Hello Kitty to Purr for Young Men, Too

Will boys really say “Hello Kitty”? The company behind the sugary-sweet product line thinks so. Japan’s Sanrio Co. says it will plaster the cuddly cat on T-shirts, bags, watches, and other products for males. “We think Hello Kitty is accepted by young men as a design statement in fashion,” a Sanrio spokesman said today.

“Young men these days grew up with character goods,” Kazuo Tohmatsu explained. “That generation feels no embarrassment about wearing Hello Kitty.” To appeal to teen boys and males in their early 20s, designers will give Kitty a more feral look, the AP reports. Hello Kitty is one of Japan’s most popular characters, gracing everything from erasers to diamond necklaces. (More Hello Kitty stories.)