Getting into the mind of a man

The concept of coming up with ideas for a lads mag is a slightly daunting one. Especially when it comes to trying to get into the mind of a guy who reads "Nuts". When talking to a male friend the other day, an educated city type, he admitted that he absolutely loves his weekly dose of this lads mag. I thought that this particular publication was only for the likes of guys who buy The Sun for its "articles" on page 3, but apparently I am mistaken. He told me that if he wants to read something challenging he buys a paper, when it comes to reading something to relax and unwind he'd much rather look at photos of boobs and bizarre injuries caused by male incompetence. Is this mindless form of journalism actually impressively self aware? When women read magazines, we take them seriously. We look at the fashion pages and read the real life stories and take it all in. Men don't take themselves seriously at all, a magazine doesn't need to pretend to be anything other than entertainment. So should my ideas for articles be sexist and patronising? Maybe I should just find a story which goes under each of the following headings: Naked celebrities (unobtainable women), naked real-life girls (obtainable), Cars, Scars and of course Sports. I've been left with the overwhelming feeling that this task is actually potentially the most complex yet. Mens minds might be simple, but coming up with an original idea for a lads mag is anything but.

I'm Obsessed!

I know that the "It" bag is supposedly dying a rather deserved death, but somehow i'm finding it hard to jump on that particular negative bandwagon. I have never really lusted after the Paddingtons or Birkins of this world, my main obsession is definitely Mulberry. A quintessential English brand which has so far managed to avoid becoming overly cheapened by the likes of WAGs and cut price knock-offs. The reason for this is probably that although paying £700 for a bag is somewhat excessive, in price at least, it doesn't really hold a candle to its £2000 competitors. Mulberry is the girl next door, beautiful and yet at a push obtainable by a regular person on a regular salary. The gorgeous redesigned "Roxanne" which is now a giant vinyl shopper, a sidestep from their traditional leather designs, and is in my opinion patent perfection. I know I shouldn't, I know that even £400 is far too much for something which essentially is still just a bag, but it's still on my wish list. So as I shall most probably not ever own it, I have provided a photo for everyone's viewing pleasure!

My two cents on London style

Teenagers thrive on feeling like individuals. When I was younger this meant that while we were all wearing identical ensembles from Tammy Girl the few who dared to be different were Goths. They wore dog collars and were head to toe in black, but in doing this they achieved exactly what they wanted to, they stood out and were seen as different. Teenagers are all insecure creatures, but none more so than those who see being Londoners and therefore knowing how to dress as a birth right. Topshop has been around for decades, and yet despite being a high street staple never really stood out from the rest. Then they did something amazing, and ironically highly original, they started selling individuality. Teenagers in London can dress as though they’ve been trawling the Brick Lane or Portobello markets without going further than Oxford Circus. The Topshop generation are identifiable at a glance, bright colours, casual layering, bleached hair, plenty of eyeliner and of course drainpipe jeans are de rigueur. They are cool, or at least they act as though they are, like members of a club where only a few know the secret password. They sit in bars, coffee shops, parks and talk loudly about anything they want with authority; people need to hear their opinions. But I always observe them with a wry smile because at the end of the day production line individuality is nothing more than your average run of the mill conformity, dressing to belong.