Reclaiming Fashions

[Shyheels]

Probably everybody here is at least vaguely familiar with the idea that heels were originally a masculine thing - a delegation of hard-riding Persian cavalrymen, who wore heels on their ankle boots to stabilise themselves in the saddle when they shot their bows, cut quite a dash at the French court when they visited in the 16th century and before you knew it, their exotic footwear had become all the rage among the nobility. By the daw of the 18th century the writing was on the wall for this new fashion, because women had taken to heels well. Before too many more years had passed heels were seen as a feminine thing and no self-respecting man would go near them

And that is pretty much how things have stayed for the past 250 years or so, with just occasional - brief - period where men could 'get away' with wearing heels in certain circumstances. 

In thinking over this history, I am trying to think of any fashion, once adopted by women, that has successfully made a return to the male wardrobe (at least in a mainstream way) It seems like once something has gone feminine, there is no reviving it. On the other hand, women borrow freely and frequently from men's fashions, but it never goes the other way.

The only thing that comes directly to mind is the earring, which is now pretty much a unisex thing.   

Can anyone think of any other article of fashion - once male, but which became feminised, but has nevertheless enjoyed a broad and successful return to the male wardrobe?  

 

 

[Puffer]

I think you have in mind items which, upon adoption by women, ceased to be worn by men until a much later revival - as distinct from those taken-up by women without being abandoned by men.   If so, then I question whether earrings count as they were never completely abandoned by men - think gipsies, pirates and various overseas tribes.

I'm hard pressed to think of anything that truly fits your criteria; very few items are essentially single-sex, even if you are just considering the Western world - even skirts (kilts) or stockings scarcely qualify.   One might argue that open sandals were largely abandoned by men, but not women, in much of Europe and the US for perhaps 1000+ years but have become commonly re-adopted by men within the last 30 years or so.  

As to men's heels, didn't Egyptian butchers allegedly wear heels to keep their feet out of the blood and offal on the shop floor, rather earlier than Persian cavalry?

[FastFreddy2]

Bell-bottomed trousers, aka bootcut aka 'flares'?

[Shyheels]

I wore those a lot in the late 60s early 70s - I had some quite vivid pairs, as I recall. But that whole style just vanished, actual bell bottoms, that it. To the extent they've come back, they have been in women's styles. 

Boot cut jeans have been pretty much unisex, haven't they?

[FastFreddy2]

4 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Boot cut jeans have been pretty much unisex, haven't they?

And flares surely? Especially if you are into Northern Soul. (I've heard.)

[Shyheels]

I was thinking of things such as heels and tall boots, the colour pink for that matter, which have morphed from masculine to feminine in the fashion world. I am wondering if there has ever been any traffic in the other direction.

[Puffer]

4 hours ago, Shyheels said:

I was thinking of things such as heels and tall boots, the colour pink for that matter, which have morphed from masculine to feminine in the fashion world. I am wondering if there has ever been any traffic in the other direction.

I suppose that nylon tights could be said to have been adopted by men in quite recent times for practical wear in cold weather, as distinct from being for fetish or other aesthetic reasons.   Yes, tights have never disappeared completely from men's wardrobes (think ballet, court dress) but clearly were/are not mainstream and not of the same nylon quality either.   And it is not unknown for a man to wear a bra if he has the misfortune to grow 'man boobs'.   But I remain of the view that, in reality and ignoring cross-dressing and fetish activity, almost nothing can be considered as being worn only by one sex to the exclusion of the other, whether historically or not.   

[Shyheels]

I am thinking specifically of items from the female side of the shop that have been taken up by men, in the way that masculine items of clothing have been taken up by women - heels, boots, trousers, jeans etc. 

[FastFreddy2]

Scarves?

Skin toner.

But I would tend to agree. Once an item has been recognised as predominantly "ladies" attire, I can't think of one item that has crossed back, even half-way to become unisex. So much for "equality" of the sexes ....  

[Shyheels]

Having bought my long sought PVC jeans from Topshop I am now on their e-mailing list - which is fine with me. I received an email from them last week crowing about their new lines of clothing which blurred traditional gender lines. Intrigued, I read on. It was all about women's fashions - pretty yet boyish.

The traffic really only ever goes one way...

[FastFreddy2]

Mrs Freddy came up with one, I didn't really understand at first .... Trousers.

Used by men, 'borrowed' (still) by women, but worn (still) by men. The reason I didn't get it, is that we don't see them as feminine attire, which is exactly why the answer is a winner. Truly, unisex.

Is there a prize? 

 

 

[Shyheels]

Ah yes, but trousers and jeans never became feminine. Not like heels and boots did. They were adopted by women, but never taken over by them.

It would have been impossible, really, for women to have done so as that would then have left men literally with nowhere to go for leg coverings. Throughout history skirts, dresses or leggings of some sort have been what humans have covered their lower halves. Two of those three are now comprehensively lost to men. 

Trousers, jeans etc are the last refuge. There are no alternates left for men to retreat to! Women moved in and adopted them, but couldn't take them over fully as with boots and heels.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Shyheels

[FastFreddy2]

Boots haven't been 'taken over' by women. Some styles are more synonymous with womens fashion, but I would think more mens boots are sold globally than womens. Likewise trousers. Some more synonymous with womens styles ("slacks", capri pants, ski pants) but more sold for men.

Even jeans ... Women probably own more pairs (more sold to women) than men, certainly in the Western world. More styles for women (look better on women too), but men still wear them.

Men have never 'owned' high heels, not in the sense of 'high heel fashion shoes'. They are -generally- the realm of womens fashion garb, rather like a pencil skirt might be. 

  

[Shyheels]

At one time - albeit a long time ago - men did indeed 'own' high heels. They were seen as very masculine and it was only a few very daring women at the dawn of the 18th century who began wearing them. Men of course are always sensitive to anything that strikes at their (our) masculinity and as more women began adopting this exotic fashion for heels, they were dropped by men.

If by boots you mean desert boots etc, you may be right. But if you look at selections of men's boots you will see they are nearly all the same - very low ankle boots and with little variation, despite the varying style names. Calf, knee, OTK and higher boots are all the province of women.  

Men can wear certain styles of knee boots if they happen to be actually riding horses motorcycles, but the horse or motorcycle had better be in the frame. 

Women can wear equestrian or biker style boots whenever they please and in any context. 

    

[FastFreddy2]

2 hours ago, Shyheels said:

At one time - albeit a long time ago - men did indeed 'own' high heels.     

I was careful to word my response. I doubt you or anyone could show me paintings depicting men wearing 4 or 5 inch stiletto's. A boot with a heel to show off wealth (owner of horses) is one thing. A high fashion court shoe .... 

Overall, it's a one way street. When woman's fashion takes up something previously largely masculine, MEN don't go after it again. In that respect, trousers and jeans 'never left the building', but they are unisex, omnisex, or pansexual? [Tick box as appropriate. ]

[Shyheels]

Actually you never mentioned stilettos - you referred to heels, as did I. Stilettos, as a specific style, were a 1950s creation specifically designed for women. Nobody could show you a picture or painting of anybody wearing stilettos much before 1950 at the earliest. However, high heels as a fashion go back much, much further - centuries - and there are indeed paintings of Louis XIV of France and King Charles II of England (to name but two fashionable royals) wearing 3-4 inch heels. 

Neither of the two kings were riding horses n the paintings or were wearing equestrian clothes. They were arrayed in all their court finery. It was totally fashion, a male fashion. 

Charles II

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/df/44/c0/df44c002469ab4340ae15bc4c657952f.jpg

and:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Charles_II_of_England_in_Coronation_robes.jpg

Louis XIV:

http://68.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkzid3Jvkb1qggdq1.jpg

Edited March 28, 2017 by Shyheels

[Heels]

On 3/25/2017 at 9:46 AM, FastFreddy2 said:

And flares surely? Especially if you are into Northern Soul. (I've heard.)

One of my other interests is music.  I like Ska, Raggae and some Punk. Not so keen on Northern Soul.  I go to about 3 or 4 scooter rallies each year where they do play Northern soul. Most venues would have the main dance room for the bands to play and there be another room for Northern soul.  You can expect the women to be wearing 60's style dresses and men to be wearing a suit. All very smart. I have a couple of friends  who are Mods.  Just wish I could show you some photos of my very fashionable friends but I,m not going to. Don't see flares being worn. Maybe the odd one or two but that could be just more to do with rockabilly type music.

I used to own a scooter but cost to much for to keep on the road for the amount I was using it for.