By Aekta Kapoor
Prescience is a wonderful thing. The fact that the fashion industry showcases trends several months in advance means that you have no excuse for not being ‘with it’. Men, especially, need to take note this year. Whether you like it or not, this season’s biggest movement in fashion is going to not only redefine your wardrobe but also perhaps your notions of what it means to be a man.
Androgyny is certainly not a new word in fashion circles, but so far, it’s been mostly bandied about in women’s wear. Decades ago, women adopted pants and blazers. Then came boyfriend shirts and jeans, and today you can see aspects of masculine dressing in nearly all areas of women’s clothing, from the shirt-dress to dungarees to jacket saris. It is completely acceptable for a woman to wear a suit and tie for a board meeting, and the Indian police force abounds with women officers wearing unisex khaki shirts tucked into sexless pants.
But hints of feminine dressing in menswear have, so far, been something of a joke. In 2003, when the undoubtedly macho action-movie star Vin Diesel wore a leather skirt for a performance at an awards show, it was all taken in good humour. The same happened when in 2008,iconic American designer Marc Jacobs took to wearing ‘skorts’ (skirt + shorts), and hunky pop star Kanye West began sporting feminine garments such as a Celine blouse and Givenchy skirt– which ended above the knee, naturally– for his performances. Male superstars Gerard Butler, Ewan McGregor and Sean Connery have also been seen in skirts, except they’ve called them kilts–the most invaluable Scottish contribution to male comfort after malts.
