From saggin' pants to socks with sandals, the style of the American male is certainly turning heads. The obsession with name branding and the cultural following behind it is slowly reaching cult-like statuses. The simple yet iconic images in male fashion consisting of ironic phrases, overpriced hats and color coordinated shoes are defying the old stereotype of women's fascination with attractive apparel, in a refreshing if not controversial way. A brief disclaimer: since clothing does not have a specific gender there is technically no such thing as "Men's Fashion" but for the sake of the argument and the topic of the piece, please keep in mind the traditional ideal of male fashion. Which usually consists of:
- Saggin' pants
- Socks and sandals
- Camouflage gear outside of hunting situations
- Ironic messages on shirts, hats, hoodies, etc.
- Tight jeans
- Overpriced sneakers
Despite the non-existence of a true solely-male fashion, men are often associated with particular articles of clothing just as women are (skirts/dresses for women, suits/jeans for men). In other instances, we see men stepping outside of the trend to wear more liberating if not more controversial articles of clothing such as Jaden Smith's publicized dawning of a dress to establish the push of gender equality and social norms in the fashion industry as well as in everyday life.
This constriction on clothing and bastardizing of those who do not conform to the social norms. Take for instance, 'boyfriend jeans." Why aren't there any girlfriend jeans. The answer is simple, all you have to do s look at the public response to Jaden wearing the dress. It is socially demeaning and funny to feminize someone.
So what exactly does that say about women?
