Men’s fashion demographic is being revolutionised. As effeminate ensembles influence the male wardrobe we dwell on this gender blurring fashion craze.
Just yesterday when we were sitting at a coffee shop a woman walked in sporting a pair of baggy, loose and distressed denims, also called boyfriend jeans. Some laughed at her and some gossiped about how she must be hiding a few inches behind the loose fit. And then today, at a business lunch a female colleague entered the restaurant sporting a bow-tie with a business suit. And just like that the agenda at the lunch shifted from business targets to dynamic fashion crazes. We are fashion devotees and we love fads that are ‘gender-sensitive’. And that explains why we are going gaga over men looking up to women for their fashion inspirations. Honestly, the pink-pinch did take us by shock, but then we thought that if women could go androgynous, why couldn’t the men folk follow suit? So, the large-hearted fashion sensitive ‘us’ have opened our hearts to watching the men slip into breezy drapes and deep necks, meggings and torso-revealing outfits, and a lot more. At the same time, any reservations that we had on whether the feminine fads would gel with the rugged bodies have been proved wrong, and rightly so.
It was not very long ago that the men flashed their affinity for pink by sporting candy pink ties and champagne pink shirts. Little did we know then that pink was just the beginning of their romance with colors. Once they realised that there was a palette beyond vanilla, they decided to explore and experiment. Orange, green and yellow are their new blue, black and gray. No longer are men shying away from teaming up a pair of cheerful yellow pants with a white shirt. Some are even calling the shirt, a top! The first time a male fashionista told us that he’d gone shopping for Jonathan Saunders vibrant tops, we had to try not to smile. Interestingly, they are thinking beyond stripes and checks too. Katie Eary Spring-Summer 2014 line boasts citrus-hued tees and trenches in flamingo and feline prints. Would you feel threatened if a man was to walk up to you in prints clad in roses and peonies? Or would you appreciate the big change?
A few fashion brands have surprised us with their collections, boasting psychedelic colors and youthful styles, candy stripes and stars, and sparkly and shiny fabrics. The eccentric designer Mikio Sakabe has actually gone a step ahead and created a line inspired by feminine sleepwear, which saw his male models walk the ramp in sheer fabric, skimpy shorts and voluminous shoulder shrugs. Men can now be seen in chiffons and stretchable material too. Men sporting meggings is becoming a common sight these days, the male version of (female) leggings look great when worn with a pair of sneakers. We are also liking are the edgy breezy drapes for men. Seems like masculine fitted suits are no longer the favorite with the enthusiasts. Lest you think that the experiments are limited to mere outfits we’d like to draw your attention to the metallic bags that men have been making a statement with. The most lovable are in shocking pink and yellow, and the really bold men out there have even replaced their messenger bags with metallic tote bags. We’re all game for encouraging men to have some fun with fashion. Even spikes, which were once seen just on footwear for women have now made it to men’s shoes. Yes, silver rhinestones await the flamboyant men.
Did you know that the spotlight on the runway trends is on halter tops and torso-revealing outfits for men? Then there are skirts for men too! But these are not for the faint hearted. So we’ll leave them to the runway. As for the rest, we’d say the men should tame the trends to suit their personalities and make a few heads turn. Bold, garish, flamboyant or playful, we are so looking forward to witnessing the times when men walk into cafes sporting jackets in lime green or tops in sunshine yellow. That would be a spectacle to behold.
