What is menswear?

This clear distinction between males and females is beginning to blur with the passage of time. From women sporting wigs and heels (fashion originally meant to be reserved for men) to the modern YSL smoking suits, females have enjoyed the long tradition of wearing the male’s clothes. The fashion world has been able to adapt to the change. Tailoring appears to be getting less popular, and is being replaced by of more casual, sportswear-inspired styles which soften the traditional look of men’s clothing. The huge number of young men and women buying clothes from every department in charity shops, are the main drivers of this trend on the streets and the fusion of Mens and Womenswear exhibitions by major brands such as Paul Smith, Vetements and Burberry are a sign of the blurring of gender identities in fashion. The wide range of styles, and the shifting world of fashion further undermines the menswear’s image as exclusive clothing for men.

The idea of masculinity is changing to reflect our age’s open-minded views on the concept of identity. The rigid boundaries of gender norms are breaking down to allow for the fluidity of gender, sexuality and personal expression. Menswear has undergone a major change in the past few years, largely due to the ever-changing social landscape.

Looking after one’s appearance is not an issue that falls within women only. To help support the expanding market for Menswear brands, NewGen Men was established in 2009 to help nurture the next generation of talents. In our conversation with Course Director of MA Fashion in CSM, Fabio Piras, in the past year, he acknowledged that the school was growing the supply of menswear being offered on the MA. “In fact the menswear applications this year are far beyond what anyone could imagine. The enthusiasm that is London Collections: Men and the phenomenal growth from Craig Green [who graduated from the MA in 2013] is a large part to blame for this.” The two previous winner of L’Oreal’s Professionnel Creative Award at the CSM MA show, John Skelton and Harry Evans are both Menswear Designers. This speaks volumes about the increasing creativity and enthusiasm toward men’s fashion as a result of the growing market.

Designers of the highest caliber such as Jean Paul Gautier, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo all have a long-standing tradition of making long shirts or skirts that are paired with fitted jackets and other formal items in their male collections. Labels for men such as Hood By Air or Gypsy Sport keep up this tradition by bringing skirts and other traditionally feminine clothing for men at affordable prices and appeal to the mainstream. Light fabrics in vibrant colors like yellows, pinks and oranges are seen on the runways of male shows, as well as styles adorned with feminine-looking elements like flowers, lace, and bows, modeled by a mix between men and women.

Even though things like shoes that are as slender as six inches will always be within fashion for the women, it could be safe to conclude that the relation with Menswear and Womenwear is no longer portrayed in terms of contrasting boundaries, but instead as the result of a gradient.