Sanrio Targets Males - Hello Kitty Menswear

The sugary sweet white anime cat that has bewitched generations of young girls will now be used on products geared at young males.

Sanrio company spokesman Kazuo Tohmatsu believes men are ready to accept the Hello Kitty line as a legitimate fashion statement. The T-shirts, bags, and watches will go on sale in Japan next month, with US and other Asian cities are expected to follow suit.

For the men’s line, the familiar bubble-shaped cat’s head has taken on a more rugged look to appeal to guys in their teens and early twenties. I can see how. The $36 black men’s tee has a picture of a cat stamped with the brand’s trademark phrase, “Hello Kitty”. 

An undisputed icon of Japanese “kawaii” (cute) culture, Sanrio has stamped its white cat logo on everything from erasers to $48,000 diamond necklaces.