The fashion industry is evolving everyday, and the blurred line between mens and womens fashion is beginning to be showcased on the runway by designers such as Saint Laurent, which embodied this trend by using silk draping and a cinched waist in their mens fashion line. These designers have achieved this new trend by incorporating a feminine touch to their menswear lines. Fashion lovers know that this change has broken the boundaries of self-expression for men, allowing them to include feminine styles that were once created just for women.
The distinction of traditional feminine style from mens style can be attributed to Christian Dior when he launched “New look’’, a collection that featured silhouettes which were focused around the shoulders and lower body, with a cinched waist. This style was given the name ‘fit and flare’, a timeless look ever since.
When Dior launched the fit and flare style, it was a revolutionary change to womens workwear. Prior to his design, women wore clothing with the same silhouette as men to the workplace, a straight cut which did not embrace the woman's natural figure. Christian Dior’s fit and flare silhouettes created new avenues to express individuality for women. Now, traditional feminine design is doing the same for mens fashion. Inspired by the fit and flare style, 2024 menswear collections are focused on flattering the natural male figure.
Brands such as Givenchy, Fendi, Hermès, Prada, and Dries Van Noten are embracing this new culture of masculine fashion. As in Givenchy's 2024 summer collection, suits are “neither oversized nor sculpted”, and rather are a balanced blend of the two. Fendi displayed the male figure in their spring 2024 collection through tops which exposed the back and hips. The Hermès 2024 mens winter collection demonstrated a remodel of conventional mens fashion, experimenting with new shapes and cutouts. Prada’s mens collection of 2024 titled “fluid form” aimed to frame and free the human body through clothing that reinvents the male silhouette with cinched waists and deep necklines. Dries Van Noten also transforms traditional male attire by using mesh, cinched waists, and exposed skin to reveal the natural human shape. These evolving norms in fashion are no surprise to those who know that fashion constantly challenges us to take risks.
As proven by Christian Dior, redefining traditional gender roles through fashion can be done, but we do not know for sure whether they will be accepted by the mass population. Whether you are hesitant to participate, or you dare to challenge the status quo, there is no denying that these collections are a force to be reckoned with.