In the throes of the recession, menswear prepped new generations of guys to dress for the impending apocalypse. Chunky Vibram-soled boots were paired with denim so thick it stood on its own, companies looked to their archives to reproduce gear made to withstand the test of time and beards of Bunyan-like proportions were not only prominent, but encouraged. The uniform of modern masculinity looked like the Brawny man in a Levi’s Vintage Clothing flannel and selvedge jeans, and men were groomed by blogs and publications alike to “buy less, but buy better"—pragmatism and versatility above all else. Yet at some point recently, attitudes and tones have been shifting towards a less hardy aesthetic.
Maybe it started with the Hawaiian shirt (the redheaded stepchild of Americana), which according to Homer Simpson, was once considered "in the closet." Its sly infiltration into the realms of streetwear (a Reyn Spooner collaboration with Stussy) and menswear (interpretations from Mark McNairy and Rag & Bone) signified a shift from the conservative, blue collar looks of the past towards the whimsical.
Menswear trends move at the pace of a glacier. “Mad Men” made its television debut five years ago, and still many guys are only just now becoming aware of the wonders a slim cut suit can do for them. But the dudes that pride themselves on staying ahead of the pack, who, ironically, had been steadily looking to the past for inspiration, have decided that the austerity of proper menswear could use a healthy dose of flamboyance.
Neon-colored suits and ombré chambray shirts aside, collections have definitely gotten bolder, as designers like Christopher Kane and Riccardo Tisci push the graphic envelope with amped-up floral prints that look like something you’d find in the intro of a foreign art-house flick. And as it has always done in fashion, runway trends trickle down to consumers, eventually. Odds are your favorite button down is now available with some wild print plastered all over it, if it's not already sold out. It’s like guys just woke up one day and decided, “Fuck it, today's the day I'm gonna take a risk.”
Have hetero men really started to embrace 'fashion,' the connotation laden beast that has had menswear blogs running for the hills?
Perhaps the fast proliferation of menswear trends on the Internet is slowly bringing us to an equilibrium where an avid fan of Gitman Vintage and an Alexander Wang devotee can happily coexist. While there will always be a difference between high-fashion and the clothes guys really wear, men are starting to dress out of their comfort zones again, and it's actually quite beautiful. Just like we sought progress out of the economic turmoil that seems to be the genesis of all this, we should seek progress in how we view menswear and our place in it—as consumers, as critics and, simply, as men: gay, straight or otherwise. In a cultural landscape where coming out of the closet is now considered an act of bravery, we hope that, in some small way, embracing all style is another step in the right direction.
