Men in skirts. According to New York Times fashion bloggers, it's the new trend. Several big name fashion designers have been spotted wearing skirts for themselves, but they have also been a big hit on the runways of New York and Paris.
Addmittedly, I'm no fashion buff; but this story intrigues me nonetheless. As one commentator on the New York Times blog post points out, men in the Northwest have done the Utilikilt thing for years. I've seen it. But there is something much more striking about a man wearing a pencil skirt with graffiti tights. And a silk skirt with Mary Jane style patent leather shoes. Not only are these images striking, they may speak to a more progressive view of gender in the fashion world.
I cannot speak much to trickle down theory of fashion runways to streets. From personal experience, however, I feel fairly confident when I say the runway has never been a reflection of the real world. In terms of body type, it has certainly been a place to view our culture's "ideal form", but whether or not the prevalence of men in skirts on the runway will soon be seen on the streets of Seattle, I cannot say. I doubt it.
Regardless, the trend is incredibly interesting and I'll be curious to see how it develops. These designers, such as Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton, have certainly put forth an alternative to traditional gender expressions. Their models look elegant without looking like they are cross-dressing. And yet there are certainly expectations of the angry media mob to follow. Perhaps more importantly, while this could mark the beginning of new expressions of gender, the fashion industry is often far too easily dismissed as either "gay", "frivolous", "racist", "elititist", and "ridiculous". While many or all of these categorizations may be true, these images are still bound to cause a stir. And it could be productive.
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