This Is A Menswear's World
LOCATION: LANGDALE, BC
On combining feminine garments with masculine cuts for a wholly functional travel ensemble.
As an active woman not living a life of leisure, I've often envied the relative simplicity of menswear – one can look exquisitely elegant and sophisticated while still retaining breezy freedom of movement (also, bowties). An uncomplicated ensemble with a sharp coif, sans makeup, reads lazy on a woman and effortless on a man.
Women's clothing often seems designed to be deliberately uncomfortable, and frequently, the overall aesthetic of the clothing does not improve in accordance. Rather, we have to suffer through painfully ugly heels, tight crotches, and badly-tailored blouses that ride up with any arm movement, while men cooly gaze at our suffering in their smart, well-fitting suits, loose-but-flattering button-downs, soft leather loafers, and breathable (but not oversized) cashmere sweaters. I have, over the past few years, become a frequent patron of the men's sections at my local thrift stores, with some of my favorite items – a tweed hunting jacket, a plaid fedora, the perfect oxfords – initially intended for male buyers. I've found that, on average, the fit is better, the quality higher, and amenities like functional pockets (sometimes even on the inside of jackets!!) are included, while they are often disregarded on women's garments.
Women's clothing often seems designed to be deliberately uncomfortable, and frequently, the overall aesthetic of the clothing does not improve in accordance. Rather, we have to suffer through painfully ugly heels, tight crotches, and badly-tailored blouses that ride up with any arm movement, while men cooly gaze at our suffering in their smart, well-fitting suits, loose-but-flattering button-downs, soft leather loafers, and breathable (but not oversized) cashmere sweaters. I have, over the past few years, become a frequent patron of the men's sections at my local thrift stores, with some of my favorite items – a tweed hunting jacket, a plaid fedora, the perfect oxfords – initially intended for male buyers. I've found that, on average, the fit is better, the quality higher, and amenities like functional pockets (sometimes even on the inside of jackets!!) are included, while they are often disregarded on women's garments.
And women's clothing seems to lead to an awful lot of wardrobe malfunctions; the average female human being struggles through a mountain of possible mishaps on what feels like a daily basis. Perhaps it's a shirt that shows up much sheerer than anticipated under certain lights; maybe an unexpected gust of wind lifts up a hem
higher than one would like; even the simple act of disembarking from a car is not safe from the dangers of a sartorial slip. For me,
a dress lover through and through (who also happens to adore a well-cut trouser), some
of these potential accidents have brushed
far too close for comfort. Something had to be done.
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I can hardly claim to have invented the whole dress-over-pants thing – or, at least, I cannot claim to have been the first. But it's a layering trick that has come to my rescue time and time again when faced with gusty (and chilly!) breezes, an unexpected yet requisite mad dash, or that awful getting-out-of-the-car bit (not that I pretend to be important enough for anyone to care about my wardrobe malfunctions). On top of it all, the clever layering adds a new dimension, a refined masculine edge, to a simple shift dress and makes it feel so new and exciting. An outfit like this – elegant and feminine yet mobile and dapper – is such a satisfying response to the incomprehensible non-functionality of our typical womenswear options.
The stark contrast of beige and navy against the sharp blue sky and fierce midday shadows was thrilling to me, and I wish I'd had my camera and tripod to improvise a more sophisticated shoot on the spot. Ah, well, I'll just have to be better prepared next time 'round – with photographic equipment, that is, because – not to boast, but an outfit like this is prepared for anything.
Mille tendresses.
Photography: Aiden Cleland-Hura | Wearing a BCBG Dress, secondhand; thrifted Banana Republic Trousers; a knitted Cardigan, secondhand; and secondhand Oxfords
Photography: Aiden Cleland-Hura | Wearing a BCBG Dress, secondhand; thrifted Banana Republic Trousers; a knitted Cardigan, secondhand; and secondhand Oxfords