i'll never get over how skinny jeans have become so normalized, they're now worn by conservatives lamenting the decline of traditional masculinity.
you don't even have to go as far back as the early 2000s to see how this used to be taboo for men
in 2011, Levi's released their "ex-girlfriend jeans," which caused an uproar. many said the reference to women and skinny fit rendered men feminine/gay. this was part of a long convo about the "decline of masculinity."
Michele White dedicated a chapter on these jeans in her book
now one of the main voices around this political war is wearing jeans so skinny, his leg opening doesn't even cover the opening of his shoes. this would have been unthinkable 15 years ago, let alone around the turn of the 2000s.
should add: it's easier to feel comfy in skinny jeans now bc of synthetics. in 2011, guys wore this fit in pure cotton, and they were unforgiving. but even the use of synthetics was once taboo for men! stretch jeans were for women. now lots of guys wear stretch skinny jeans
the most amazing thing about this thread is that it has now attracted normal, non-fashion dudes and social conservatives who are now defending their skinny jeans. pretty amazing!!
conservatives in skinny jeans coming up to the mic to disagree
trying to be nice and assume that people either have not read this thread and/or perhaps are reading too quickly. nothing in this thread suggests that I'm against skinny jeans. i think they can be stylish if they fit your body type and style
i'm only pointing out the irony. 10 yrs ago, social conservatives hated skinny jeans as a sign of "low t, beta male hipsters" and a decline in traditional masculinity. now they wear the style while still lamenting the supposed decline in traditional masculinity.
Check out the fit of these two dress shirts. What do you notice? 🧵
To me, aside from the tightness in the sleeves, the most noticeable thing is the position of these cuffs. So here's something easy to check for when buying dress shirts.
When shopping for a dress shirt, you should try to find a place that has them sized according to your neck and sleeves. If you don't know your size, just look up guides online (you need a measuring tape).
I've done a few threads on how to dress slutty as a man, but here's another. Note, by slutty, I don't mean gaining sexual attraction from your desired gender. But rather, getting attention from menswear nerds involved in menswear discourse. 🧵
The first and most obvs is the adoption of a mesh shirt. These will make you look like a delicious Asian pear.
A mesh shirt—either made with a coat front or in a pullover style—can be worn on its own with shorts or breezy trousers and espadrilles. Think: Côte d'Azur. If you're shy, you can it layered over a t-shirt or a ribbed tank top.
Have you ever heard the phrase, "you have to know the rules before you break them?" What does that mean? Why would you have to know the rules if they're going to be broken anyway? Let's talk about it. 🧵
In his book Status & Culture, @wdavidmarx talks about how our pursuit of status drives culture. While it's not necessarily about clothes, it explains a lot about why we wear what we wear.
As David notes, we wear clothes to both signal our belonging to a group and our individuality within a group. And the best dressers often do something in an unexpected way. This requires knowing a little bit about the established dress practices within a group.
I should note there's a lot of body shaming on Twitter; this thread is not meant to do that. Rather, it's intended to do the opposite: how anyone can look good, regardless of body type, if they pay attention to a few things regarding fit, silhouette, and tailoring tricks
Here's how Vance dressed before his MAGA makeover. Notice a few things: the narrowness of the shoulders, the short jacket, the low rise pants, and the slim tapered legs. He does not have a muscular figure. Kind of typical office worker build and attire.
— Tie and square should never look like they came in a matching set. This looks contrived.
— Except for white, solid silks are almost always bad. They make you look like a magician. Or in this case, like you've nicked a pair of women's underwear
Instead, it should look like you've plucked something from a dresser drawer and thrown it into your pocket (but not your wife's underwear drawer). It should look pleasing, but not overly coordinated. This gives the impression of effortlessness, even if you've put in effort.
This is nothing personal to Ryan Reynolds. but he consistently wears his pants too tight, so his photos are illustrative.
Here's something easy you can check for when buying pants. 🧵
Broadly speaking, there are two types of pant pockets: ones where you put your hands in from the top (as you'd find on jeans) and ones where you'd put your hands in from the side (such as you'd find on wool trousers and most chinos). This discussion is only for the second type
If you're buying pants with side entry pockets, try them on, stand naturally, and look to see if your pockets flare out like this.