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.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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)
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!
….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!
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!
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!
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.
KittyFixs last blog post..The Tea on That is…
[...] Men In Skinny Jeans; What do you think? [...]
Kittys last blog post..Old Skool Friday
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…
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]
Rae of Stuffflypeoplelike.coms last blog post..New Music: Ne-Yo, Lloyd, Karina Pasian & Monica!
[...] Should Men wear SKINNY Jeans?…The Concrete Journal [...]
mzvirgos last blog post..Did she finally get it right?
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.
[...] [...]
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.
And Kanye’s one of my favorites, too. I made sure to point that out just in case he might read this. :-)
1:10-1:28… Sorry I thought this applied terribly well.
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
[...] [...]
CBs last blog post..T.I. – “What’s Up, What’s Happening” [video]
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).
[...] [...]
Maybe its because i align myself with the “older” generation, not to say older by age but maturity, that i dont understand why a man would want to wear clothing so tight.
Its beside me. But with any and everything in this world “to each his own”
But for me, i’ll pass on rocking broad bottoms. Its that bad when you can rock your girls jeans and get away with it. SMH
well that’s how I feel today’s male fashion is being directed. Men (mostly young) are dressing more and more like women, and the women, I think for some time, have dressed like men.
I hate it. I do think that the skinny jeans on men is a ‘cue’ to others that ‘hey, i’m down with the trend, notice me’
it may be a gay thing actually. why a man wants to look like a women is beyond me.
I do believe that those lines shouldnt be crossed. I believe that men should wear clothing that isnt tight fitting, that to me is questionable but thats why i dont wear them. To each his or her own…
another things , skinny jeans don’t fit much different than other jeans, hasn’t anyone heard of the cut of jeans? such as bell bottom, booty, tapered, skinny. the differences is at the bottom not at the waste. though some of them do in fact hug ur thighs much more. so they technically don’t have to “hug ur nuts”
sounds to me like there are a lot of people wanting to wear it but can’t fit in them. and for the ladies, they are just embracing antiquated ideas on how a “man” should dress.
i’ve said my peace.
I don’t like the skinny jeans look. I don’t like the view of your penis trying to escape through a hole in your pocket. I do NOT like it! why torture yourselves that way boys? I DO like the fitted jeans look via Finess Mitchell (now thats a baaaddd boy!) it says masculine, but well put together.
http://www.thecoldpiece.com
http://www.thecoldpiece.blogspot.com
SLIM FIT JEANS ARE OK BUT SKINNY/PENCIL/ETC. NO. NO. NO.
ITS SOOO TRAGIC TO WATCH URBAN/HIP-HOP GUYS TRY TO BE FASIONABLE AND DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE. FOR SOME STRANGE REASON, THEY ALWAYS END UP LOOKING LIKE GAY-RODEO CLOWNS AND I’M NOT SAYING GAY IS A BAD THING BUT REALLY. G-A-Y. DID YOU SEE THOSE PICS OF KANYE AND HIS …BOYS? OVER SEAS AT THE FASHION SHOWS? THEY LOOKED “FRESH” ALRIGHT. FRESH FROM A LONG DAY AT THE PRIDE PARADE.. ONE DUDE HAD ON SOME ANIMAL PRINT LEGGINGS!.
HERES A SHORT LIST OF MALE TRENDS AS OF LATE THAT ARE SUSPECT:
-MOWHAWKS/FAUX-HAWKS (EXCEPT ON TRUE PUNK ROCKERS WITH DOC-MARTINS AND ALL)
-SCARVES, ELABORATELY BUNCHED AND DRAPED
-BIG/ORNATE SUNGLASSES
-GOD-AWFUL COLORFUL HOODIES
-SKINNY JEANS
-ANYTHING ED-HARDY (TOO GAWDY)
NOW WEARING 1 OR COMBINATION OF ANY OF THESE TRENDS DON’T MEAN YOUR GAY BUT REALLY………..lETS BURY THEM RIGHT NEXT TO TRUCKER HATS.
STOP LETTING THE GAYS THAT RUN THE FASHION INDUSTRY FOOL YOU! THEY JUST WANT TO LOOK AT YOUR CAKES, FRANKS AND BEANS.
Seriously, how can anyone say that skinny jeans are gay, and then make an argument for baggy jeans. Hmmm, that’s a real hard decision to make to see which one of those styles is gay. Skinny jeans, which actually started with famous rock stars which were the most bad ass guys ever and got laid every night (by any girl they wanted pretty much), or baggy jeans, which started in prison because it made it easier for guys to get raped in the ass by there new cell mate, who also now happens to be there owner.
Anybody that thinks skinny jeans are gay, obviously doesn’t think. And anyone who thinks it should be illegal to wear them should jump off a bridge. Anyone who thinks it would seriously be okay to outlaw that has problems, it’s a violation of freedom of expression, and any government that would do that needs to be ended.
Skinny jeans=bad ass rock stars
Baggy jeans=prison ass rape
The more masculine looking women might also feel her femininity is at stake if guys are allowed to wear skinnies.
IMO Skinny jeans looks great on guys provided they are skinny, and the same applies to women too. That’s why its call a skinny-jean, not a FAT-jean.
Nice satire. Yes exactly. People should stop being so anal and allow guys to have more freedom to dress up the way they want.
Androgyny is the name of the game, and gender expression does not equal sexual orientation. For too long now we’ve mistakenly tried to connect the two, as if it were fact. Feminine qualities in a man means that he is gay? Masculine qualities in a woman means she’s gay? Absolutely not. They are merely qualities that we have deemed acceptable for one or the other, based on nothing logical at all.
Besides, it was us, as a society that socially constructed what we would deem as male or female in so many ways. Logically speaking, there is nothing “female” about wearing tight jeans, it’s just as much of a stereotype as anything else. Let us not forget there was a time when it was considered “wrong” for a woman to even wear jeans. Also let’s not forget, men were the first to wear tight ones. But when you comes down to it, anyone can wear jeans, and anyone should be able to wear form fitting ones.
While many are bound to idea and have it deeply ingrained in their heads. I feel that the rigid consructs of femininity and masculinity are useless, and harmful. Some feel that masculinity within our society is a problem, that we would be much better off without it. Too much of a man is judged by his “masculinity”, not by who his is, just a human being. Call me a dreamer, but I say we’re in the beggining stages of seeing that notion decline.
these are definitely not “gay” for any dude to wear
lol i noticed the people who have such a strong opposition of skinny jeans talk so ghetto……..maybe people should go get an education and get around a few places and try on a pair yourself and tell me what you think about them
like mom used to say “you cant say you don’t like them until you’ve tried them”
and seriously, who cares what other people are doing…i say skinny jeans are better then big mega baggy pants, but hey, im not against the baggy pants either
cant people just agree to disagree and drop it?
I don’t see anything wrong with skinny jeans. They’re a style and their roots have nothing to do with femininity. Skateboarders wear them because they don’t constrict movement as much as baggier clothing. Hip-hop and skateboard culture are intermixing hence the skinny jean fad among rappers.
Personally, I think it’s a step up from the ridiculously baggy clothing of the 90’s and early 2000’s. That looked ridiculous. A tall T? Really? Sagging shorts that looked like bloated capri’s? Really?
P.S: SKinny jeans r the number 1 cause of yeast infections n men across AMERICA 2day……(lmfao!)
Pokemon!
What color are those jeans? >:O
I mean the supper tight ones..eeeeeek!
why you wearing that if you can’t even breath?!?!
thats just plane dummbbbb!
i mean i wear skinny jeans because i feel comfortable and i like how they look with the shoes. i don’t wear them because lots of ppl
are it’s because i like how they give the spotlight to the clothing in general not “nut huggers”..lol
thats just simply wrong ; i wanna have kids.
I wear skinnies “MOD fit” not “nutt-hugging fit”!
ps: wanting to dress good is not being Homosexual or Feminine.
Just self respect instead of looking like a Scrub!!!
With that said, I think Guy has a really good point. In Europe, men have been wearing both form-fitting and baggy pants for years and no one thinks anything of it. Both men and women also freely hold hands, publicly hug, and kiss (as a greeting) members of the same sex in several European counties and it means nothing.
Cloths have little to do with a person’s sexuality and everything to do with his or her style preferences. It is our culture that makes us come up with these preconceived notions of what defines men’s and woman’s fashion. We’ve only just started to realize that cloths say less about sexuality and more about personality. Fashion, I believe, has become more personal in that more people find it less difficult to wear something simply because they want to wear it without worrying about conforming to an expectation or falling under some stigma.
There is not a thing wrong or right in wearing skinny jeans. If you like them, wear them and accept that other people don’t. If you don’t like them, don’t wear them and accept that other people do. It’s all about fashion preference, not sexual preference.
whoa lil man lol…. little guy has a lot of engergy doesnt he? lol If CB starts a campaign i doubt you’ll do much to stop it. Im sorry but i dont think your influcence is great enough. Your little arms wont reach.
Again, who are you? lol….
after that i cant stop wearin it cuz it just looks so much better. i am not gay either im straight and love females but im sayin dont talk shit about them unless youve actuall tried it. trust me i used to be wearin all this baggy shit 2 sayin i would never wear it but even me changed.
the thing about the skinny jeans is u cant get them 2 tight. if its too tight then it becomes tights but the regular skinny jeans still shows that its not like spandex cuz youll see creases and space in the jeans. you cant assume other pple are gay for wearin skinny jeans either or piercings and all this cuz a lotta pple have skinny jeans piercings and shit and they are the straight one while these “regular” people wearin clothes you think straight people wear are really the gay ones
At first, I ditched the baggy pants for regular relaxed, but it was still way too big, then I went to straight leg, then skinnies. A lot of my skinnies are really hit and miss. I’m going to start trying out some of the girls ones, I’ve heard they fit even better. May have to do a little tucking, no big deal.
Tight pants rock, it doesn’t matter if you’re a dude or a chick. Pants don’t determine sexual orientation, who you are sexually attracted to does.
As a skinny jeans wearer, I will say this…sometimes the skinny jean thing is ridiculous, because if you don’t have the right body for it..you shouldn’t be attempting something that daring. I wanna puke when I see some fat kid trying to wear my stuff. I’ve been a skinny jeans wearer since about 2002, simply because I looked at all the style of my favorite musicians and said ‘why the heck not?!’..I’m skinny as heck too, but I have enough muscle and tone to not look flat out feminine. Sure enough, I got crap for it at first but like 2 years later..EVERYONE in my high school was trying it too. The difference is in the confidence. I really had no reservations about anyone seeing my butt or package at all, matter of fact I walked proudly with it and when I was a senior girls were coming up and grabbing my junk, which lead to much more…and I can tell you some stories…so call it gay or effeminate if you want, but my skinny jeans have gotten me way more tail than the other fellas rocking the same boring duds from american eagle etc. Like I said, confidence confidence confidence.
IN MY OPINION, REAL MEN DO NO WEAR SKINNY JEANS. REAL MEN ARE THICK, HAIRY, AND MACHO WITH BIG MACHO THICK JAWLINE. MEN SHOULD GO TO THE GYM AND DRINK LOSSA PROTEIN MIX TO GET THEMSELVES THICK HAIRY MACHO SEXY BODIES. SKINNY MEN ARE NOT REAL MAN. HAHAHAHA
I HATE GUYS WITH PRETTY FACE AND SKINNY BODIES BECAUSE THEY MAKE ME FEEL GAY BECAUSE THEY ARE FAGGS!!! I’M NOT!
Wear fitted jeans, they’re more comfortable than tight jeans or those heavy saggy jeans most cardboard gangstas wear around here lol.
On another note, if women are to complain about men wearing tight jeans cause it resembles feminine clothing then it’s like the pot calling the kettle black cause women wore strictly dresses long ago, a woman wearing pants back then was the equal of a man wearing a dress or tight jeans.
I may not agree with the tight jeans movement and I am a hetero male(I likes mah Wimmenz) but most people opposing to the whole tight jeans for men are contradicting them selves without even taking the time to think.
Here’s another thing, I don’t want to sound like a religious maniac(Which I am not as I am not a religious person) but I will quote something from Pentecostals: women choose to wear skirts because of the Biblical commandment that women must not wear men’s clothing… So Pants are naturally mens clothing and have been since the very beginning, remember that when passing judgment on these dudes with the bootychokers.
Mark Martinez,
Testing out hypergain like the energizer bunny