A bag, much like shoes, serves as an accent. It can either emphasize an existing look or lend it a sense of frivolity or excitement. Sometimes a bag can add a sudden intrigue, like an unexpected question mark. Bags give an outfit sophistication and complexity, while also conveniently carrying all necessary items.
However, since the appearance of pockets in men's clothing several hundred years ago, bags have been considered an accessory exclusively for women, and thus were not of interest to men. For example, on the TV show 'The Simpsons,' Jerry Springfield was called a 'quirky guy' for his 'European carryall' around the beginning of the millennium, and Joey Tribbiani in 'Friends' disapproved of a leather tote after seeing it on a female model. For generations, men convinced each other and themselves to forgo the charm of bags simply because they were associated with femininity.
Nevertheless, if you look around today, you can see that an entire new generation of public men does not care about this at all. Most of them were born after Joey and Jerry faced ridicule for rejecting bags, and now they keep their valuables in stylish small bags, moving freely without heavy pockets.
This summer officially confirmed: cool guys wear bags. Several well-dressed celebrities, including Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, Jacob Elordi, and Dwayne Schwarzenegger, have appeared on red carpets and in paparazzi shots for years with bold clutches or elegant, spacious totes.
While professional athletes have long boasted about their luxurious luggage, Oklahoma City Thunder defender Shay Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the most prominent bag ambassadors in the NBA. His collection includes several Louis Vuitton Speedy bags and a shiny black Hermès Kelly bag that he uses when walking through the tunnel.
But this summer was different: 'bag guys' seemed to be everywhere. In May, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé arrived at the French national team's World Cup training base carrying a Dior A5 Triangle clutch. New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson wore a Louis Vuitton Damier print bag at Madison Square Garden in June before scoring 32 points against the San Antonio Spurs in the third game of the NBA Finals.
Norwegian Erling Haaland further amazed new fans with his actions on the field and online by showcasing his extensive Hermès collection during his trip to the World Cup. Lamine Yamal, the football star, demonstrated his knowledge of prestigious bags: the teenager from the World Cup winning team appeared in a match at the end of July with a tiny Gucci Horsebit 1955 bag.
His Instagram post after the victory, in his deep Gen Z style, shows Yamal in team parachute pants and a 'CAMPEONES' t-shirt, with a miniature Horsebit bag, a pearl necklace, and sunglasses, enjoying a cigar.
Not lagging behind the athletes, 'Heated Rivalry' stars Connor Storry and Hudson Williams were recently spotted in Toronto wearing comfortable shorts and shirts, complemented by small black cross-body bags and two spacious black leather shoulder bags.
It is important to understand that men wearing bags does not carry an extremely significant statement about our social norms; it does not mean that everyone has become gender-fluid or that patriarchy has collapsed. In many cases, it merely indicates that these extremely successful people want you to know that they are wealthy, and you won't have to search far for proof that patriarchy is alive and thriving in any of their fields of activity.
However, what the 'bag guys' are doing reminds us that the gender division of clothing, like the symbolism assigned to most inanimate objects, is arbitrary and changeable. High heels were once an integral part of men's wardrobes. A century ago, baby boys were dressed in pink, and girls in blue. Wearing Birkenstocks used to signal rejection of the system, but now it simply indicates a love for comfortable footwear.
The looks of the 'bag guys' become better, richer, and more interesting with the addition of a small bag. Probably all these guys would have lip balm, a phone charger, and a pack of gum handy, as well as tissues for unforeseen circumstances. A bag can be a style upgrade for anyone, let alone an improvement in the quality of daily life. Perhaps we never needed to worry so much about this.
Instagram has changed its signature text logo, which had not been updated for about ten years. Although the new design is intended to make the look more modern and clean, debates and trolling have begun on social networks. Some users approved of the new look, while many noted that it lacks the former recognizability of Instagram. Some jokingly started calling it 'Instagzam.'
It is important to understand that the company did not announce a change to the entire app icon. The changes primarily affected the written word Instagram, which is used as a brand within the application itself. This part of the company was updated after approximately ten years.
Those who have used the service for a long time easily recognize its inscription. For the last decade, the name Instagram was displayed in a special cursive, handwritten style. Now, Instagram has changed this style. The new text mark is a combination of the old cursive design and standard printed letters. The company aims to keep the design cleaner and more modern, yet connected to the previous style.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, commented on this change, noting that the text mark visible in the app had not changed for ten years, and it was time for an update. The company claims that the new design is more modern and clean while still retaining a hint of the old Instagram style. The goal is not a complete transformation of Instagram's identity, but its modernization in line with contemporary requirements.
The situation becomes interesting when a new design appears, provoking mockery on social networks due to its lettering. Many users noticed that the new name at first glance resembles 'Instagzam' more than Instagram. Some find the styling of the middle letters particularly strange. Discussions about the new text mark are actively taking place on Reddit: some consider it unsuccessful, while others note its cleanliness and modern appearance. Thus, opinions online are divided.
This is a typical problem for any large brand when changing its logo. It is not enough for the company to look beautiful; the logo must be instantly recognizable.
Instagram updated its text logo during major design changes in 2016. At that time, the overall look of the application also transformed, and the camera icon became simpler and brighter. After that, the cursive text mark of Instagram gradually became an integral part of its image. Since people saw the same design for a long time, the name Instagram became ingrained in their minds in that specific style. Therefore, even a small change in the letter style causes a strong perception of this update among people.
The company considers maintaining recognizability equally important. The Instagram camera icon remains one of its strongest recognizable features. Even when Instagram conducted a major visual update in 2016, the company did not completely eliminate the old camera idea, but merely gave it a simpler and brighter look. In this instance, the changes appear more limited: Instagram updated its writing, but did not undergo a transformation that could be considered a full rebranding of the entire application.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, anticipated public reaction to the new text mark. He shared it on Threads and asked users for their opinions. As often happens with the change of logos of large brands, the internet immediately reacted: some praised the new design, some preferred the old one, and some began creating memes based on the new letters. The joke about 'Instagzam' quickly became popular on Reddit.
Work has started in the Yunusabad district of Tashkent to carefully dismantle and relocate rare mosaic compositions located on the exterior walls of a former tuberculosis dispensary.
These mosaics are located at the address: Niyozbek Yuli street, 3rd passage, house 6, and are being considered by the Cultural Heritage Agency as potential candidates for inclusion in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage Objects.
The former tuberculosis dispensary was built in 1972. Due to planned demolition work on the facility, it was decided to move the mosaic compositions to another location to preserve their historical and artistic value, as well as their integrity.
According to the Cultural Heritage Agency, these mosaics represent rare examples of monumental art from the second half of the 20th century. Their artistic significance is determined by the features of the composition, the use of color, and the themes.
The mosaics depict themes such as people, nature, labor, creation, science, and peace. Colored smalt and other mosaic elements were used to create these images.
The relocation of the compositions aims to preserve them as examples of monumental art from that era and ensure they can be passed on to future generations.
