FREEDOM TO CHOOSE

Mantyhose?  Guylons?  He-tards?

Sound ridiculous yet familiar?

ALL of the terms above are alternative names with the same basic meaning.  Yes – men are beginning to wear the same fashions as women.  For years, women have been able to wear men’s fashion – so why not the reverse?  You might think that most men don’t know much about fashion but they are definitely interested and learning.

Some may find that some women’s clothing is more comfortable than men’s and for some the exact opposite might also be the case.  For instance some women might often buy men’s clothes because of style, fit and cost.  Others buy socks and shoes, because their feet are larger than what typical women’s fashion dictates.

Yet others find quite functional reasons for “cross dressing”.  Army men have been known to wear pantyhose (socks) inside their combat boots for long distances.  They wear them inside of their socks next to their skin – as they are great for preventing blisters!  Above is just one of the practical reasons that men wear women’s fashion.   It is only later when they discover that they are actually comfortable and don’t look all that bad that they start wearing more often.

This brings us to the term mantyhose.  Mantyhose is a term that was brought about 3 plus years ago.  Some might say that “shapewear” is inherently unmanly. That’s only because society’s minds are trained to pair tights with women’s wear.  Some believe it would only be accepted if you were competing in a sport that would enhance your performance.  Recently though, it has been noticed that it is possible to have a very masculine look when mantyhose are paired with other regular clothes.

tattoo mantyhose
Figure 1. The Mantyhose

Below is a quote by Loop 21 Staff , Sep 27th, 2011.

Lil Wayne jumped around in skinny women’s pants during his performance at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Kanye West wore a multiprint shirt designed for women at the Coachella music festival. Kid Cudi has been seen in a plaid skirt, Snoop Dogg often wears jewelry designed for women, and Pharrell Williams is a fan of the Hermes-made Birkin bag, the ultra-expensive purse favored by Hollywood’s top actresses.

Over the last 50 to 100 plus years, women have fought for equal opportunities in the workplace.  Now we see men fighting for equal rights on the style side.  For a long time, women have had the physical benefits of such things such as make-up and spanx  (the best thing since sliced bread in my personal opinion) while men have had to face the reality of what you have is what you got.   They have no way to cover a blemish.  That old saying of a “beer gut” is the excuse for having a gut… but what are your options if you are SHORT?  What do you do?  Well believe it or not, heels are becoming an option.  Yes – men in heels!  The picture below shows Lenny Kravitz even wore platform wedge boots to Fashion Week in New York.

Men in heels
Figure 2. Men in heels

When it comes to clothing at least, women can do pretty much anything and can be accepted. Do men have the same equal rights as women when it comes to choice of clothing or do they fear mockery if stepping outside of who society says can wear what?


Posted

in

by

Comments

2 responses to “FREEDOM TO CHOOSE”

  1. Carol Welker Avatar
    Carol Welker

    Oh my! That sexy, sexy man is wearing wedges!

  2. tamekareeves Avatar
    tamekareeves

    I’m not sure of this move towards unisex fashion, or androgyny even, represents progress or something altogether different and tragic. Perhaps I have become accustomed to there being a rather distinct sartorial line between women’s and men’s fashion, and clearly I am just not ready to share my accessories with my boyfriend. However I don’t think that men embracing the alteration of their bodies, in the precisely the same way as women have – and with the same garments, cosmetics and accessories, no less – is a good thing. To my mind it just seems like the male gaze has at last turned inward. Or perhaps selfward. I would rather see fashion and it’s inherent representations of the self moving in the opposite direction.

    If I’m truly honest I have to admit that I thought the whole mantyhose thing was just bizarre. I’ve long speculated, with no proof mind you, that it must have been a man who invented pantyhose as I cannot think of a less comfortable item to encapsulate one’s lower body in. (Except maybe a 1960’s style panty girdle. Don’t ask me how I know.) However I cannot say that I am reveling in the justice of men finally being subjected to the exact same discomfort that women have been for years. It make me a little sad, actually, that pantyhose still exist and that anyone should wear them. That an entire gender who has heretofore escaped this particular form of torture should actually want to wear them is just astounding. It makes me wonder what’s next? Dare I speculate, the dreaded corset? Shiver!!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.