Fashion Makes Boys 2 Men

The picture says it all. Welcome to Istanbul. 

In Turkey, it is not uncommon to see men linking arms and walking down the street as such. In fact, men here have a peculiar way of simultaneously trying to walk with a muscular swagger WHILE linking arms. Somehow they think it makes their pudgy little pectorals bulge---well kind of. I'm a little too distracted by the amount of hair grease. 

But that aside, I wanted to discuss the fashion: i.e. the tight (and fake) Diesel pants, the tight (and fake) Abercrombie and Fitch polos, the tighter button ups of various bright colors (think pastel orange in bright pink), the suits with glittery stripes, and lets not forget the graphic tees that say things like, "Love me" with a heart on them--things probably even some of the most flaming of men out there would not buy. 

Yet all of these guys take extra time to check me out. 

Today at work I was reading an article on masculinity in migrant and minority populations. To give you the short summary of a long article, young men who are marginalized (for ethnic/racial/socioeconomic reasons) will often tag this to their bodies and physical appearance--maybe why the workmen here wear collared shirts and leather shoes. Men in these populations will adhere to masculinity codes of their country or culture of origin as a way of asserting their equality as men. However, these codes are not necessarily what modern society wants--c'mon I don't need to see 10 guidos in tight pants to think they are men. In fact, women modern society in modern cities sometimes reward the more effeminate man. Plus, in their self-gender fashioning, men will tend to isolate themselves with only men--thus they don't really know how to approach a women (weird looks on the street). In the end, they marginalize themselves. 

So take this to fashion, at the "Boyz II Men" boutique near my house in the picture above. Maybe Istanbulers are isolating themselves from modernity because they don't quite know how to take high fashion magazines and water them down to livable fashion. The article also states all men (gay and straight) are trying to rediscover masculinity because of a lack of "rite of passage" rituals--but Istanbul has those. So essentially this self-fashioning is giving me a bunch of "men" when I just want a man with a boyish humility--who won't try to look at my ass SO OBVIOUSLY on the subway. 

Vanity of the Day

The Marc Jacobs Fall RTW 2009 collection. Looks like the effeminate male graduate student at the Yale Art and Architecture library: a mix between prepster (because they found out they were going to YALE c'mon, so they had to go to J Crew) and some remnants of their past lives as hipster/punksters. See the shoes and glasses. They could be eating an asparagus a day... Something about them is hot though. They give into the beauty without trying to be masculine--in doing so, they defy masculinity and become all the more tempting.

Maybe I'm bullshitting to prove a point. Fail. 

Regardless, the one on the far left has a nice face. 

Hemline Theory Holding Water?

If Hegel's historical thesis-antithesis-synthesis holds water in fashion and fashion is repeatedly new, then I don't know where we stand: In Glamour-wood or in a Photograph of the Great Depression. 

The Resort 2010 lines are out now and while many American and British designers keep a monochrome, demure look about them, Chanel and Prada are, as per usual, living up to the luxury of Old Hollywood and Lido. 

Economists use the "Hemline Theory" to judge rough economic times; Last fall's looks converged on the funerary and skirts the length my Bubby would wear. Fashion does not die though and Resort 2010 provides some mixed evidence on the future of our economy. 

Take Marc by Marc Jacobs, who style.com describes as "Demure American" with plaid and terry dresses. Though hemlines rise about the knee, fabrics remain affordable. Are we rising out of hardship, but keeping an eye on the budget? I think we learned good living does not mean sacrificing style (or spending $800,000 on property that is worth $200,000). 

Calvin Klein too maintains a sense of pragmatism. No bikinis or shorts, but full length dresses that are packable and plain on first glance. The sheerness of the fabric though might be a little too economical and show a little what is only vaguely insured by the cloth. 

Burberry Prorsum's soft, gauzy, cloudy and seductive line experiments with new fabric technology--as sort of picture of a sexy depression. Yet that is exactly it: a picture of a time past, a luscious nostalgia that begs us to think of the future. UK?  Getting better? (Even if Gordon Brown is screwed). 

While Yves Saint Laurent may opt for large fabrics with bold shapes inspired by "seashells" (I don't see it...), the coverage is "less pretentious" according to the designers. 

Compare this to Chanel and Prada, of course coming out of depression and taking the initiative to adopt the luxury we secretly wish we had. Chanel's collection, inspired by the cafes of Lido, Venetian festivals, and the 1919 uppercrust--just beginning to explore the short hemlines of the roaring 20's (are we going back there Chanel? I hope). Prada too breaks from Fall 2009's Austerity and opts for big bows, short skirts, and colorful patterns. Sticking it to the man. 

VANITY OF THE DAY 

If we are going to be economical here, who better of a designer to look to than Moschino Cheap And Chic line and their Technical Satin Dress? On sale at Saks for $356.90, this dress can be yours too. The tie at the shoulder gives it a "just made-cheap and chic" look that the name promises. Technical enough to give it a vintage Gotham City chic, brought back by the cycle of modernity, it gains my vote for "Vanity of the Day." 

Moschino