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| Picture: Soulland, https://www.facebook.com/shop.soulland |
Currently you can read
a series of articles about Danish mens fashion on various news sites, among
others FashionForum.dk. David Jenkins wrote a chronicle in the Danish newspaper
Politiken where he describes Danish mens fashion as developing towards the
gutter, being androgynous, boyish and apathetical. This started a welcome
discussion of men’s fashion. To David Jenkins there is only one way to go with
men’s fashion; a high quality tailored suit and a tie tied the right way.
Current popular
fashion with low-cut revealing t-shirts, skinny jeans and unisex-shoes
approaches rock bottom rapidly.
I find mens fashion
extremely interesting because of the challenges that lie within that area, one
you don’t find in womens fashion. In women’s fashion there are so many
possibilities and almost everything is allowed.
There is a paradox
with men and womens fashion. A woman can show a lot of skin without you really
taking notice. But if she shows too much breast it will become offensive. A man
can take of his t-shirt and you won’t find it provocative, but he can’t wear an
asymmetrical shirt only covering one shoulder or a deep cut t-shirt revealing a
lot of his chest without it seeming vulgar.
There is fashion for
certain environments and situations that you should respect and I do love a
suit that fits well on the man. Having said that, I miss creativity in mens
fashion. It is locked inside a box and I think the resistance towards
development of expression in men’s fashion is sad. We saw a similar opposition
to the development of womens fashion in the beginning of the 20th
century when women started wearing pants and “oh what catastrophe” later
embraced the suit and broad shoulders. As said in the documentary Modearkivet
created by DR2, Chanel gave women freedom, Yves Saint Laurent gave them
power.
Women haven’t
abandoned high heels and feminine dresses. They just have the freedom to play
with their looks, mixing jeans, sky-high heels and feminine little blouses or
dresses worn with sharp blazers and flat boots.
I find it liberating
seeing mens fashion becoming more expressive and playful, not paying attention
to stereotypical gender roles. Maybe it takes men looking a little feminine for
a while, but I believe in time this evolution of fashion will open our eyes as
to what you can wear as a man and not loose masculinity.
