Do women have more diversity in fashion than men do?

[NICOnick]

Sure, there are so many different kinds of clothes out there, for both men and women, but I feel like women have the higher advantage: more accessories (shoes, jewelry, bags, hair accessories, make-up, etc.) and lots of different types of clothing (dress, tanks, skirts, etc.).
Because women have an immense range of clothes to choose from, it is easier to diverse herself from other girls. Males, on the other hand, have very limited arrays, thus not being able to express his individuality as much as a female can.

I have been interested in fashion for quite some time, but there's not a lot of stores in my city that really sell clothes that pertain to my interest and taste - so I only really prefer items at Urban Outfitters and/or Forever 21.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think women have more diversity in fashion than men do?

 

[MulletProof]

I used to think so, and I think most stores (such as the ones you mention [UO and F21] plus others like H&M and Topshop) sort of reaffirm this idea by choosing such a limited array of clothes in their men's department (not to mention trends), as if all guys into fashion were satisfied with just wearing a cardigan, a tee, some jeans and some shoes.

Gah, I know it's a bit.. improper to talk about other forums here but sometimes when I visit stylezeigeist (which is another fashion community, except dominated by men), I almost feel frustrated that women have so little and guys have so much .. and that's silly as it's certainly not the case but it just shows you that menswear can be even more creative and detailed right now as it's still a territory where many things are yet to be tried and it somehow has managed to keep some attention on the purity of design (cut, structure, shape, fabrics, volumes, etc), whereas womenswear very often overlooks all of that and masks lazy design with a visually arresting color, some cute print, trendy shapes or "flattering" looks.

That's one of the reasons why I love seeing Ann Demeulemeester's shows and why her menswear somehow speaks to me more than her womens line. It's so intricate and romantic but nothing that hits you in the eye at first glance. (Click here to see one of her shows). Certainly not everyone can afford that, especially if you are still very young, but it does encourage the imagination.. to either save up and invest on a piece or just to make you want to experiment with shapes and materials.

I also sometimes buy Another Men magazine. You may want to try to find it if you are interested in a freer 'menswear' world .. it's a gorgeous, 100% menswear magazine..

So to answer your question, no, I think the offer for men is as wide as the one for women, it's unfortunately just not as accessible (not just financially but you really have to dig very hard to learn more about what menswear designers are doing).

 

[NICOnick]

I agree with your comment pertaining to the fact that menswear can be more creative because there's so many territories that men haven't really tried yet.

But even though there are different options for men, it is not as huge, or ever will be, as big as women's fashion, in my opinion.

 

[MulletProof]

I just did!, and you're welcome, great topic.

 

[Lapin de Lune]

I certainly do think that menswear can be more creative, especially considering the prevalence of exuberant, awesomely accessorized male costume in past eras!
I am sometimes quite sad to see how far gone this concept is in our age, this past century at least. I'm sure that I recall watching a documentary about this some time ago, but can't bring the title to mind, in which this very question was explored. I was stunned by the attention to detail of menswear in centuries past, where elaborate decoration (jewellery, wigs, perfume, etc) and sartorial astuteness were integral to a mans 'image' in society: often more so than the women's.

I also have several (inc. very masculine) male friends who bemoan this loss of 'freedom' to express themselves through clothing in the ways which women are regularly encouraged to (their words).

Perhaps this is far more apparent on the street, outside of the cities than in the industry itself, though. Most guys who live in my small town would rather die than wear anything more suggestive than a tracksuit or jeans/tshirt. I guess it depends upon your perspective.

A great topic, which I only wish that I was eloquent enough to contribute to properly!

 

[fashionista-ta]

Of course they do ... but one thing that kind of makes menswear interesting is the fine degrees of discrimination (I mean in terms of taste). So you're looking for a pair of black dress shoes ... gotta have 'em, and there are a million out there, with overall far less variation than women's shoes. But there is still plenty of scope for choosing pair Q rather than pair A for all kinds of good reasons ... if that makes sense. It's certainly easy to get dressed in the morning as a guy ... it's nice to see men paying attention to the details. A bit of originality is certainly refreshing too

 

[Desi]

I certainly do think that menswear can be more creative, especially considering the prevalence of exuberant, awesomely accessorized male costume in past eras!
I am sometimes quite sad to see how far gone this concept is in our age, this past century at least. I'm sure that I recall watching a documentary about this some time ago, but can't bring the title to mind, in which this very question was explored. I was stunned by the attention to detail of menswear in centuries past, where elaborate decoration (jewellery, wigs, perfume, etc) and sartorial astuteness were integral to a mans 'image' in society: often more so than the women's.

In a way you can thank Beau Brummel. He may have promoted tailoring and attention to detail but took out some of the outright fund and ridiculousness from times past. One of my favorite examples: Roman sandals that had words on the bottom, you would end up leaving footsteps that said things like "follow me"

 

[Fewormany]

Women seem to have more options to choose, both in clothing items as in shops. But with so much diversity it's harder to stand out. Men's fashion has less options (in general), but most men choose to dress safe and seem to be ok with the (relativly) limited choice they have.

So while men may have less to choose from, I think it's easier to stand out because most men don't care about dressing in a creative way.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I agree with that. Even a well-groomed man stands out where I work Anything that's not 'I shaved my head and pulled on this white shirt and khakis' ... I frequently find myself wishing that men--and indeed everyone--would pay more attention to fit. It's like people never tried their clothes on before they bought them ...

 

[William_St_Girl]

men have much less diversity when it comes to fashion... the simple indicator is most department stores have one floor for mens clothes and two for women... my hubby is awful to buy for... take something as simle like a mans torso... all you can cover it with is a t-shirt, a polo shirt, polo neck and a shirt ... and sorry that's about it when it comes to the first layer... unless you add in jumpers etc...

 

[silk skin paws]

Yeah just because there's more options and variety in women clothing down to under garments. Sometimes there's just too much option and styles it can become daunting if you're not all that into fashion or figured out your style yet. I agree that it's easier for a well-dress man to stand out from the rest. A well structured suit is usually a win.

 

[William_St_Girl]

But that's about it for a smart occassion for a man... a suit! Women def have more options!

 

[Underage]

Yes. I feel lucky to be a woman when it comes to fashion!

 

[GreatOrion]

But that's about it for a smart occassion for a man... a suit! Women def have more options!

Agree. And - to make it "even better", most time a black or very dark grey colored suit (which seems to be black).
You already really stand out when wearing dark brown.

Designers can show very nice colored suits with much variety ... in real life there is no occation to wear them ...

 

[Menace]

IMO, it's not that there is more diversity for women in fashion... it's the fact that it's more socially acceptable for a woman to be flamboyant and unique in her outfit choices.

 

[softgrey]

i know a lot of women actually have a hard time because there are too many choices and they can't decide what they should do...

it's really easier for men, in a way...
fewer options means fewer decisions one has to make...
and fewer chances of making the wrong choice...

 

[iheartbags]

Women are also so much more competitive about their looks than men. This adds to the diversity. No women wants to be seen dead in a dress twice or in a dress wore by another women...

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ That is certainly not all women. I have never been seen in the same outfit as someone else, but certainly the same ones can be seen on me. (Anyone who doesn't want to be seen in the same dress as someone else should either stop wearing dresses, or be sure to have a deal with the designer.)

 

[Fewormany]

^ That is certainly not all women. I have never been seen in the same outfit as someone else, but certainly the same ones can be seen on me. (Anyone who doesn't want to be seen in the same dress as someone else should either stop wearing dresses, or be sure to have a deal with the designer.)

Or better things to worry about.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Well, it's a problem. I think it was Lynn Wyatt who showed up in the same thing as Princess Grace, and the Princess told her to go home and change. Then there was the infamous Laura Bush/OdlR debacle--I think there were four of them in the same dress that night. She changed. My sister has shown up to a shower before in the same dress as someone else--possibly the guest of honor. When my idiot aunt saw her blouse on someone else (a woman of color--could that have been the problem? ), she gave it to me. Being in the same outfit at the same event, particularly the same as the hostess or guest of honor, does create an awkward situation ... it's not like two guys in the same tux Advantage to the Y chromosome ... and a good reason to always wear separates.