i-D: Men in maxi skirts are everywhere for AW23

[Coder]

https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/88qpdk/ ... trend-aw23

Like florals for spring, seeing men in skirts on runways is basically a given these days. In fact, so ingrained in fashion’s consciousness have they become, that the menswear subgenre has started to spawn its very own microtrends, spanning everything from mini to midi to maxi — if hemlines traditionally indicate economic peaks and troughs, perhaps men’s hems correlate to societal masculinity.

[crfriend]

https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/88qpdk/ ... trend-aw23

Like florals for spring, seeing men in skirts on runways is basically a given these days. In fact, so ingrained in fashion’s consciousness have they become, that the menswear subgenre has started to spawn its very own microtrends, spanning everything from mini to midi to maxi — if hemlines traditionally indicate economic peaks and troughs, perhaps men’s hems correlate to societal masculinity.

Was this written by an AI trying to fill a page with ink?

That question is only partly in jest. I'm curious as to what sort of thought with generate such a statement.

[Coder]

https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/88qpdk/ ... trend-aw23

Like florals for spring, seeing men in skirts on runways is basically a given these days. In fact, so ingrained in fashion’s consciousness have they become, that the menswear subgenre has started to spawn its very own microtrends, spanning everything from mini to midi to maxi — if hemlines traditionally indicate economic peaks and troughs, perhaps men’s hems correlate to societal masculinity.

Was this written by an AI trying to fill a page with ink?

That question is only partly in jest. I'm curious as to what sort of thought with generate such a statement.

It gave me a bit of a chuckle, I'll be honest. Lots of buzzwords and the last bit ("correlate to societal masculinity") is a bit of a head-scratcher. Rather than hem lengths, I think the dividing line would be Skirt vs Kilt, and very subtle nuances once you start wearing skirts. Also, I think masculinity is perceived based on who you are. Brad Pitt might be perceived as masculine whereas Harry Styles feminine even if they wore the same clothes - they've cultivated a brand for themselves.

For those of us out there wearing skirts, it doesn't matter - or at least shouldn't.

[Barleymower]

https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/88qpdk/ ... trend-aw23

Was this written by an AI trying to fill a page with ink?

That question is only partly in jest. I'm curious as to what sort of thought with generate such a statement.

It gave me a bit of a chuckle, I'll be honest. Lots of buzzwords and the last bit ("correlate to societal masculinity") is a bit of a head-scratcher. Rather than hem lengths, I think the dividing line would be Skirt vs Kilt, and very subtle nuances once you start wearing skirts. Also, I think masculinity is perceived based on who you are. Brad Pitt might be perceived as masculine whereas Harry Styles feminine even if they wore the same clothes - they've cultivated a brand for themselves.

For those of us out there wearing skirts, it doesn't matter - or at least shouldn't.

Yes it looks AI written and some trying to be clever wording.
What is masculinity? Like you say Brad Pitt and Harry S have their own brands. Sometimes I think masculinity doesn't exist. It's just exhibitions of strength.
I feel like my own masculine brand has taken a big knock with my skirts. I've been having a tough time of it recently with friends deserting me. Noone says anything (a very English trait) I just dont see or hear from them anymore and I don't know where this will end up. Not alone I hope.

[crfriend]

What is masculinity? Like you say Brad Pitt and Harry S have their own brands. Sometimes I think masculinity doesn't exist. It's just exhibitions of strength.

It's vastly more than a simplistic exhibition of strength and force: it's much more nuanced if done correctly. Force and strength have to be moderated with compassion and care to be really effective in anything but outright combat, which few of us find ourselves in on a day-to-day setting. Note that this implies that to be properly masculine one needs to (1) possess such qualities and (2) needs to know how to deploy them. Furthermore, proper masculinity also encompasses ability which can be either employed or not in any given situation, but usually will be unless the risks are extreme.

Brute force is what is machismo; it takes much more than that to be a proper man -- in any world, not just the present one.

Ability is also key to most men; we need to be able to do things. Sometimes for no reason at all other than to help someone else in a position of need. For instance, I'll be helping a housemate put up curtain rods and hang curtains on them in the coming days because I'm capable of doing it, have the tools, and the talent -- and I expect precisely nothing in return. Similarly, a number of years ago I took a calculated risk and bounded forward to the mast to bring down the mainsail because we'd gotten into a potentially precarious situation and the guy who was already there wasn't up to it. He got ordered aft and back into the cockpit when I raced forward -- in a skirt -- to bring the thing down before we got hit with one Hell of a squall and had nasty rocks to the lee side. Part of being a man is "doing what needs to be done when it needs doing", and I use that as an illustration. (I sat the worst of that out forward. hugging the mast so I'd not go over the side, and waited it out hoping we'd not get hit by lightning.)

Any ass can be macho; it takes a real man to live up to the moniker. The modern definition of "man" tends to the "macho" rather than old-school masculinity. Heed the old notion; it's accurate.

I feel like my own masculine brand has taken a big knock with my skirts. I've been having a tough time of it recently with friends deserting me. Noone says anything (a very English trait) I just dont see or hear from them anymore and I don't know where this will end up. Not alone I hope.

You're likely not alone. However, I have never been accused of being anything other than properly masculine -- and whether I'm wearing a skirt or not has never entered the equation.

[Barleymower]

What is masculinity? Like you say Brad Pitt and Harry S have their own brands. Sometimes I think masculinity doesn't exist. It's just exhibitions of strength.

It's vastly more than a simplistic exhibition of strength and force: it's much more nuanced if done correctly. Force and strength have to be moderated with compassion and care to be really effective in anything but outright combat, which few of us find ourselves in on a day-to-day setting. Note that this implies that to be properly masculine one needs to (1) possess such qualities and (2) needs to know how to deploy them. Furthermore, proper masculinity also encompasses ability which can be either employed or not in any given situation, but usually will be unless the risks are extreme.

Brute force is what is machismo; it takes much more than that to be a proper man -- in any world, not just the present one.

Ability is also key to most men; we need to be able to do things. Sometimes for no reason at all other than to help someone else in a position of need. For instance, I'll be helping a housemate put up curtain rods and hang curtains on them in the coming days because I'm capable of doing it, have the tools, and the talent -- and I expect precisely nothing in return. Similarly, a number of years ago I took a calculated risk and bounded forward to the mast to bring down the mainsail because we'd gotten into a potentially precarious situation and the guy who was already there wasn't up to it. He got ordered aft and back into the cockpit when I raced forward -- in a skirt -- to bring the thing down before we got hit with one Hell of a squall and had nasty rocks to the lee side. Part of being a man is "doing what needs to be done when it needs doing", and I use that as an illustration. (I sat the worst of that out forward. hugging the mast so I'd not go over the side, and waited it out hoping we'd not get hit by lightning.)

Any ass can be macho; it takes a real man to live up to the moniker. The modern definition of "man" tends to the "macho" rather than old-school masculinity. Heed the old notion; it's accurate.

I feel like my own masculine brand has taken a big knock with my skirts. I've been having a tough time of it recently with friends deserting me. Noone says anything (a very English trait) I just dont see or hear from them anymore and I don't know where this will end up. Not alone I hope.

You're likely not alone. However, I have never been accused of being anything other than properly masculine -- and whether I'm wearing a skirt or not has never entered the equation.

Carl I know what you are saying is true, it's about how you conduct yourself.
I have not been wearing skirts for long. Less than a year. People around me have quite shocked by it. I get reports back via my wife. "Does he wear your underwear too" etc. They recoil from me. I think it is more my choice of friends.
I'm determined to stay with it though. It will probably mean moving away and making new friends.
I'm finding my own style that's the fun part.