It’s a provacotive question, right? By asking it, I am insinuating that men’s fashion isn’t interesting, or wasn’t, at least- and in my opinion, it hasn’t been. Men’s fashion, in my opinion, has always been a parade of sameness with the same suits and collared shirts and jeans and T-shirts and beetle-ish dress shoes season after season. I’ve always thought that it’s a pity how men have so fewer choices for what society deems is acceptable for them to wear- shirts, shorts, pants, jackets- that’s pretty much it. Because of this unfortunate lack of diversity in the menswear industry, I’ve never really paid it much mind, preferring to leap headlong into the richness of women’s fashion instead.
However, the Spring 2020 menswear shows carried forth a different message, with tons of gender-bending outfits rendered in precious pastels that made me consider the possibility that men’s fashion might finally be transforming, moving us one step closer to a world where people of all genders have the choice to wear exactly what they want without feeling pressured to adhere to a certain image.
For starters, pastels, the light, delicate tones that are often found with the most feminine fashions, were a prevailing theme in the Spring 2020 menswear shows. Suits, coats, pants, shoes, shorts, sweaters and more were all seen rendered in these playful colors, which created a more feminine vibe that you wouldn’t usually find in men’s fashion. There were also plenty of interesting pieces that I wouldn’t imagine normally seeing in the men’s section like sheer, flowing tops; ruffled blouses; preppy short shorts; tie-front jackets; beaded and embellished tops; flowery sweaters and accessories; a few skirts and even a dress or two.
Within these collections, it’s like the world of modern men’s fashion has finally opened up and has the freedom and space to allow men to think outside of the black suit, classic jeans, polos, khakis and the dreaded basketball shorts. I’m waiting and have been waiting for a fashion future where I can expect to see just as many fashionable, well-dressed men on the streets or the red carpet or on my Instagram feed as women.
But it’s one thing for the fashion elite to send these sort of looks down the runway and it’s quite another for the men of the world to actually absorb and accept these new possibilities. Unfortunately, we are a society run by gender norms and rigid expectations that put people into boxes and dictate what a normal man or woman should wear and how they should act. These types of issues don’t disappear overnight, and actually take decades, or even generations to break down and dissolve. Because of this, my only hope can be that pop culture will continue to push the envelope of gender stereotypes little by little, until it’s no longer seen as unusual or unacceptable for men to wear frilly, pastel clothing. So here’s to the future and hoping that change is coming!
Check out some of my favorite pastel looks from the Spring 2020 Menswear shows:
All images from Vogue.com.