FEMININE INFLUENCE IN MENSWEAR

you’ve inevitably noticed, the world of menswear has recently been turned upside down, with every designer jumping on the femininity train in a gender swapping heyday. From mary jane shoes all the way to skirts, this season has been packed full of interesting collections which follow a different path. There were some trends which seemed to be huge and had a version created by nearly every designer, such as leggings or tights under shorts or a skirt. Rei and her Comme des Garcons collection were without a doubt, one of the best examples of this trend; few have ever made pants under skirts look so wearable and dignified.

Other designers took a much softer route and within some of these softer collections, you can find a lot of almost satirical looking ensembles comprised of elements such as strategic, flesh-toned color blocking and overly frivolous detailing. Some of it is lovely, and some of it is perhaps a satirical stab back at the world of fashion and the media, in reference to how women are made out as always being a pretty sex object.

Some took a less ironic route, however, such as Kiminori Morishita, who created a gorgeous collection while maintaining a sense of what’s traditionally considered to be masculine. This show featured ribbon-tied mary jane shoes, with opaque tights and a pastel, muted palette but still managed to look sophisticated and sexy.

While there were so many takes on this femininity trend already, it will still be interesting to see how or if it carries over into the next season of menswear – or whether we’ll see an abundance of girly elements in the upcoming women’s shows.