Posted on 03/23/2007 7:22:39 AM PDT by Millee
So, there we were, the husband (we’ll call him Simon, for that is his name) and I, getting dolled up for date night. There was the usual tussle for the mirror, and that’s when I spotted it: my purple Marc Jacobs belt holding up his skinny combats. I would have been miffed, but the truth is, it looked hot. Sort of Justin Timberlake meets the Scissor Sisters. His retort when I feigned annoyance? I was always borrowing his clothes, so it was his turn to even the score.
As it turns out, we were teetering at the top of a very slippery sartorial slope. Next, it was my vintage waistcoat, then my All Saints “boyfriend” cardie (skinny fit on him). By Christmas, it was no surprise that top of his list was “a necklace, but nothing too blokey”. I found a fab Perspex bee pendant on the most delicate of chains at Dior Homme, and it’s proved to be the perfect accessory to set off his new “girlfriend” look.
And a look it definitely is. Slim-fit, slightly tailored, with nods in the direction of 1970s glam and the nu-rock’n’roll fraternity. Think Russell Brand minus the goth. And with much better hair.
Speaking of Dior Homme, its designer, Hedi Slimane, has a lot to answer for when it comes to this new aesthetic. His trademark skeletal silhouettes and elegant tailoring have filtered down to such a level that every lad with even half an eye on what is fashionable now aspires to the “D’omme” effect.
Using women’s clothing to get the look began with boys and their skinny jeans. The stylist Thom Murphy, a regular contributor to iD and Arena Homme Plus, explains: “ You couldn’t really get skinny jeans for men until recently. All the kids I know used to get their skinny jeans from the Gap women’s department.” But how much simpler to just lift a pair from one of your female friends?
Over on the other side of the fence, last year’s “boyfriend” look for girls opened a huge window of opportunity for potential “girlfriend” dressing. “ Women aren’t wearing nearly such girlie clothes as they used to, which makes it easier for men to dip into their wardrobes,” says Murphy.
An enthusiastic advocate of “boyfriend” myself, my wardrobe soon filled up with oversized jumpers and floppy jeans, which also happen to be the perfect size for Simon. Lucky him. The floodgates opened, experimentation began, and now I feel as if I’m buying for two whenever I walk into Topshop. “
The thing is,” Simon expands, when I probe him on this new-found predilection for, well, cross-dressing, “most blokes’ clothes are pretty drab unless you’re going to spend a fortune on designer labels. I want to try out different cuts and colours, so why spend money in Topman, when your wardrobe is right there in the bedroom?”
It’s worth noting that the line between clothing designed for men and women is becoming increasingly blurred. For instance, there is an emerald-green jumper from the spring/summer 2007 Balenciaga catwalk that is virtually identical in the men’s and women’s collections.
Donovan Pascal, the head designer for the boy/girl street brand Religion, says there is lots of crossover between his men’s and women’s collections. He isn’t shy about stepping out in samples from both lines, either. For him, wearing women’s clothes is purely about the fit and styling of the garment. “On the whole, most men’s clothing is very commercial, whereas womenswear is much more adventurous. As long as there aren’t too many details that make it obviously feminine, you can usually get away with wearing it.”
The vintage market is another place where “girlfriend” flourishes. Nisha Thirkell, of the vintage treasure trove Beyond Retro, has seen a flood of boyfriend/girlfriend dressers coming to her shop. “Vintage shoppers are generally more concerned with putting together an original look than whether something was originally designed for a guy or a girl.”
She recently sold a women’s leather jacket to a male customer. “It had a nipped-in waist and buttoned up on the left-hand side, which sharpened up his shoulders a treat and hugged his body like it had a crush — it looked great.”
So, ladies — watch your wardrobes. We started it, and now it’s open season when it comes to rifling through each other’s drawers for the perfect silhouette for summer 2007.
fag.
The politically correct term is - "John Edwards". ;o)
Is this article about Senator Edwards?
LOL.
You would think the klaxons would be glaring alarms in her mind... /shrug
The day hubby tries to fit into my skinny jeans is the day I leave.
This is how it always starts. First it's the jeans, but in
a week or two it will be the panties as well....JJ61
The day hubby tries to fit into my skinny jeans is the day I leave.
**
I wish that I could fit into my skinny jeans!
(On my second week of South Beach though, so fingers crossed.)
Oh, not the thongs!
That's it! You're goin' to rehab.
~~sigh~~
So many possible comments,
so little time---
Be grateful you have a hubby to complain about.
Be grateful that you can fit into skinny jeans.
If he can wear your clothes, you can wear his! Instant increased wardrobe.
At least he's not wearing your dresses.
Get thee to sensitivity training, Fierce!
Damn, you sound like th Giuliani reeducation camps that will start springing up in about 2 years time.
Good for you! Stick with it!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.