What can men wear to look more feminine?In the past, high heels and skirts were two of the feminine fashion worn by men, you know.
Fashion seems inseparable from human life. Throughout the development of human civilization, fashion has also developed so that each era has its fashion characteristic. A fashion trend at one age can be a very hit, but at a different age, it will seem strange and ridiculous.
Through fashion, gender identity is often embedded. For example, dresses become fashion items that are very attached to women, while tuxedo suits are attached to the masculine image of men. But as I said above, the fashion trends of each era are different. For example, in ancient times, makeup and wigs were two things that were commonly used by aristocrats—men and women—in Ancient Egypt to17th-century Europe. In the current era, the use of makeup and rave wigs for men is certainly not common.
Besides makeup and wigs, there is still some feminine fashion that men used to wear, you know. So, what can men wear to look more feminine? without further ado, let’s find out together.
#1 High heels shoes
The first feminine fashion that men used to wear was high heels. High heels are popular with the Persian army. Persian soldiers and nobles wear high heels to maintain the stability of their bodies while riding a horse. The trick is to keep the foot well locked on the steering wheel. So when at war, they can be more agile playing with weapons without worrying about falling.
High heels were then introduced to Europe. Aside from riding, European aristocrats wear them to keep their feet clean as they pass through the muddy, dirty streets of the city. At that time, female aristocrats also began to use high heels with a slimmer heel shape than men’s heels. The use of high heels is very preferred because it is considered to add to the wearer’s authority. So this trend is growing among ordinary people.
Because he did not want to compete, the king began to regulate the height of the heels and the color of the shoes to determine the social status of the wearer. The higher the heels, the higher the social status of the wearer.
Finally, after the industrial revolution, when the innovations of motor vehicles began to be discovered and horses were no longer used, men began to leave high heels. Until now, the use of high heels has remained a trend among women for aesthetic reasons of appearance.
#2 Leggings
The second feminine fashion that men used to wear was leggings. Leggings have been worn by men since the Middle Ages as clothing for warfare. For this purpose, often steel shields have been added that coat the outside.
At that time, pants were still used to distinguish women’s and men’s clothing, so only men wore leggings. Leggings have even become a fashion trend favored by European aristocrats in the past.
Since the discovery of military boots judged more practical, men have begun to leave leggings. In the early 20th century, when the understanding of feminism flourished, women began to use pants that were more flexible than skirts. As a result, leggings also began to be glimpsed. Leggings reached peak popularity among women in the ’70sand’ 80s when disco, dance, and aerobic fever in gyms hit the world.
#3 Skirt
The skirt has been used by humans since ancient times. At that time, skirts were a universal garment for all genders. However, as the value of human civilization grew, women switched from short skirts to long robes and dresses as body coverings. Short skirts themselves are still a trend among men. For example in Egyptian, Greek, Roman civilizations, etc. Short skirts are chosen because they are more flexible than long robes.
Gender identity began to be embedded in skirts in the 18th century after the French Revolution. At that time, men decided to leave all kinds of decorative rave accents on their clothes that carry social class attributes. Men began to glance at simpler fashion, including pants. Therefore, the skirt becomes a fashion object that is attached to the feminine image until now.
#4 Pink color
The feminine fashion that men used to wear was pink. In the old days, pink was a universal color that was free to be used by all genders. Even pink has been the recommended color for boys because pink is a derivative of masculine red. Meanwhile, blue is considered to symbolize softness that is more appropriate for feminine nature. Now it’s upside down, huh?
The color pink became attached to the feminine identity after World War II. At that time, Mamie Eisenhower, wife of the 1953-1961 US president, often appeared at public events in pink-themed clothes. This trend was immediately followed by top artists of the era such as Audrey Hepburn. So that possibility from then on began to tend to associate the pink color with the feminine nature.
Color polarization as gender identity (pink for girls, blue for boys) began to be felt around the 80s. Fashion companies reconstruct the consumer’s mind that from childhood the color of clothing must be gender-adapted. The goal is of course for marketing strategies so that they can sell more products because in the old days’ children used to wear any color clothes (generally white) that could be worn alternately without being tied to gender identity.
Until now, the color pink in the world of fashion is still attached to the feminine image. But, not limited to being the color of Barbie’s greatness, pink is also often used as a symbol of the women’s activist movement. Yes, at least a pink color have positive power in this way.
Okay now, I hope after you read this article now you know what can men wear to look more feminine, don’t you?
