Glowing men sprinted down Versace’s dark runway in Milan on Jan. 16. The label opened its menswear show in an unusual but fascinating way: with fiber optic-threaded clothing with batteries inside.

The glow-in-the-dark ensembles were not the only “out-there” styles at Versace this season: matching metallic pants and jacket sets that resembled the Tin Man, monochromatic lavender outfits of furry sweaters and leggings and heavily bedazzled suits also graced the runway.

While Versace’s clothes could be written off as extreme, they were not so outlandish when compared to other shows this season. Alexander McQueen showed off a full suit — jacket, pants and undershirt — all covered in a giant butterfly print. Dolce & Gabbana delivered a floral-covered, buttoned-up, denim-on-denim number. The entire Moschino show consisted of clothes that probably had guests wondering if they were at a fashion show or a fluorescent ‘90s rave. Soon, even I was wondering if I was looking at a fashion show: was this how men’s fashion is supposed to be?

The Fall 2016 Menswear shows began on Jan. 8 in London, followed by Milan shows beginning Jan. 15 and Paris shows beginning Wednesday. Although these events are held in the winter of 2016, they serve to showcase the fashion for the fall and next winter. Fashion shows in general are typically a mixture of functionality and aspiration — the designs can be considered art and are therefore more innovative and creative then the clothes that you will later buy in the mall.

Women’s fashion shows, which will begin with New York Fashion Week in early February, typically gain more publicity and are more well known than men’s. When someone says that they want to go to “fashion week,” it is often assumed that they are talking about women’s fashion and New York Fashion Week.

With this greater exposure, people have become somewhat desensitized to the “weirdness” of runway fashion for women’s shows. Women’s runways can be extravagant, but they always manage to trickle down into the average stylish woman’s life. The trends get copied by stores like Zara and Forever 21 and are delivered to the public in this way. Surveying the trends from the men’s shows was a different experience: I can’t picture any stores that most men shop at selling anything similar to the runway styles.

Women have more options — more trends to work with, more silhouettes, more runway inspiration. After studying menswear this season though, I have seen an abundance of trends and even silhouettes and types of clothing that most men do not dare to try. It isn’t that women have more options — it is that society does not seem to embrace the options that men are offered by designers.

For college men, it can be tricky to navigate the world of style, especially when most popular stores don’t go beyond the classic men’s looks: button-down shirts, fitted sweaters and classic khakis, corduroys or chinos. While these styles are classics for a reason and can look put-together and sophisticated, fashion is meant to be fun, and that shouldn’t be exclusive to women.

Men should seize the opportunity to explore their possibilities when it comes to fashion. Look at what designers are putting out there and take inspiration from it. When it comes to the tin foil-looking suits, it’s OK to say no thanks, but maybe next time you’re looking for a cool accessory or accent piece, go for something silver and shiny.

 

Jackie Homan is a sophomore magazine journalism major. You can email her at jahoman@syr.edu or follow her @jackie_homan on Twitter.

Published on January 18, 2016 at 11:26 pm