Fashion is a self-expression, sometimes furnished by brand names, and expensive labels. A world full of colorful and sometimes eccentric people not understood by others. A world idealized for women. But in recent years men have been getting there passports ready for the trip to the world of fashion. Years ago, the words Man and high fashion in the same sentence give the stereotype of metro sexuality or even homosexuality. But times have changed indeed. It is not unusual for a male to know the latest trends or to use the term Gabardine fabric or boot cut jeans when shopping in a store. But what puts this stigma on men to not take interest in fashion? And what’s wrong with a man caring about the way they look. Brittnay Cummins, a student of the University of Cincinnati says that “its perfectly fine for a man to care about the way they look, just as long as they don’t take it to far and tell me how to dress, then it’s a problem” In today’s generation there are so many male celebrities who challenge fashion and anticipate on starting trends. Such celebrities like Kanye West, T.I, Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown set new limits to fashion to males. Bright colors like atomic pink, canary yellow, and purple are okay to wear now. With the spring season quickly approaching, vivid color and outlandish patterns for men might actually supersede women’s fashion this season. If you walk into your local mall and look in the display windows of major department stores, you can see the detail and precision in the men’s designs.
The days of simple black business suits and single colored ties are only a figment of today’s imagination. Skinny ties made there return giving a vintage look from the 1960’s. Retro plaid shirts, kool-aid colored kicks, and skinny jeans are the latest trends for guys. Tailored and fitted clothes are now cool. In 2009 it’s weird to see baggy and over sized clothing, but 10 years ago it would have been the opposite. In music videos and television shows we seen this alteration happening before our eyes. It could be safe to call this generation the Express® generation, a generation that cares about quality, detail, fit, and price surprisingly among men.
Michael Davis of Columbus, Ohio considers himself a masculine male that is not afraid to get dirty. He doesn’t really care about the clothes he has on, but he spent $450 on a Ralph Lauren sweater and tie set and didn’t completely regret it. Davis explained that his job title requires him to wear labels such as Ralph Lauren, rather than an unknown brand. “Expensive clothes are an investment, they last longer,” He then explains how brands like Ralph Lauren, come with an image that is often appealing to clients willing to invest in his company. With current economy standings not everyone has the luxury of spending $450 on a sweater set. Consumers are making their money stretch. Likewise, stores like Forever 21®; known as an in-expensive clothing store for women, launched their men’s clothing store called Heritage 1981. This store is known for replicating designer clothes at an everyday discount price. That same $450 sweater would have a look alike for only $25 at the most. Guy’s today care about style and tailored attire but are also attracted to low prices.
Career advancement, popularity, and propaganda all have been factors appealing men to fashion and style. Designers are aware that the market for men’s clothing is steadily increasing and they are catering to these essentials. Fashion is no longer a feminine fetish, but now a world that guys are quickly becoming comfortable in. The future looks very bright, canary yellow and all.
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