Sanrio announced that it will launch a line of t-shirts, bags, watches, and other products for men featuring a more masculine Hello Kitty.  According to an AP report, the shape of the head and other design elements have been altered to make the multi-billion dollar character licensing powerhouse a better fit for the other half of the population. 

The new line was spawned, according to the report, as a result of positive results from a limited collaboration with men's designers in Tokyo's Harajuku section earlier in 2007.

Sanrio spokesperson Kazuo Tohmatsu told AP that the ubiquity of licensed products made the character a fit for men.  'Young men these days grew up with character goods,' he said.  'That generation feels no embarrassment about wearing Hello Kitty.'