I know that is a very bold and judgmental headline, but genuinely, why do men dress like that? Sure, it’s not all men, but it’s definitely quite a few. Now, it is important to know that I have zero intention of being disrespectful with this article. This is more of a curious deep dive into men’s style, what influences it and what we can learn from the way men approach the art of dress.
A look at Men’s Fashion of the past
Since the dawn of time (or at least since we started caring about clothes), the societal standard of menswear has constantly shifted. We went from the tailored and structured look of the early to mid-1900s to the casual and comfortable clothes of the 2020s. Even as the ideal male archetype changed with each decade, the desire to project some form of masculinity has remained constant.
Lights, camera, action!
Just like women, men take a lot of inspiration from digital media, whether it be TV, film or social media. Some familiar male fashion content creators I see on my feed are: TikTok influencer Wisdom Kaye; YouTuber Christian Villanueva (also known as Frugal Aesthetic) and another YouTuber Bliss Foster. All three offer incredibly rich insight on all things fashion, styling and creative direction. Of course, there are many more influencers I haven’t noted but are equally influential.
Sure, men don’t always talk about it openly but they most definitely absorb the style cues from the content they consume, as do women! I mean, how many times have you seen a girl wear something on TikTok and then see another girl wear it in person three weeks later? While partaking in trends can be seen as unsustainable, it at least teaches people what they like about clothes, and maybe what they want to see more of in their wardrobe.
Groupthink?
I think girls are more experimental with fashion than guys, not like we don’t feel judged, but I think there’s just another level of empathetic understanding with women. We’re always cheering on each other when trying new things, which makes me wish that men were able to feel that same level of comfort and freedom, too. I think if there is one opinion I will stand by, it is that the modern fashion landscape makes it harder for men to show individuality through their clothes. On my college campus, I see a lot of guys following the same style formula: T-shirt, joggers or jeans and beaten-up sneakers or sandals.
But honestly, there’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, this uniform adorning the modern college man has been perfected to a science of practicality, comfort and efficiency. It gets the job done, and it’s good to see them recognize and use their clothes to their fullest potential.
So, what did we learn?
There are so many factors that shape a man’s wardrobe, like culture, comfort, confidence, practicality and even the occasional TikTok scroll. With all that in mind, it really doesn’t matter what they wear. Well, it matters a little if you’re going to a job interview, a date or any other important event. But generally speaking, men tend to either meet expectations or miss them by a long shot, and honestly, that’s what makes men’s fashion special.
At the end of the day, men’s fashion is a blend of effort, influence and instinct. Some guys dress to impress, some dress to survive the day and some dress because their favorite pair of jeans was clean. All of these reasons are completely valid.
If anything, exploring men’s style just gives us a better appreciation for how differently people express themselves regardless of gender, and how much (or how little) thought can go into something as simple as getting dressed.
