the problematic history of hypebeast and streetwear culture and how social media has become the answer to toxic masculinity “The men of our civilization have stripped themselves of the fineries of earth so that they might work more freely to plunder the universe for treasures to deck their ladies in. … Men stripped themselves of all excess or femininity, while women are forced to be the object in which men consume.” Germaine Greer, The Female Eunuch.
Womens fashion is often hounded as problematic, from the image it projects of womens bodies to the racial exclusivity and classist structure that remains heavily prominent today. However, less talked about problems is mens (or more traditionally masculine style) fashion. Street wear is casual clothing of a style worn especially by members of various youth subcultures. Streetwear is an all encompassing umbrella of styles & themes as the ‘enthusiasts’ love to ‘sample’ styles from other subcultures & give it their personal stamp. This mainly includes; 90s sportswear, surf style, early 2000s hip-hop, skate gear, Japanese street aesthetics and recently has moved into high fashion and couture. Since the late 1700s, mens fashion has immensely changed. When looking at the colourful garments that were worn by aristocrats and court members of the past, it’s quite obvious that, along the line, something happened that made men’s clothing far more muted, drab and no-nonsense. How did the epitome of masculinity go from a high-heeled man adorned with jewels, donning billowing, silky, colourful fabrics and even a powdery, made-up complexion, to the austere, monochrome and incredibly subdued three-piece suit? This process, known as the Great Masculine Renunciation, was explored by psychoanalyst John Flugel in his book, “The Psychology of Clothes”. An opinion piece by Anastasia Vartanian titled ‘The Great Masculine Renunciation - A.K.A How the Colour Drained out of Mens Clothing’ speaks on this phenomenon explored by Flugel stating that this ‘revolution in male dress’ was prompted in part ‘by other, bloodier revolutions … such as the French Revolution (1789-1799)’
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