AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

Clippings from news sources involving fashion freedom and other gender equality issues.
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AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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https://apnews.com/article/entertainmen ... 07d90ba42e

Also picked up by various news outlets.
Milan menswear designers seem to have decided on the answer, but the question remains: Have the pandemic lockdowns emboldened men to embrace a more feminine silhouette, including skirts, mini-dresses and cape coats
Are any of these affordable? No.

Are any of these wearable? Based on the 18 photos the AP released, no.

Yet again, high fashion has a chance to shock the world with something - dare I say - sellable to the masses - and yet again it fails. I don't know enough about these fashion weeks to say no one presents anything practical, but I feel like if a company presented practical clothing it would make headlines for being so normal.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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If we're going to wait for the Fashion world (capital "F" there, mind) to produce workable looks and styles for men we're going to have a very long wait indeed -- probably about two or three typical lifetimes, unless something happens by accident.

I don't see acceptance being driven by the Fashion world, by Celebrities, "Athletes", or the Rich and Famous. I see this as a grass-roots effort being driven independently by every single forward-thinking man who has the guts, stamina, and chutzpah to adopt skirts. In other words, this is our fight, not anybody else's, and we're in it pretty much alone. And we play the meek at our peril.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

Post by STEVIE »

In fact there is nothing that cannot be worn. Whether on would choose to wear a catwalk creation piece is a wholly different matter.
The high end designers aren't in the least bit interested in the proles, volume sales just isn't their forte.
In their world if you take note of cost then you probably cannot afford it anyway.
crfriend wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 4:21 pm I don't see acceptance being driven by the Fashion world, by Celebrities, "Athletes", or the Rich and Famous. I see this as a grass-roots effort being driven independently by every single forward-thinking man who has the guts, stamina, and chutzpah to adopt skirts. In other words, this is our fight, not anybody else's, and we're in it pretty much alone. And we play the meek at our peril.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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crfriend wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 4:21 pm If we're going to wait for the Fashion world (capital "F" there, mind) to produce workable looks and styles for men we're going to have a very long wait indeed -- probably about two or three typical lifetimes, unless something happens by accident.

I don't see acceptance being driven by the Fashion world, by Celebrities, "Athletes", or the Rich and Famous. I see this as a grass-roots effort being driven independently by every single forward-thinking man who has the guts, stamina, and chutzpah to adopt skirts. In other words, this is our fight, not anybody else's, and we're in it pretty much alone. And we play the meek at our peril.
The Fashion world, along with odd-ball rich folks, may already have opened up the idea of men's skirts to the mind of some you'd consider a part of "the masses" or "normal" folk. The fact that some are aware of stunts by the likes Harry Styles, or have seen absurd creations by designers, may reduce the shock value of folks like us wearing something reasonably tame and practical no matter the source.

Capital-F "Fashion" is about a lot of things. Shock value, exploring concepts and ideas, exclusivity for it's own sake, and creating an in-group, just to name a few. Practicality isn't on the list. Some of what they show is solely for the runway, some is available for purchase, the so-called "ready-to-wear collections" and the like.

This stuff in the article honestly didn't look as impractical as some "Fashion" stuff I've come across. The skirts weren't even the most distinct items in my mind. Handbags were carried by men everywhere, and they put obvious cutouts on some of the outfits. One of the (male) models had on opaque white panties (tights) or stockings with Mary Jane style shoes. To my mind these items were more dramatically out of the norm than a skirt.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

Post by STEVIE »

Hi Dust
I do get where you are coming from with this but "reducing the shock value" alone will not drive acceptance, nor will it win hearts and minds.
Female fashion is catwalk driven because the major retailers can have diluted versions in production almost as soon as the originals are back on their hangers. Men's fashions just don't work in the same way at the moment.
Awareness is never likely to be enough to overcome the innate apathy and societal resistance to our clothing choices.
Tolerance, perhaps but acceptance will have really arrived when the "fashionistas" consider men in skirts unworthy of their consummate good taste and creative talents.
To paraphrase with respect, "I have a dream"!
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

Post by Dust »

No, Steve, it's not enough, but it may give us a little head start, which is better than nothing.

The fact that menswear doesn't do the "fast fashion" thing the way women's retailers do, is both a blessing and a curse. It makes a big change like skirts harder to enact, but once it happens it will not likely be a passing fad or some little flash in the pan that's gone again almost immediately.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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A lot of those looks are quite distopian ......... the models look so sombre ........... nothing cheerful ......... not a smile amongst them.
Maybe it is fashionable to have "attitude".
Let us not wait around for something to appear that we like and can afford. Just create our own look from the vast variety of garments that are already out there. There are many here who are already showing such creativity ............. some quite inexpensively.
Anthony, a denim miniskirt wearer in Outback Australia
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

Post by new2skirts »

Dust wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:42 pm No, Steve, it's not enough, but it may give us a little head start, which is better than nothing.

The fact that menswear doesn't do the "fast fashion" thing the way women's retailers do, is both a blessing and a curse. It makes a big change like skirts harder to enact, but once it happens it will not likely be a passing fad or some little flash in the pan that's gone again almost immediately.
It has reached a point that if a man wears a skirt, most may double take, but after that it's a non-event. Cue British summer news articles where men wear skirts to escape the heat... even in protests over school uniform, you may now get some teachers accepting the pupil's choice, wheras before the kid would get suspended or sent home.

Denim skirts are inexpensive as well as invisible. All the Fashion stuff is generally unwearable due to poor cut, or stupid accessories such as worn in conjunction with stupid headwear ie helmets, masks, outrageous makeup. Most of it is for shock value and impact. Most guys want to follow the herd and not stand out, so something boring and denim from a local store or thrift shop is ideal :mrgreen:
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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new2skirts wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:35 pmMost guys want to follow the herd and not stand out, so something boring and denim from a local store or thrift shop is ideal :mrgreen:
Not necessarily denim, but yeah. I prefer khaki or black to denim blue. To each their own.

I have seen, however, that even finding denim skirts without little girly touches like embroidered flowers or whatever can sometimes be a challenge. Good pockets are near impossible to find in the women's department. I could go on, but the point is that clothes from across the isle often don't quite fit our needs (or body shapes), and finding something truly boring can be a challenge. So I think we do need to see more male-marketed skirts, and not just because of the label or placement in the store. The designer variety isn't going to cut it, though.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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Dust wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 5:42 pmI have seen, however, that even finding denim skirts without little girly touches like embroidered flowers or whatever can sometimes be a challenge.
What's wrong with occasional touches of whimsy and lightness. I think the world needs more of that at the moment than it has in a very long time indeed.
Good pockets are near impossible to find in the women's department. I could go on, but the point is that clothes from across the isle often don't quite fit our needs (or body shapes), and finding something truly boring can be a challenge.
The "pockets issue" can be worked in assorted ways including leveraging jackets/blazers for their pocket-space. Ultimately, there's noting inherently non-masculine in carrying a bag, either. The notion just takes some getting used to.
So I think we do need to see more male-marketed skirts, and not just because of the label or placement in the store. The designer variety isn't going to cut it, though.
So long as the resulting designs are so abhorrently boring as the vast bulk of male drab. If we're going to wear drab we may as well be wearing the uniform.

The rig I've picked out for today is a black A-line skirt, calf-length, with a dusty-rose floral pattern to be worn with black opaques and a burgundy overlay for those, a black men's dress shirt and my burgundy velvet double-breasted waistcoat. I've not decided on shoes yet. Hardly male drab, but not very effeminate in the least.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

Post by Dust »

Carl, I was referring to getting something for the masses of men to get skirts for men to become common and be something normal. Or even just skirts that a would appeal to the average guy as a genuine everyday option in their own wardrobe.

I agree that we could all use a but more whimsy, but most guys aren't going to wear it, at least until we move society's expectations a bit.

I agree that jacket pockets can help a lot... when it's cool enough out for a jacket. If it's hot (i.e. when we could all benefit the most from the breeze between our knees) you don't want to wear a jacket, either. And getting used to carrying a bag while also getting used to wearing a skirt, means twice the significant behavioral changes.

I love your optimism, but I'm trying to be realistic.


Also, I believe the word you were looking for was "feminine," not "effeminate." Feminine: pertaining to women. Effeminate: weak and lacking virtue. Very different meanings...
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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Dust wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:02 amI love your optimism, but I'm trying to be realistic.
I suspect we have more in common here than might be at first construed. I've been a hard-nosed realist for much of my life, and all that's managed to do has been to leave me a disillusioned wishful thinker hoping for a more verdant and softer world than we are living in now. I suspect that if some force isn't injected into the fight that softness and whimsy shall be things of a bygone era. That's not a world I want to live in,
Also, I believe the word you were looking for was "feminine," not "effeminate."
The verbiage was very deliberately chosen.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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Funny but I was thinking of adding some small motifs or patches to some of my boring monochrome skirts. When I can find such items as tickles my fancy.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

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crfriend wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:31 am
Dust wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:02 amI love your optimism, but I'm trying to be realistic.
I suspect we have more in common here than might be at first construed. I've been a hard-nosed realist for much of my life, and all that's managed to do has been to leave me a disillusioned wishful thinker hoping for a more verdant and softer world than we are living in now. I suspect that if some force isn't injected into the fight that softness and whimsy shall be things of a bygone era. That's not a world I want to live in,
Yeah, I figured we were talking past each other, thus the clarification. I think we are fairly close as well, though you have much more experience.

In my mind, we need both the folks aggressively pushing boundaries and breaking barriers, and folks showing that change is possible as just another option in the male wardrobe, that doesn't require changing everything else. I was mostly talking about the later, but your efforts to the former are much appreciated. My efforts have been focused on the latter.

Between my personality, my state in life, my clothing taste and goals, and the circles I tend to run in, I don't do flamboyant much. But even wearing what I do, skirt wise, has done wonders for my self confidence. Bolder looks are definitely in my future...
crfriend wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:31 am
Also, I believe the word you were looking for was "feminine," not "effeminate."
The verbiage was very deliberately chosen.
It seemed out of character for you to misspeak like that, but the context made me think you had the wrong word. A lot of people carelessly swap the two. Hopefully someone reading along learned something. I'm pondering your words more closely now...

BTW what did you go for, shoe wise? I miss seeing your pics.
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Re: AP: Fendi leads Milan trends with feminine silhouettes for men

Post by rode_kater »

Sinned wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:14 am Funny but I was thinking of adding some small motifs or patches to some of my boring monochrome skirts. When I can find such items as tickles my fancy.
How coincidental. Just this weekend I was looking into embroidery on the sewing machine. For the same reason, to give the plain coloured clothes something special. If you google "cat single line drawing" you get what I was thinking of. Not over the top, but still pretty cool.

Unfortunately, it seems that the sewing machine didn't want to do it nicely on fleece. On stiffer materials it worked. Need to find an expert.
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