Confessions of male shopaholics

Finally, the truth about men and shopping is out. People who still believe ‘real men don’t shop’ better think again. According to a just-released study by a behaviour and trends research organisation WSL (America), men of this epoch are not only swiping their cards more frequently but are also becoming proactive shoppers. One of the key findings is that men are as much into shopping as women and what’s more, they also take pride in being ingenious shoppers. Young men today are brand conscious and like to parade leading fashion labels in their wardrobes, and most importantly, unlike before, most are married to working women — all these factors help create a new world of male shoppers. Fashion designer Satkrit Krishna says it’s the womenfolk who are responsible for the change. He elaborates, “The trend started when women decided to stop being mere homemakers and stepped into their work shoes. Meanwhile, men also evolved and started to share the responsibilities at home. The second women start getting exposed to the world, they start having choices and specific likes. That is what has been picked up by men as they start grooming themselves to impress them! And hence the experimentation started, which of course begins at the shop. It is indeed a welcome change.” Many men may go to the malls with movies and food in mind but they also shop, and it is they who are more likely to spot attractive digital cameras, smart phones, tablets and branded leather wear than their girlfriends. Apparently, men are outnumbering women when it comes to online shopping by a huge margin and there is now a plethora of online stores focusing on men across a range of apparels, accessories, gadgets, make-up and much more. Rupesh Reddy, who is a fashion designer and self-proclaimed shopaholic, says, “It’s the era of metrosexuality. Every guy now wants to look better than his counterpart. The number of visits we make to the mall to shop has increased significantly. Men want to spend more on themselves and keep up with the trends not only fashion wise but also in terms of possessing the latest gadgets. Added to that, we have a lot to choose from these days even from the Internet which wasn’t the case before, and men being men want things done without much waste of time, which is probably why more guys prefer online shopping.” So, no longer do women have to put up with murmurs of impatience as they take along their brothers or boyfriends for shopping. Model Avantika Mishra cherishes the whole transformation, “I certainly feel that women find men who are into shopping and at their fashionable best very charming and attractive. Earlier it used to be the guy with a pretty girl and now it’s also more about having a pretty, well-dressed and confident boyfriend. So a man who knows and is into shopping, is definitely going to win a lot of brownie points over the others. Also, more than impressing anyone, it’s about being confident about your own self.” She adds, “It’s also a win-win situation for both. Girls don’t need to have a tough time dragging their boyfriends or hubbies for shopping anymore.”