Shopping departments other than your own-children's, opposite sex-etc-

[Scott]

^and i've done that as well,now that you've reminded me. men's scarves overall are more boring and i've often bought the more interesting women's.

 

[doutzen]

Great topic. One thing I've been dying to try out is wearing a loose tie with anything that isn't a button-down. I haven't quite figured out what though!

 

[Crying Diamonds]

I like big mens' watches actually, but not Rolexs - they're ugly things.
But I would kill for a ladies Breguet any day.

This is a strange question for me . . I am completely willing to wear womens' clothes and yet I don't . .

I wear silk scarfs and bangles and androgynous (i.e. womens') cowboy boots, oh and sometimes a fur coat but otherwise it's all mens' clothes . .
I'm pretty shocked with myself.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Agreed ... I have never understood the appeal of a Rolex.

 

[Miss Laura]

i love wearing my boyfriends diesel flannel checked shirt
so warm and toasty

 

[CaitlinC]

I prefer men's boots sometimes over women's boots.

Men's boots are built better and more sturdy. I stand all day where I work, so I need boots that won't wear down over time.

 

[MulletProof]

^my mom's been buying men's motorcycle boots for as long as I can remember.. she looks wonderful.

 

[CaitlinC]

^my mom's been buying men's motorcycle boots for as long as I can remember.. she looks wonderful.

I love motorcycle boots. They are usually unisex looking anyway.

I love mens buckled ones too.

I like to pair them with a dress or skirt, gives it a rock n doll style a bit.

 

[Zarina]

I am too small to fit any men's clothes, but I have a skirt made of ties

 

[GasolineRainbow]

^ You're right about marketing ... did you know Marlboros were originally a women's cigarette? I have to laugh to myself when I see the macho men pulling them out ... fooled by advertising

So funny, I didn't know that! I've really gotten into the tv series "Mad Men" recently, it really shows the groundwork of how advertising has managed to seep into our perceptions of products and lifestyles. And it doesn't even stop at clothes and cosmetics. Even things like drinks can be gendered; lots of guys won't order "girly" cocktails, and Coke Zero was developed as a "manly" alternative to Diet Coke, because diet soda is associated with women.

There are many elements to fashion assigned to our genders that we firmly take for granted, and we don't realize how recent or even random many of them are! Things like skirts, tights, high heels, and makeup were all perfectly acceptable for men, and sometimes only for men. Take blue and pink for boys and girls, respectively:

In Western culture, the practice of assigning pink to an individual gender began in the 1920s. From then until the 1940s, pink was considered appropriate for boys because being related to red it was the more masculine and decided color, while blue was considered appropriate for girls because it was the more delicate and dainty color, or related to the Virgin Mary. Since the 1940s, the societal norm apparently inverted so that pink became appropriate for girls and blue appropriate for boys, a practice that has continued into the 21st century.
www.wikipedia.com

Even though women have adopted many men's fashions, it's rarer for men to borrow from our closets. There's an unfortunate power structure here, and I like that current fashion is challenging this barrier. While it's oversimplistic, a quick explanation is stated at the beginning of Madonna's song "What it feels like for a girl" (from the movie "The Cement Garden").

Girls can wear jeans
And cut their hair short
Wear shirts and boots
Cause it's OK to be a boy
But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading
Cause you think that being a girl is degrading

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Thanks for posting that about pink & blue. I'd mentioned that in Men in Skirts, someone asked where I read it and I was

 

[GasolineRainbow]

Remember: When pressed to verify random information, Wiki is a good source, if only because you can type in "pink" and get a full history of the color. I ought to bring my fighting words over to the "Men in skirts" thread, though I admit my perceptions of gender are swayed by certain stereotypes. And advertising. You can't fully escape your society and culture. Ah well...

 

[tigerrouge]

Yes - some men's scents. I'm not overly fond of most perfumes, they don't have the depth that I like, so I'll sometimes wear something high-end that's been designed for a man.

In general, I find a well-made man's scent won't smell the same on a woman, it'll be more rounded... made softer and muskier by her own chemistry. Decent ingredients will ensure it'll tell a slightly different story when applied to her skin. I'm thinking in terms of Serge Lutens, rather than industrial-strength aftershave!

And I imagine it also works in reverse, where a perfume will produce a different result on a man's skin, an aspect not detected before... I like the idea of that also.

 

[gius]

I just had a funny episode yesterday that kind of goes along with this topic...

I am doing a kind of apprentice to a couturier and she asked me, why did I want to study it...
And I said oh I want to make clothes for myself
to which everyone in the room laughed, and the lady said, "Oh no men's proportions are different. This is only for women"

I didn't want to argue but I did make some shirts using the same techniques as in women's wear and they fit me.. I just had to make certain adjustments..

And then later on in the day a girl working there, she asked me if I like to follow the men's and women's collections on the runway
and I said... Yes but I love the women's more, it's more inspiring, In fact I wanted to study women's clothes more and got into this because I find them more interesting than men's clothes I don't know if I was well received It seems I didn't judge anyone ahead of time, to see if they were old-fashioned or not.

I actually don't want to tell the 'boss' that I am making clothes for myself with what I learn from her

but maybe she overheard me...

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Perhaps you can just wear them See if she notices

All men are not made to the same proportions, of course, just as women aren't.

There is some cool stuff on the men's runways, but it seems awfully hard to deny that women's clothes are more inspiring ...

 

[gius]

It's the cowl that got to me
I didn't know if it was taught in menswear.. although I see it often now, in Rick Owens and Damir Doma for the fall 09 season
Seemed to be a detail intended first for women

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Who knows, maybe monks wore it first

PS I checked the dictionary, and ...

1 a: a hood or long hooded cloak especially of a monk b: a draped neckline on a woman's garment

Looks like very legit menswear to me Endorsed by the Church, no less ...

 

[gius]

Oh I see ^ Hmm.. maybe they are two different meanings.
I saw the hood you are referring to in wikipedia
Maybe it inspired the "cowl neck"

wikipedia.org

And here's the cowl neck
by Vanessa Bruno

flickr/totokaelo + impulse

 

[gius]

Here's another --more "feminine" cowl
I guess it can also be called drapes
~by Madeleine Vionnet

flickr.com \gatochy

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ You should post some examples from the men's shows you mentioned ...