Men and fashion: A cultural revolution?
June 24th 2009 11:19
It wasn't that long ago that I was complaining about how lazy most Australian men appeared to be when it came to what they wore. Us girls could be dressed to the nines, having spent eons selecting just the right shoes and accessories to go with that hot new outfit, while our men took less than thirty seconds to shrug themselves into an old hoodie, jeans and filthy sneakers. Looking around Sydney now, however, it's quite a shock to see just how fashion-conscious many of the young men have become. They know what suits them, they know what combinations work, and some of them even know their labels.
So what is it that has made the average Aussie man open his eyes to the world of fashion? According to some, male fashion has simply become, well.... fashionable. "I think it's no longer uncool to be fashionable," says Karen Webster, director of the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. "In fact, the opposite is now de rigeur: to be stylish, to take pride in your appearance. It's not just boys doing it for girls, boys are doing it for themselves.
"You've got footballers now looking cool with hairstyles that change every week. In the music scene you are seeing almost a return to the glam or new romantic era. Boys are really making an effort to dress up and in more extreme circumstances are looking quite fanciful - almost dandyish."
Others believe that there's more to it than just trends, however - they see men's interest in fashion as being a lag effect of feminism. Once upon a time, men could get away with looking like they'd just gotten out of bed, but not anymore, says Marita McCabe, professor of psychology at Deakin University. "Males previously just needed to earn money and be in powerful positions, and as long as they had those things they were attractive to women," she says.
"Women now are much more financially independent and they're not as reliant on men to support them and also they are demanding more. The whole balance has changed - previously women were the compliant ones, now they are saying power and money is not enough, you have also got to look good."
So it would seem that the average man's burgeoning interest in fashion is not merely the result of a trend, but evidence that the pendulum of gender equality may finally have swung: at least in the arena of style and personal grooming. The figures speak volumes as well; according to IBISWorld, men's fashion is worth a whopping $2.7 billion a year in Australia.
But is this really evidence of a cultural revolution, or is it just the latest cultural trend to hit our shores, like metrosexuality did a couple of years ago? Is the fact that more and more women are 'wearing the pants' at home and in the workplace pushing men to take more pride in their appearance? Or are there other factors involved? Let me know your thoughts.
So what is it that has made the average Aussie man open his eyes to the world of fashion? According to some, male fashion has simply become, well.... fashionable. "I think it's no longer uncool to be fashionable," says Karen Webster, director of the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. "In fact, the opposite is now de rigeur: to be stylish, to take pride in your appearance. It's not just boys doing it for girls, boys are doing it for themselves.
"You've got footballers now looking cool with hairstyles that change every week. In the music scene you are seeing almost a return to the glam or new romantic era. Boys are really making an effort to dress up and in more extreme circumstances are looking quite fanciful - almost dandyish."
Others believe that there's more to it than just trends, however - they see men's interest in fashion as being a lag effect of feminism. Once upon a time, men could get away with looking like they'd just gotten out of bed, but not anymore, says Marita McCabe, professor of psychology at Deakin University. "Males previously just needed to earn money and be in powerful positions, and as long as they had those things they were attractive to women," she says.
"Women now are much more financially independent and they're not as reliant on men to support them and also they are demanding more. The whole balance has changed - previously women were the compliant ones, now they are saying power and money is not enough, you have also got to look good."
So it would seem that the average man's burgeoning interest in fashion is not merely the result of a trend, but evidence that the pendulum of gender equality may finally have swung: at least in the arena of style and personal grooming. The figures speak volumes as well; according to IBISWorld, men's fashion is worth a whopping $2.7 billion a year in Australia.
But is this really evidence of a cultural revolution, or is it just the latest cultural trend to hit our shores, like metrosexuality did a couple of years ago? Is the fact that more and more women are 'wearing the pants' at home and in the workplace pushing men to take more pride in their appearance? Or are there other factors involved? Let me know your thoughts.
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