Thursday was busy, what with the art and the dance.

[k00kaburra]

On Thursday Jeannie and I went up to San Francisco to see the Yves Saint Laurent and Andy Warhol exhibits at the De Young Museum. It was my first time at the De Young, but given its focus on art of Africa, Oceania, and Mesoamerica that's not much of a surprise. I generally don't much care for "primitive" art (politically incorrect to refer to it

Comments

[k00kaburra]

Fashion design is definitely contrived! I really liked my classes because, like sculpture, it involves taking a medium and using your creativity to transform it into new forms and structures. It's also a fun art that is ultimately collaborative, because the designer can make the most awesomest jacket EVER but they way its worn by the owner can change it a hundred different ways. I think it's fantastic, but at the same time it's completely superficial and when you get to haute couture, Paris-runway styles it's completely ridiculous and unfeasible.

But yes, men get the raw end of it. Yet if I stop and think about it, revolutions with men's fashion hasn't worked. About five years ago there was a movement to try and bring long skirts to menswear. There was a man-skirt in many major collections, but obviously it never caught on and diffused into the mainstream. Guys are tough to design for because they don't experiment with silohettes and styles the same way women do, and since nothing ever seems to catch on quickly, attempts to introduce new styles get abandoned before they really trickle down to mainstream clothiers.

...I do wish men's cloaks would make a major comeback, though.

[saru_kage]

Somehow I doubt men's skirts will ever really catch on, barring some unforeseen total destruction of the traditional gender roles, and gender stereotypes. About the closest I could see would be something like the Japanese hakama (which would be so awesome because those things are hella comfy).

I think a large part of the problem is that a lot of designers just flat out don't want to design for men. At least a dozen of my friends have, at some point, tried their hand at fashion design at one level or another, and when I mention the serious shortage of cool men's clothing, and ask them if they've designed any, the answer is usually some variation of: "But men's bodies are so blocky, and--you know--bleh. Making clothes for boys is boring." And that might be true, but when the up-and-comers who are bursting with fresh ideas don't want to take up the challenge, it's not very surprising that jeans and a t-shirt have never gone out of style. I mean, what came along to replace them? Parachute pants? Yeah right.

I'm totally with you on the cloak thing though. There are a few pieces of Victorian/Edwardian outerwear which seriously need to make a comeback. Maybe something lucky will happen and some of the better aspects of Steam Punk will trickle down into the mainstream.

[k00kaburra]

Let us just hope that codpieces never attempt tocome back. They're frightening.

Making clothes for boys is boring, at times, but it's more a limit of what they'd realistically wear. I mean, skirted items are out; the closest you can get to that would be a long coat. Otherwise, Western menswear usually has to stay relatively close to the body, and there has to be some sort of trouser.

In addition to a Victorian/Edwardian revival, I think it'd be grand to see more elements of older regimental dress brought into menswear.