For decades, the runways of the fashion world have been full of tall, emaciated, mostly white female bodies. As the women walk, photographers, fashion bloggers and whoever else attends fashion shows judge not only the clothes adorning the bodies but the bodies themselves.
In our patriarchal society obsessed with exposing the female form, common runway sights include braless models, bare butt cheeks and sometimes even a camel toe or two.
However, Rick Owens’ menswear show in Paris last week shocked many audience members by not adhering to these unspoken and inarguably sexist industry standards.
While I would personally summarize the garments as being “caveman chic,” it’s not the clothes that received the most attention. It was what peeked out of them that caused a ruckus in the fashion world.
During some of the male models’ trips down the runway, it was revealed that these chic, chiseled cavemen were indeed going commando.
As seen in photos from a few shutter-happy photographers, at least three male models’ penises were exposed on the runway during the show. Hilariously, some Internet commenters even echoed George Costanza’s classic cries of “Shrinkage!” when they saw close-ups of the models’ packages.
In a short interview with i-D Magazine about his “runway dick tricks,” Owens stated, “You know I love a simply tiny little gesture that packs the wallop.”
And while I’m not entirely sure what Owens even means by that, I’m glad he’s sticking to his decision because this kind of thing is quite revolutionary for the world of fashion.
Fashion has been a man’s world since the beginning. It’s as if whoever invented the male gaze decided, “How about we create these ‘clothes’ for women that only serve to highlight their breasts and thighs and barely-there waist? Oh, and can we only make sizes for people under 110 pounds?”
For as long as I can remember, men’s “fashion” consisted of three different types of outfits: suits for work, jeans for play and sweatpants for “easy access.” Access to what? The female population might never know.
But with Owens’ daring inclusion of the male form on display in his fall collection, the world of fashion could be changing.
Will menswear become just as objectifying as women’s fashion? Some may argue that skinny jeans and “bro tanks” show off men’s bodies just as much as miniskirts and tight sweaters show off women’s bodies, but I disagree.
For true fashion equality, I’m going to need men’s clothes to up the sex-appeal.
While I’m certainly not calling for every guy at LSU to stroll around with his package on display (I can barely handle seeing their toes when they wear shower shoes to class), the options need to be there.
Where’s the Victor’s Secret? Where are the high-class boutiques that specialize in racy, lacy boxer briefs that are supposed to “enhance” men’s figures? Who’s going to make plunging V-neck shirts for men? And last but not least, why can’t I find any shorts in the men’s department that say “JUICY” on the butt?
I’m officially calling for fashion equality. If I’m pressured to buy clothes that objectify my own body, why shouldn’t men be, too?
SidneyRose Reynen is a 19-year-old film and media arts sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana. You can reach her on Twitter @sidneyrose_TDR.