Why It's Totally Okay For Guys to Dress More Feminine

By Tanner Steslow on October 9, 2015

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It was only in 2010 when headlines around the United States spoke about the controversial and sensitive topic of the US militaries’ policy, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.  A law that banned gay and lesbian soldiers from serving openly in the military was once a subject of household debate that nearly everybody had an opinion on. For many, the idea that somehow a homosexual would emasculate and jeopardize the functioning of a military operation was a legitimate concern that could not be justifiably tolerated. Just five years later however, there is a new atmosphere surrounding LGBT topics and culture that is not only accepting, but also wants a little bit of what they’ve got.

Mainstream fashion has always been a tumultuous juggle of trends that recycle with new approaches to old looks. It would be no surprise then, that with an increasing influence from the LGBT community, silhouettes and styles are beginning to change in a way that reflects our culture’s current view of gender. In all facets of pop media, it’s clear that the defining characteristics of what it means to be a “boy” and a “girl” are becoming blurred, and it’s affecting the way we all dress.

The narrowing of the sexual divide is a trend that became popular within the last two years. At the luxury level, designers such as Jeremy Scott, Rick Owens and Richard Tisci of Givenchy have led the crusade of boundary crossing in their collections with the addition of skirts and kilts. Even the average dude has adopted a more sleek figure by donning slim fit jogger sweats, mesh jerseys, and maybe if you’re lucky, a crop top. If you were to walk into the guy’s section of H&M five years ago, the shelves would have been stocked with various plaid patterns and too many graphic tees. Nowadays, it’s hard to tell if that oversized black cardigan came from the rack next to those cuffed skinny jeans, or if it fell out of the go back cart headed to the women’s side of the store. Either way, it’s probably a dope piece that you shouldn’t be surprised to see your guy friends wearing.

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The movement of blurring the lines between male and female garb in fashion is not a new trend at all actually. The 60’s and 70’s witnessed the unisex trends that came from rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie. Sequence was always expected and shoulder pads were never disappointing.  In the reverse way, YSL championed the woman’s pant suite, which featured a more slender and boxy look that was contrasting to the curvy little black dress of the 50’s (though admittedly, a male in women’s clothing is much more eye catching than a woman in male’s clothes). The rebellious spirit that grew out of an era centered on communal love and understanding, is now undergoing a transformation into something that is much more cool.

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As pop culture and the world around us continues to diversify, we should expect the same pattern to continue with the way we represent ourselves in our dress. Within the last five years there has been a momentous shift in thought concerning masculinity and how that should be represented on an individual basis. Though historical moments like the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell demonstrates the fear many had about what it means to be masculine, it’s also a reminder of how much has changed in such a short amount of time. As fashion continues to mirror the world around us, there’s no telling what could inspire the next round of boundary pushing trends.

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