Retailers Embrace Changing Notions Of Masculinity

The millennial generation — followed by the younger Gen Z set — is pushing back on the traditional idea of masculinity, evidenced by the fashion choices young men are willing to make. In a 2014 end-of-year report, “Wake Up: A Strategic Intel Report on Men,” L.A. agency Omelet describes how today’s men are approaching style: “Fashion, once a difficult and almost taboo nut for men to crack, is now more accessible than ever, and men are following suit and shelling out.” Menswear retail sales have grown by 70 percent since 1998, and what Omelet dubs the “peacock revolution” is the sartorial result of millennial men bucking former “beer-chugging, pizza-eating, baby-fearing stereotypes.” It’s not only menswear designers and fast-fashion retailers spreading the word to millennial men that dressing well and putting work into your clothing is no longer for the effeminate. Professional athletes are blazing the trail, as the NBA’s Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade and Lebron James, and the NFL’s Cam Newton have simultaneously become style icons when they’re not in jerseys. On Sunday, Newton wore a pair of $850 Versace jeans as he boarded a plane with his fellow Carolina Panthers en route to the Super Bowl. They promptly stirred conversation on Twitter and Instagram, and sold out in online stores. Read more at Digiday.