'Vogue' Realizes That Men in Womenswear Is Not A Gimmick

Sometimes, clothes are just clothes.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Sometimes Vogue lags behind a little—​anyone else remember that "Dawn of the Butt" article that came a few years too late?—​but I guess when you've got two April issues to edit, you miss some things. Their latest realization sees the publication issuing the headline, “Marc Jacobs Is Doing It. So Is Stefano Pilati. Men in Womenswear Is Not Just a Runway Gimmick.”

Citing designers like Marc Jacobs, Stefano Pilati, and Edward Meadham of the now-defunct Meadham Kirchoff, as well as others like Pharrell and BryanBoy’s Bryan Grey Yambao, the publication makes the point that dudes are wearing lady clothes because they—​​wait for it—​want to. “In my mind, fashion has no gender,” Yambao said. “If I fit into something that I really like and if my finances allow it, I’ll buy it, regardless of whether it came from the men’s or women’s section. I never really use clothing to identify or align to a certain sexuality or gender.”

Yambao has been a proponent of wearing women's clothing for years, but he's been joined by Young Thug, who admitted that 90 percent of his closet is women’s clothing last year, chalking the choice up to sizing and cut.  Kanye West wore Celine back in 2011, although that brand only makes pieces for women, and Jaden Smith just appeared in that latest Louis Vuitton women’s ads.

So, yeah Vogue, it’s happening; it’s been happening. Brands like Vetements, Chanel, and Celine have become staples in men’s wardrobes although their designs are technically womenswear (Vetements only just launched an official men's collection this year). In a feature we ran back in October, Complex Fashion Editor Matthew Henson said, “The idea of men wearing women's clothing may be a bit hard for most people to become comfortable with, because people immediately want to associate sexuality or masculinity with clothing, but none of those things have any correlation.”

To paraphrase Jaden, dudes are wearing womenswear just as seriously as they wear anything else because, at the end of the day, it’s all just "clothes."

Latest in Style