Menswear For The Female Gaze

Why are we so focussed on the female gays anyway?

I recently came across this video by Ash Callaghan that had me enraptured. The video discusses the current landscape of men's fashion and where it sits. She’s well-versed in the terminology we fashionbros use and I was pleasantly surprised by her ability to understand the male perspective while also sharing her own. I encourage you to give it a watch — I’ve linked it below.

I often throw around the phrase, “If your girl hates your fit, you know it’s fire,” and “Dress like a slut for the boys” (or something to that sentiment), but honestly, Ash do be spitting bars.

She covers a series of points that are incredibly important to keep in mind when working your wardrobe and also encourages fashion users to style in a more timeless manner. The point of today’s post is to look at the main points of the video and discuss them… kinda like a man discussing menswear from a woman’s perspective (wow that could be worded better.

Availability of trends for men

“There’s very little variation on what is considered fashionable”

Ash opens up by explaining how men seem to be a copy+paste of what they see online. and how all the fellas in the algorithm dress the same — cropped tee, baggy jeans. It seems that as soon as a dude begins to care about his clothing, he’s very limited as to what’s around him.

The most accessible clothing options are always going to be what is in trend, and it’s difficult to deviate. Essentially, there are fewer options for the fellas to choose from because the market is smaller than females.

I understand that this is a very surface-level take, and I know that once you get into the weeds of menswear and subcultures, you are given many more options, but we’re focussing on current ‘trends’ and how it limits accessibility for those looking beyond mainstream fashion. While niche menswear communities offer variety, the general market remains restrictive, making it harder for men to explore personal style outside of trending pieces.

Fun little illustration she offered

A few weeks ago, Mariano spoke on the current menswear landscape and essentially touched on the same thing, so definitely go give that a read.

Curating for the algorithm

This point initially flew under the radar for me, and I only decided to add it at the last minute.

First of all, DON’T TAKE STYLE TIPS FROM THE ALGORITHM. Secondly, These content creators have to post their outfits on their page daily, so they have to ensure that their garments are different in each post. This creates an unrealistic expectation for fashionbros that they must have something different each day. This doesn’t work if you’re not being paid to wear clothes (also, most people who are paid for wearing clothes are given shit clothes that just suck). There are only so many shades of polyblend baggy jeans that I can fit into my wardrobe.

The current zeitgeist and alternatives

Baggy Jeans:
Yes, yes yes. A thousand times yes, we must stop wearing baggy jeans.

stop it.

The baggy jeans epidemic is hurting all fashionbros everywhere. Not only is the garment functionally unsuitable, its genuinely just lazy at this point. Wear pants that fit you, please.

In her video, Ash is clearly suggesting you wear things that fit you, as opposed to big baggy pants. She doesn’t give any clear suggestions, but if you desire a big fit, I suggest a wide-legged pant (please note it’s not baggy!), but my preferred fit is straight leg.

…And baggy shorts…
Yeah, look, I struggle to get around the shorts over-the-knee look. It’s not bad, and there are contexts where it can look good; however, the current young male outfit consists of baggy shorts & plaid shirt, and it’s honestly played out for the most part.

honk shoo ahhh fit.

I still enjoy a good 5” inseam… even 4” … possibly even 3”…? Now I’m not saying you should walk around in 3” inseam running shorts, but I think it’s good to show off a little bit of thigh for the fellas (or ladies if that’s what you want to do)!

Yes, I used my own fit pic. Yes, I look good. Yes, we exist!

Cropped tees:

I genuinely don’t have a problem with cropped tees. However, I do have a problem with people who permanently alter their tees so short that we can see your cum gutters 24/7. I think because the cropped tee is a trend, this style may not be applicable in the near future. Many people are going to be throwing their tees in the trash when the next trend rolls around.

So many vintage tees desecrated by the dull kitchen scissors only to be chucked out in the near seasons.

A good alternative offered to the cropped tee, which I agree with, is simply tucking your shirt in. I do love a good tuck, especially accompanied by a belt. It adds a nice flair of sophistication

Good tuck.

Bad crop.

As I said above, I don’t hate a cropped look, but I think it’s better to either buy cropped or have it professionally altered. One of my favourite hoodies is cropped because that’s how it was cut, so I don’t have a huge problem with people wearing cropped if that’s what you want to do.

Footwear options:

Loafers:
I thought it was absolutely blasphemous to talk shi on our beloved footwear option, loafers. I’ll admit I don’t wear them as much as I should; however, loafers should sit on the Mount Rushmore of goated footwear, but if loafers aren’t your thing, I’ll chuck post some alternatives

Birkenstock Bostons:
Ash does mention her affinity for Birkenstocks, which I find somewhat ironic considering she expresses her disdain for trends, yet Birkenstocks were the shoe of the summer a couple of years ago. However, as an Australian, birks have been integral to the Australian uniform for years, so I can understand the love.

Sidebar: I feel like the ultimate upper-middle cosplay is Birkie Bostons, a white oxford shirt, 5” inseam shorts, and a dad hat (something of the Rodd & Gunn variety). It’s not the perfect fit, but it definitely brings nostalgia to me.

Get rid of the white sneakers:
Couldn’t agree more with Ash. Get them cooked forces out of here bro. Too often, you see people’s fits ruined because they’re wearing some dusty creased Club Cs, NB 2002rs, 550s, forces, etc, and it just hurts my soul.

you just KNOW these were owned by a white girl.

If bright colours aren’t your style, black is always a safe and stylish choice. It’s effortlessly sleek, works well on nearly any model, and has the added bonus of looking fresher for longer. Whether you're going for a classic, modern, or edgy vibe, black never goes out of fashion.

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Final verdict:

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the video yet, I highly recommend you do. While we continue dressing for the fellas, the video highlights a lot of points I’ve been feeling but couldn’t quite put into words.

That being said, if you’re someone who wants to dress "trendy," more power to you! But if you want to dress with true style, it’s time to look beyond the latest trends and start wearing what speaks to you personally.

Honestly, I’m getting a little tired of this idea that you can only like or wear certain things if you have some personal connection to the garments. It feels exhausting and, honestly, a bit snobbish. If you like the way something looks, wear it! No need for a deeper justification. But maybe I’ll dive into this topic more in another post.