I recently came back from a trip to NYC where I repeatedly caught myself drooling over the menswear selections. Everything begged to be touched and I was constantly holding up men’s pants and shirts against my body in the mirror.
There seems to be a collective gravitational pull towards what the men are wearing, and today’s post is an attempt to unpack why the pull even exists and where it’s deriving its strength.
Unrelated: Some of you are probably wondering if I bought anything on this trip and the answer is yes! I bought a silly graphic tee of two pickles playing pickleball. 🏓
The “borrowed from the boys” look has always been around
The girlies have always been finding inspiration from the men’s section.
Exhibit A: Stealing your boyfriend/husband/man/boo/partner’s hoodie
Exhibit B: Boyfriend style jeans, or as Levi’s has been rebranding them, the Dad jean
Exhibit C: Oversized everything! Oversized blazers, oversized shirts, oversized coats, etc.
Exhibit D: Adam Sandler. Remember when all the girls were dressing like Adam Sandler?!? Big t-shirt, baggy basketball shorts, long crew socks, and “dad” sneakers.
Exhibit E: The inescapable vest trend, which I has clear roots in men’s 3-piece suiting
Exhibit F: The boxer shorts trend, which is obviously inspired by…boxers.
Examples abound and the list goes on and on!
Womenswear has long been influenced by menswear, so we, or at least fashion designers, are pre-disposed to glancing over at the men’s section. But it’s become a two-way street. In recent years we’ve seen that menswear has been borrowing from the girls, adopting styles and silhouettes that have been historically reserved for women.
Male celebrities, in particular, have catapulted this conversation into the stratosphere.
Celebrities (and their stylists and the designers that make clothes for them) are pushing boundaries
Male celebrities like Timothée Chalamet, Pedro Pascal, Donald Glover, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, and any and all of the male K-pop stars have challenged society’s expectations for menswear.
Both on and off the red carpet these celebs have been seen sporting looks with more typically “feminine” elements like color, bold prints, flowing lines, showing skin, short hemlines, form fitting shapes, sequins and sparkles, soft textures, etc.! And they look good doing it!
It’s chic to dress androgynously. It’s cool to look like you tried (or can afford a stylist). It’s hot to be able to exude conventional, hetero male sex appeal while dressing in a more traditionally feminine way.
Celebrity culture is aspirational and what is aspirational will sell. As a result, ready-to-wear brands (aka brands that make clothes for the masses) have slowly started to flood the racks with pieces that have a touch of “masculine meets feminine.”
The intrigue of “masculine meets feminine” in menswear
As I mentioned earlier, the masculine-feminine interplay within menswear is so curious because it feels like a new concept.
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The allure also stems from the idea that it shouldn’t work, the fact that it looks so cool and edgy despite sounding so unusual on paper. “Let’s make a men’s shirt that is flowy, slightly sheer, and has flower patches all over it.” Or “let’s make a fitted men’s sweater with high-contrast rick rack trim.” Most people would have to really think about it.
It shouldn’t be so shocking of an idea, but our society is one ruled by patriarchy and restrictive views on masculinity. Few of us grew up in a world where it was the norm to express both masculinity and femininity. I imagine that even fewer of us grew up in a world where people felt free to define or express these social constructs however they wanted to.
So to see Timothée Chalamet in a plunging, cowl neck shirt or Dwyane Wade in a sunshine-yellow mesh tank top feels daring and fresh. These are two famous, hetero men open to reexamining what it means to dress like hetero man! It’s so unexpected that it feels rebellious. The tension is palpable, and every good outfit feels a little bit surprising.
What’s more, it seems like they are all genuinely having fun. Celebrities are having a grand ol’ time working with their stylists to reimagine their wardrobes and sense of personal style. Their ability (and privilege) to have fun while “breaking all the rules” is a real marvel! Who else could get to experience that much joy and public admiration for so blatantly subverting everyone’s expectations?
Here’s another thought
An alternate perspective is that the creative stagnation in womenswear is giving way to false impressions of innovation on the men’s side.
There is no rebellion on the women’s side. In fact, there is a noticeable lack of defiance.
I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Perhaps it’s because everything looks so cookie-cutter. It’s all the same silhouettes, which are also getting simpler and simpler with every passing day (likely a cost-cutting tactic by brands). How many solid-color, cotton-elastane tank dresses with a fitted bodice and A-line skirt have you seen lately? Probably a thousand. And why they are all $395+??
Or maybe it’s because women’s clothing trends are so cyclical that it makes everything feel predictable, tired, derivative. Maybe reliving 90s and Y2K fashions just feels too “been there, done that.”
Comments aside, I don’t envy being a womenswear designer, especially in 2024. It seems harder than ever to be a fashion designer who is able to exercise unbridled creativity while still keeping the numbers in the green. The pressure to showcase profitability is at an all-time high, and we’ve seen the impact this has on everything from styles, availability, quality, size inclusivity, and more.
All in all, many feelings, many questions.
There’s a lot that I didn’t cover here and a lot that I am still thinking through. Thank you for reading my rough thoughts on the topic - I’d love to hear yours.
Until next time,
Thuy