Men In Skinny Jeans
August 14, 2008 · Print This Article
“Girrrrrl, his pants are tighter than mine!”
“Why are dudes dressing like females?”
“Only men who are celebrities can wear skinny jeans and people will say that stuff looks cute”
If you’ve been keeping up with hiphop culture (or even pop culture) for that matter, these are some of the thoughts I’m sure you’ve been having lately. And if you haven’t, I sure have. Trends in fashion typically are a reflection of what is going on in the world at that moment in time, and one must wonder what is happening in our world that is provoking designers to promote, and consumers to consume, fashion that is neither specifically male or female.
At his Aug. 5th stop on the Glow in the Dark tour, Kanye West addressed the issue of how personal interpretation can often be hurtful and disrespectful by saying, “You know how many people came at me, calling me ‘gay’ cause I wear my jeans the fresh way? …That sh** is disrespectful.”
Anyone who knows me understands my affinity for Kanye. I believe he is innovative and refreshing in an industry where absence of thought seems to be celebrated. And I appreciate Kanye’s penchant to unapolegetically verbalize his thoughts. He makes me think, just as I encourage my readers to. However, Kanye is experiencing the effects of a culture that has embraced delicacy and more feminine ways, and not everyone is ok with it.
Kanye brought to light the connection between representation and truth.
On its face, men are no longer required to represent themselves in hypermasculine ways. When men are not visibly representative of their stereotyped masclinity, they are labeled in ways that question their heterosexuality. I don’t agree with labeling someone solely based upon how they look, but at times it’s hard to ignore what appears to be the obvious. When a man is undoubtedly effeminate in his appearance, perceptions are created.
I am no queer eye for the straight guy, but I do see that men are embracing their femininity, and the tight jeans are just a small example of that. Still, some men are going a tad bit too far with trying to toe the line of “I’m straight but I don’t act like it’. More and more men are adopting social behaviors and styles of dress that are so androgynous, so sexually blurred, that the lines between heterosexality and homosexuality, male and female, are no longer drawn clearly in the sand, and the fear of crossing back and forth over them is no longer as prevalent.
For years, entertainment culture has tried to include everyone, straight, gay, or in-between. But in recent years, with the rise of metrosexuality, heterosexual men are seeing their masculinity compromised.
Pick up any high fashion magazine, or specifically, the American Apparel clothing catalog, and you’re likely to see men posed in ways that are clearly geared toward the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community. Once considered “hardcore” rappers are proudly sporting nut-hugging pants that would give any woman a crazy yeast infection.
Rock-pop-emo stars such as Steven Tyler and Pete Wentz publicly express their love for eyeliner, flat-irons, and nail polish. Oh, and let’s not forget how often Will Ferrell kisses other men in his movies, but is in a hetero relationship. What is all of this wanting to promote? And why are heterosexual men the newest targets?
So, I ask you enlightened folks a few questions: If androgynous clothing styles are stereotypically considered to be more “gay-friendly” than “hetero-friendly”, why are heterosexual men being encouraged to believe that it’s cool or trendy to adopt these types of fashion choices? Like I questioned above, what are these messages sending? And, like my friend Jarim asked, “are these just trends… or are people using this as an excuse to show their true colors?”
Hugs and Kisses,
T. Hobbs
Note: This is not an anti-gay post. I am purely curious as to why the lines between hetero/homo are being erased as they pertain to heterosexual men.
I definitely wouldnt say its “gay”.. But Ihave a problem with a man’s jeans being as tight or dayum near as tight as mine…
Plus I dont get SAGGING the tight jeans… THATS DISRESPECTFUL to my eyes…lol
Sherines last blog post..Robin Thicke w/ Mary J.Blige- Magic (remix)
Actually some of those jeans are very comfortable. I got a couple from American Apparel for when I’m feeling wild.
I don’t know whether or not it has anything to do with sexuality, because to me they are just jeans. I wear them because their different…and I’m different, so to me they reflect my style and personality, not my sexuality.
I’d actually prefer looking like a homosexual or metrosexual to whoever takes the time to judge me, than to look like a follower or a sloppy ass hood-beast.
Kid Furys last blog post..Nobody Likes A Copycat!
To each his own. For me though, that’s not cute or sexy. I can’t get into the skinny jeans thing with my man. He and I would just be walking down the street with dueling asses. No, I wear the tight jeans in this operation.
LOL.. Did you really just say “hood beast”?
….the hell? *applause* for creativity.
I’m a lover of fashion. I peruse the catalogs. I acknowledge the trends.
But I can’t get down with watching men in something that appears to be feminine.
However, I do realize that I subscribe to the double standard as I believe that Kanye does look decent in his tight jeans. I think my problem is with the non-celebs I’ve seen who rock them oh so wrongly, which seems to only accentuate how silly they can look. This is what I’m seeing on a daily basis as I drive down Crenshaw, hit up Fox Hills, or stop into the LaDera Center.
Kid Fury, more power to you if you’re with the trend. Some men can do it. Just please tell me that if lip gloss is next, we won’t lose you!
Yall look here. I dont care what man got em on whither he is a celebrity or you an everyday joe blow the shit is lame. you look stupid as hell in them tight ass nutt huggas. im sorry i can only be honest. skinny jeans were made for women.a women looks good in skinny jeans showing off her features(thighs,legs,and ass) what the fuck are you trying to show off? im not into real baggy jeans but skinny jeans aint the bizz. men should wear jeans that fit them correctly. considering how tight skinny jeans are that means you have to sit down to put them on and waddle them on. how womanly.hahahaha im sorry imma just say it. HOOOOOOOOOMO! hahahahaha. And the sad thing is the only reason cats is rockin the skinny jeans is kus they see it on tv. and if you werent doin it before it became kool then your not doing it “kus its your style” show me a pic of you in 2003 and if you got on some skinny jeans then i will maybe believe you other than that you copying pharrell and kanye and nem. im starting a campaign to out law skinny jeans for men. hey the mayor of atlanta outlawed saggin jeans in public im outlawing tight ass grabbing nutt huggin xtra smedium skinny jeans for dudes.
ps: To all the skinny jean wearers be careful. try to avoid getting into situations where you have to run i would hate for you to tear the seat of your tight stretch jeans. and to further add if you ask me with the times of today and how homosexuality is being accepted by the tv world,entertainment, ect these skinny jeans is just opening the door for more, you gone start seeing cats wearing leggins and skirts and shit. this has got to stop.
Im Out!
Lipgloss — hell nah!
At the end of the day, people will wear whatever they want and you can’t do shit about it. I could say that gold teeth or throwback jerseys make you look like an uneducated coon and people will still rock them. Folks will always have an opinion on the next person’s clothing…that’s the point of fashion. Don’t like it — don’t wear it and/or don’t fuck with those who do.
Kid Furys last blog post..Nobody Likes A Copycat!
Dudes have been wearing skinny jeans for YEARSSSSSSSS and now that its becoming mainstream its supposedly some sort of problem. I have never been a fan of a man in a size 40 jean when his waist is a 35. I mean really. I know lots of gay men who wear hella big jeans and dress wayyyy more “thug” or whatever than most straight men these days or ANY day for that matter.
Truth be told, from some of my tight jean wearing homeboys, they are actually comfortable, alongisde trendy and different. But, honestly thats what its all about. Being different. If everybody wore big ass jeans, big t’s and fitteds, they’d look like every other common dude walking around.
I for one EMBRACE individuality and I strive to be different than the next person and I love it. Yeah, sometimes it might border on weird but so what.
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Its not about big ass jeans. Its about wearing jeans that fit you,the correct waste and length with comfortablity. wearing extra tight jeans that grab you which are skinny jeans is not at all trendy in my opinion. skinny jeans are cut for the shape of a woman not a man. when they made this type of cut it was not intended for a man. in the end it is what it is.
The boondocks, “Do the hommie” comes to mind when i read this… nah hommie it aint a skirt…. lol
My lil bro has a few pair of them and he’s DEF not gay. Haha! They look good on him. I guess it depends on how you rock em.
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the only difference between having your jeans so tight but hanging off your ass from having your jeans so loose hanging off your ass is the fact that you go from the hood look to the gay hood look. that shit ain’t trendy that shit is gay. to say you wanna be different because you wear your jeans tight is a damn lie. you wear your jeans tight because you saw another man or woman do it. that doesnt make you a trend setter it makes you a follower. no one just wakes up and says, “damn i wanna cut off my circulation today”. so to clown the man with the baggy jeans hanging off his ass by calling him a hood beast would only make you look like the square that the hood beast chased home after school and took his lunch pail. next thing you know thongs for men will be the trend…what you gone rock that shit too? you cats rockin these shutter glasses, tight jeans and chains hanging from your belt need to realize this was the same look everyone laughed at a year ago, now because Kanye rocks it, its cool…get the f@#* outta here. what is the use to wearing fitted jeans if they don’t fit and hang on your thighs and you’re constantly holding the buckle so they won’t fall to your knees. how do you call yourself a man when you and your girl are folding clothes and yall can’t tell who pants belong to who. show your ass up to a job interview with that shit on. unless that job is working for Kanye West or a guest appearance on Queer Eye for th Straught Guy, your ass will probaly get laughed out of the building. True your pants don’t make you gay but it sure makes you look a damn fool…stay your ass out of your girls closet or come out of the closet…choose one or the other because next time i see you in the tight pants hanging off your ass with the thong showing im gonna give you a matching tampon…damn tight jeans is hot my ass!
ppl kill me with that shit. Why does everything have to be gay? lol t-shirt that fits = gay, pants that are skinny at the bottom = gay, fashion sense on a man = gay.
and FYI Kanye wasnt the first black dude to wear skinny jeans and shit and neither was Pharrell.
This convo can go on for months because it will never end because everybody thinks their manhood is being challenged because of a fashion trend.
KittyFixs last blog post..The Tea on That is…
I don’t think that most men have issues with properly tailored clothing. But I do understand how tight/skinny jeans are typical of a woman’s wardrobe, and not a man’s, and why many men aren’t willing to embrace this trend.
Right! S Dot Parker said it best folks. lol @ “next thing you know thongs for men will be the trend…what you gone rock that shit too?” hahahaha Yall cant be mad dude is right. I totally agree!
As a trendy, fashionable, FLY-dude. Skinny jeans serve a purpose, if thats the look your going for. I have a few pairs and I’m DEF a Man. A Fresh one @ that. Fashion is about pushing the envelope-its about SWAG. True SWAG can Rock Skinny jeans…..True SWAG can a Rock a Fuckin KIMONO….If You Got it You Got It
Why do people spend so much time defining whats Gay and what’s straight? Is it really THAT serious? Do People Not have other shit to do…If you dont like em’ dont wear them. [THE END]
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I must concur with my fly brother Rae, your 100% right people spend to waste to much time pondering about stupid shit. what’s gay and what’s not gay ? fashion is fashion at it is created to reach the masses. So in saying that if it fits you and your lifestyle, by all means wear it if not don’t that simple and that complicated…xoxo
As long as I don’t see his butt crack when he sits down, then I guess it’s okay. But they are definitely a trend. I live in NY and in Soho (south of Houston Street) I see a lot of guys wearing 80’s styles (the rope chains and colorful clothing, fades.) The 80’s have definitely come back.
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Thank you all for saying what you feel- it’s wonderful reading the different opinions. And thanks for the link on your site, Rae!
I wrote the article to uncover the obvious implications that fashion trends/styles create. It wasn’t meant to be a gay/not-gay post, but some of the readers have validated my point- certain fashions are often grouped into those categories subconsciously. It is in this way that clothes become symbalized.
If we were to see a white guy with his head shaved, dressed in a confederate flag t-shirt, with some high Doc Martens, many of us would PROBABLY presume that man to be a “skin-head”. Still, that same man might just be wearing what he’s wearing because the cool kids in his high school do so, and he wants to fit in. He might have 1000 black friends, but we see how he is represented and automatically label him due to the implications of what he’s wearing.
It’s the same thing with clothing that is usually considered to be gender specific. In more recently years, larger numbers of heterosexual black men have adopted some of these styles and are now being subjected to these implications.
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I personally think a large part of this is who controls the media at the moment. I turn on the TV these days and I often feel like a homosexual agenda is being pushed on me. I work in a media centered environment and I find it kind of odd that the people making violent video games come off rather effeminate.
That being said, I don’t think that the style itself directly speaks to sexuality. I look at Kanye who happens to be one of my most respected rappers at the moment and I see him as being unique, that’s just him. But where is the line drawn between being unique and making a statement about what one is, especially coming from a culture where every other brother is undercover.
Overall skinny jeans are just not for me, they don’t fit my style. And in the end I think I feel most sorry for sisters in this scenario, because whether or not that cat next to me is gay doesn’t really affect me, but my sisters have to figure out whether or not he’s gay or just being stylish.
I agree, Dub. Being as though you’re seeing how trends are created firsthand, you can honestly make the point that consumers are being manipulated. That’s no surprise to anyone, I’m sure. But it’s WHO is manipulating us that many don’t realize.
And Kanye’s one of my favorites, too. I made sure to point that out just in case he might read this. :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Dva5epYLY&NR=1
1:10-1:28… Sorry I thought this applied terribly well.
I reckon theres a difference between skinny jeans and pencil jeans. What kanye’s got on are SKINNY jeans………..and the types that look feminine are pencil jeans. When a guy puts on jeans that make his butt stick out and his package jacked up; those are pencil jeans and they are v.FEMININE; those kinda jeans are usually worn by women.
That being said; why should JEANS determine someone’s SEXUAL preference?………………why are petty things like these even worth any sort of ARGUEMENT or serious DISCUSSION?………….theres so many more pressing ISSUES in the world today I’d say………
ps: Kanye’s a true LEGEND for that one
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F**k y’all haters who dont support skinny jeans just cuz u aint got no individualism or sense of style dont mean you can hate on everyone else….shit changes you can embrace or be a whinny b**ch about it..weo
you sound like you need a hug. rock your skinny jeans bro, i just hope you don’t drop the soap…lol. because it’s gonna be damn hard to pick it up…lol
S Dot if he drops the soap in them tight ass pants thats just another pair of pants lost. kus they sure to split as tight as they are
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If it feels good do it.
It would really suck if we were all the same and thought the same.
I think some guys look good in tight jeans and some guys dont.
I think some girls look good in tight jeans and some girls dont.
If your a fat slob it aint gonna matter what ya wear your gonna look bad.
If your a slim person with curves then show what ya got despite what label the fat ass puts on you.
Point is:
There aint nobody on this planet 100% straight not even you.
Just be yourself.
If you got a nice ass flaunt it.
If your a fat ass then please stay in your gunny sack.
Dont poke fun at someone elses sexuality until your sure about your own.(nobody is 100% straight not even you).
There’s nothing more beautiful than the male body. Wear those tight faded jeans! Show off you beautiful manhood. The first time my hormones erupted were in 7th grade. i saw a guy in tight faded jeans with his muscular ass and thighs…and my balls filled up with sperm. I went home and got off for the first time. I knew for sure then I was Gay.
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Everyone has an opinion and I appreciate them being expressed. Wear what you want to wear, but understand that certain things come with implications, be them right or wrong. Fashion is subjective, just like those implications are.
lol kanye looks good in dem skinny jeans. These are SKINNY JEANS not PENCIL/CARROT JEANS remmeber that! DEFINITELY NOT GAY he looks fresh :D [id say gay for men with cardigans -_-]
i personally think that wearing skinny jeans has different meaning there is a straight leg jeans which is slim but as skiiny as a skinny jeans