First row: Prada, Greenbelt 4; Christian Louboutin, Rustan’s Makati.
Second row: Salvatore Ferragamo, Greenbelt 5; Loewe, Rustan’s Makati; Hermès, Greenbelt 3.
Third row: Raf Simons, mrporter.com; Givenchy, Greenbelt 4.

There’s a word for it, oh yeah, a “clutch.” It’s easy to assume that this women’s staple can’t be borrowed by the opposite sex. But sexuality is fluid, and apparently, so are these clutches. As they carefully tread the world of men’s fashion, this compact, hand-held accessory marries corporate masculinity and runway flamboyance. They even made a butch term for it—folio (but it’s still a clutch, mind you).

This bag for the modern man, for most, can be overwhelming, for some even demeaning. It’s still a piece closely associated with their girlfriends, after all. But not everything can fit in the pockets of your jeans or suit, can they? Here lies practicality. It has the adequate size for everyday essentials. Rather than intimidate, the goal here is to complement a look and provide added options for function.

As for New York-based celebrity stylist PJ Pascual, he sees it as a necessary piece and style staple. “The Techinicolor-inspired pouch gives new meaning to colors,” says JP about its style transitioning season per season. So if there’s a borrowed-from-the-boys look, is this that one piece guys can borrow from them? Don’t fret. There are folios—again, they’re still man clutches—tailor-made for the big boys. If you’re still having second thoughts, just note that if it’s good enough for Terence Howard, it should be good enough for you.

Source: Angela Manuel Go for RED Magazine, “Slim Pickings”, May 2015