Victoria and Albert Museum - Fashioning Masculinities

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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Barleymower
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2022 10:28 pm

Victoria and Albert Museum - Fashioning Masculinities

Post by Barleymower »

I went to the V and A with my daughter on Saturday to the Fashioning Masculinities exhibition. It was really good. At the end of the exhibition the even had Harry Styles big dress and Billy Porters dress. At the entrance to the exhibition I was greeted by the this notice:

In partnership with GUCCI

'In a patriarchal society, masculine gender identity is often moulded by violently toxic stereotypes. A dominant, winning, oppressive masculinity model is imposed on babies at birth. Attitudes, languages and actions end up progressively conforming to a macho virility ideal that removes vulnerability and dependence. Any possible reference to femininity is aggressively banned, as it is considered a threat against the complete affirmation of a masculine prototype that allows no divergencies. There is nothing natural in this drift. The model is socially and culturally built to reject anything that doesn't comply with it.

Therefore, it seems necessary to suggest a desertion, away from patriarchal plans and uniforms. Deconstructing the idea of masculinity as it has been historically established. Opening a cage. Throwing a chant. It's time to celebrate a man who is free to practise self-determination, without social constraints, without authoritarian sanctions, without suffocating stereotypes.'

An excerpt from the statement released to coincide with the Fall/Winter 2020 collection

Alessandro Michele, Creative Director, Gucci


After the exhibition we went up to Camden. I saw a young guy on the tube with a long skirt and a guitar. I complimented him on his skirt but he panicked and left the train. If you are a patron of the skirtcafe and you see this message. I'm sorry I scared you, it was not intended.
Bodycon
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Re: Victoria and Albert Museum - Fashioning Masculinities

Post by Bodycon »

Barleymower wrote: Mon Jul 11, 2022 8:30 am Therefore, it seems necessary to suggest a desertion, away from patriarchal plans and uniforms. Deconstructing the idea of masculinity as it has been historically established. Opening a cage. Throwing a chant. It's time to celebrate a man who is free to practise self-determination, without social constraints, without authoritarian sanctions, without suffocating stereotypes.
A lot of babble there....

I think that the only way skirts will be fully accepted by men will be to make the skirt a masculine choice and aspiration. There is too much talk of changing attitudes and accepting femininity; if the skirt was seen as masculine, you would be most of the way there.

It may be a bit of The Kings Clothes, but current attitudes are entrenched. If you can't change the person, change the clothes (to a perception of masculinity) - may even get more women wearing them....

If I knew how to do that, by this time next year I would be a millionaire. 8)
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