Men and Clothing

I have spent time pondering this question from Charles DiSipio, "How does one account for the way men become trapped in the memory of their finest sartorial moment?" Working with different men has given me a window into the male psyche. They are very attached to certain images of themselves, regardless of how that image matches the person they have evolved into. A lot of men develop "a look" after college, and leave it at that. They find it a waste of time to think about their wardrobe and how it suits them (or not) over the years. Oftentimes, a new partner will nudge a man into a different, updated look, but most men could not be less interested in clothing. Hence, men are left with a wardrobe that dates them.

My husband and I were recently discussing jeans--his jeans to be specific. In his mind, the style of jeans he wore in college (24 years ago!) look "just fine" today. I have often accused him of wearing "mom jeans" which leads him straight to a rant about the ridiculous styles and cost of men's jeans. For my spouse, there are mom jeans and $300 designer jeans, with nothing in between. Part of his extreme view regarding the world of denim is his limited shopping experiences.

For years I have picked up things for him when I am have been shopping. Consequently, he has a closet full of clothing that he did not look for and select himself. While this has saved him time and energy, I believe it has stunted his fashion growth. Since he has not been shopping for jeans in any serious way in years (beyond picking up some at Costco!), he has out of date reference points. To him, it is obvious that "jeans should cost $25 and any style works for a guy." He wonders why it should be complicated to find a pair of jeans.

So I directed my husband to Guy Tribay's terrific article in last week's New York Times: "Read My Hips: These Jeans Don't Lie." I am not sure if he's read it yet, but it has renewed my commitment to get him into some new jeans.