WHAT IS MENSWEAR? AN ESSENTIAL
QUESTION IN A CONFUSED INDUSTRY

PUBLISHED APR 12, 2016

One can suppose menswear means men’s clothing. The history of fashion all over the world shows a clear differentiation between what men wear and what women wear. These differences align with the gender beliefs of the time.

From the practical standpoint of clothing creation, the only clear difference between a man and a woman are physical characteristics. Historically these practical differences in the body were addressed and often emphasised or subverted by fashion through tailoring. Womenswearaccommodated for breasts and hips with things like darting, girdles or other styles of contraptions that cinched and shaped the curves. Men’s tailoring emphasises things like the natural ‘V’ shape of a man’s body with shoulder pads and cinched waist. Women were valued for their beauty and as they were seen as frivolous in patriarchal societies, it meant their clothing was more colourful and extravagantly embellished. Men valued for their strength, physical tenacity and seriousness had more practical garments like pants, often made of structured durable materials with earthy or neutral colours and more subdued embellishments.

This once clear delineation between genders seems to deteriorate with time. From women wearing wigs and heels (fashion originally intended for men) to the once avant-garde YSL smoking suit, women have had a long tradition of adopting men’s clothing. Fashion from all tiers have responded to the shift. Tailoring seems to be losing traction, in favour of casual sportswear-inspired looks, softening the structural aesthetic of menswear. The sizeable population of young women and men shopping garments from all departments in charity shops, spearhead this moment on the street, while the merging of Mens and Womenswear shows by significant brands like Paul Smith, Vetements and Burberry mark the blurring of gender aesthetics in high fashion. The flexibility of style, and the shift in the landscape of fashion further erodes menswear’s status as men-exclusive clothing.