There is a saying according to which, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. What this means has been heavily debated by the media at the end of the last millennium, so it’s needless to explain it. The “war between the sexes” has always been an interesting topic for the people who produce culture, but we are wondering if that still exists today?
This topic is expressed on a lot of levels in our culture, including fashion. Masculinity and femininity are expressed through clothes and there’s not much one can do against it. This is why when men wear women’s clothes and women wear men’s clothes, there is a big stir that follows the act. Some brands, such as SmokSho have based their entire concept on this idea. On the SmokSho website, men’s products are showcased on and by women, giving the products a more interesting twists or at least a twist that catches one’s eyes. Having sexy women showcase men’s products is definitely a move that attracts and engages with the viewer in an original way.
While men wearing women’s clothes or using “girly” products is not something to have hit the mainstream (remember the Itchiban episode on “Friends”?), women wearing men’s clothes is something very popular today. The cultural explanation behind this is that in a culture that worships power, women appear to be empowered by wearing men’s clothes, as men are the ones associated with strength in our global culture.
A woman wearing a man’s shirt on the SmokSho website
Of course there is a double standard, but generally women wearing men’s clothes or participating in male-dominated fields can sometimes look like a dream come true: a woman enjoying sports side by side with the guys seems to some men just the right way to go. It’s interesting though, that outside these romanticized ideals, our culture does not see things in this way. Women playing basketball or who are considered Tomboys are not seen as Venuses.
What’s interesting is that many people believe that men should wear men’s clothes and women should wear women’s clothes, as according to the Bible, “A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.” (Deuteronomy 22:5).
Historically, worldwide both women and men dressed in what we call today in the western world, a skirt or a dress. The pants were invented by the Germanic tribes, where both men and women wore them. The romans viewed these tribes as barbaric, but in the end they slowly adopted them as an undergarment. After the fall of the Roman Empire, trousers remained as an undergarment in most parts of Europe for centuries. In the end, they became what we today would call “hosiery” or “pantyhose”. Looking at Medieval European paintings, we can see that men wore frilly skirt-like pieces with bows and lace. Under these, they wore stockings. For centuries, high heels were a staple of menswear in Europe. King Louis XIV of France used to wear high heels every day. Pants as we know them appeared only about 200 years ago. The concept that men should wear only pants and women only dresses and skirts appeared during the late 1800s, which is when most of what we today call “gender roles” appeared. The Victorian era was a time when gender roles were assigned, activities and looks were established and anyone who broke those rules was harshly criticized. It was only the feminist movement in its most initial state that allowed women to wear “men’s clothes”, but besides various subcultures, there has not been a movement yet to democratize women’s garments. We believe that women’s clothes look better on women than they look on men and that if you wear the right pieces, you can look amazing, but it’s each to their own!
An original way to present a basketball hoop!
Having all this background, we should wonder what the Bible meant by “women’s clothes” and “men’s clothes”, as the concepts were definitely different in the context when these texts were written. Does it mean that the texts adapt to each era and its norms or do the people need to adapt? That’s a theological debate.
In the end, maybe the reason why women look good in men’s clothes is because men’s clothes tend to be boxier and bigger on average, which emphasizes a woman’s curves and stature. It’s interesting how such visuals have such a strong impact on us, don’t you think? Does androgyny play a part in women wearing men’s clothes or is it just an aesthetic reason? There are a lot of things we can talk about, but in the end, beauty is to be appreciated in any form it comes.
So what do you think? Where do you stand? Do you like to see women wearing men’s clothes? Why?
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the topic below!
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