chanel bag” – which is likely more often than we even notice – the last thing that comes to mind is “androgyny.” There is the “Mademoiselle,” the flirtatious interlocked-Cs, the quilted leathers and tactile chains. But “Boy”? This ground-breaking new collection of bags will change everything you think you knew about Chanel bags, and perhaps even the design house as a whole. The diehard Chanel purists will resist, but let me tell you: this is major. As major as the day Coco Chanel herself whipped a belt around her beau’s jacket, cinched it with conviction, and called it her own.The deliciously sleek “Boy” Chanel bag has crisp industrial hardware in distressed silver or bronze, so jarringly unlike the feminine clasps we know and love. It is produced in four sizes, ranging from a slick slide-handle clutch to a long-strapped purse to a large and regal north-to-south tote. Its palette of colors is delicate yet powerful: flat red, deep black, intense grey, lead green and brilliant ivory. Much like an actual boy himself – masculine, yes, but lacking in any coarse testosterone so his fineness and tenderness is maintained. Is androgyny the new femininity?