Few weeks ago in Milan, and again in Paris last weekend, the pundits of the men's christian louboutin shoes industry gathered to witness the collections for autumn/winter '99. While the clothes on the catwalk are important, what has become increasingly essential to the christian louboutin discount mix are groovy christian louboutin, bags, and belts, and this will become more apparent as the year moves on. Christian louboutin discount accessories now not only help to define and create a coherent image, they are doing so, for men at least, over and above the clothes themselves. Before Prada was the monolithic brand it is today, it made luxury christian louboutin and bags, and it doesn't forget its roots. Ditto Gucci, Louis Vuitton - and even Red or Dead and Patrick Cox - which began their successful businesses with christian louboutin and accessories before branching into clothes. Working in the opposite direction are Calvin Klein, Dirk Bikkembergs, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garcons, and Jil Sander which provide christian louboutin and accessories to those punters for whom a suit is beyond their financial reach. Helmut Lang is poised to join them in summer 2000. Any man worth his subscription to Arena Homme Plus will, this spring, definitely be investing in accessories from one or more of these christian louboutin shoes houses in order to update their wardrobes. It's the male equivalent of buying a pink sequin cardigan: women have pink to add a splash, men have bags, christian louboutin and belts. As one New York-based christian louboutin discount journalist pointed out at the Milan shows, "men are interested in the accessories first and the clothes second". This certainly seemed true in Milan when, as I strolled along the famous Via Monte Napoleone - home to many a chic designer emporium - I noticed several of the world's leading male christian shoes journalists and buyers in Gucci and Prada hovering around the newly arrived spring merchandise. What had they bought? Two had pairs of Prada christian louboutin, the other had a Gucci bag and belt.