Girls wearing men's clothing is nothing new.
It may be that I "randomly found some men's clothes to put on."
But when singles go shopping, they go to the men’s clothing section of the same brand to buy, usually for themselves.
Ask them why. The answers are generally: "It looks good", "It's practical", "It's the same price, but the size is a few times larger. It's great to wear as an oversize (large size)!"
What are the differences between men's clothing? What about the less obvious differences that lead people to make unconventional consumption decisions?
Only those who have worn clothes of the opposite sex will know the following differences.
口
Bag
Writer Lucy Rycroft-Smith tried wearing only men's clothes for a month, and the first thing she noticed was the pockets difference.
We need to talk about pockets. The clothes I'm wearing now have bountiful, multifaceted, capacious pockets. I have nine of them today. I counted them. On a typical day of wearing womenswear, I have NONE.
I have to talk about pockets. The men's clothing I wear now has a lot of pockets on every side, and they are all oversized and very versatile. The one I'm wearing today has 9 pockets, I counted them! Thinking about the days when I wore Hanfu, there was not a single pocket.
Another realization like a wet herring to the face: The "handbag vs pockets" thing is huge conFidence-underminer, another terribly effective, if inadvertent way, to hold women down.
I often hear a logical fallacy: "If a woman has a bag, why do she need pockets?" It is simply another case of unintentionally treating women as a vulnerable group that needs to be treated differently.
I remember being crouched over my handbag, furiously ferreting for a business card while my male colleague coolly produced one from his manly chest-cavity.
I remember being crouched over my handbag, furiously ferreting for a business card while my male colleague coolly produced one from his manly chest-cavity. I was frantically looking for my business card, but my male colleague had already taken it out from his breast pocket.
Researchers from pudding.com collected the 20 best-selling jeans brands in the United States and measured the pocket sizes of their men's and women's trousers.
The average sizes for both women and men. The measurements confirmed what every woman already knows to be true: women's pockets are ridiculous.
The average sizes for both women and men. contrast. This measurement confirms what every woman knows: women's pants pockets are there for fun.
On average, the pockets in women’s jeans are 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men’spockets.
On average, women’s pants pockets are 48% shorter and 6.5% narrower than men’s pants pockets.
Beyond the obvious measurement differences, we wanted to see just how functional all these pockets were. After all, a pocket is only as good as what you can fit in it.
Beyond these surface measurements Data, we also want to know how well these pockets function. After all, how good a pocket is depends on how much it can hold.
Only 40 percent of women's front pockets can completely fit one of the three leading smartphone brands. Less than half of women's front pockets can fit a wallet specifically designed to fit in front pockets. And you can't even Cram an average woman's hand beyond the knuckles into the majority of women's front pockets.
Only 40% of women's pants pockets can accommodate common smartphones on the market. Less than half of women's pants have pockets that can accommodate a small wallet, and I'm talking about the kind of small wallet that is specially customized for the front pocket of pants. That’s not all. You can’t even put your hands in most of the front pockets of women’s pants.
Buttons
On shirts, the buttons are on the left for the ladies and on the right for the gents.
Women's shirts button on the left, while men's shirts button on the right.
When buttons were invented in the 13th century, they were, like most new technology, very expensive. Wealthy women back then did not dress themselves — their lady's maid did. Since most people were right-handed, this made it easier for someone standing across from you to button your dress.
Buttons were invented in the 13th century, and like many new technologies, they were very expensive at the time. Women from well-to-do families do not need to change their clothes themselves, as maids help. Since most people are right-handed, placing the buttons on the left side makes it easier for the person standing across from you to help you dress.
As for men’s shirts, there are a few competing theories as to why buttons are on the right side. But as a general rule, many elements of men’s fashion can be tracedback to the military. Once again, the right-handed assumption played a role since access to a weapon practically trumped everything - a firearm tucked inside a shirt would be easier to reach from the dominant side.
Men's shirt There are many explanations for why the buttons are on the right side. But generally speaking, the design of many men's clothing has been influenced by marching and war in history. This time, the "right-handed hypothesis" can explain it again - if the button is designed on the right side, it is most convenient for the right hand to reach through the button slit to pick up the gun stuck in the shirt.
Comfort
Columnist Lucy Rycroft-Smith once wrote an article on Quartz.com complaining about "Why are men's clothes designed to be so comfortable?"
For most of my life, I've worn clothing that leaves a mark. Bra straps nip at my shoulders; the backs of my shoes dig into my skin. Pantyhose leaves red rings around my stomach at the end of the day—glaring, and just as affecting, as felt-tip marks from a plastic surgeon.
Most of my life I wear things that end up on meThe kind that leaves a mark. Bra straps will pinch your shoulders, and the heels of your shoes will rub your heels. After wearing them for a day, pantyhose will leave a red circle of marks on your stomach, which is shocking. What’s even more pitiful is that the marks look like plastic surgery. Like the line drawn in front.
Then, several months ago, I began wearing men's clothing. Among the major advantages I've discovered so far: Plentiful pockets, simpler dressing decisions, and easier temperature control. But the biggest revelation for me was the huge difference in my physical and emotional comfort.
I started wearing menswear a few months ago and have discovered a lot of benefits: lots of pockets, easy dressing options, and easy adjustment if you want to be warmer or cooler. But what surprised me most was how much better I felt physically and in a better mood.
Like a lot of women, I've long been accustomed to scrambling out of my clothes at the end of the workday as fast as possible. Being off-duty meant taking off my high heels, stripping off my tights, shedding underwear and anything with a waistband. After unbuttoning, unzipping, and peeling off my clothing, I'd breathe a huge sigh, signaling my physical and mental release. Yet despite this nightly ritual, I usually took the discomfort and constrictions of women's clothing for granted.
Like most women, at the end of each working day I struggle to extricate myself from my clothes, as quickly as possible.I've been used to this situation for a long time. After get off work, immediately take off your high heels, tights, pantyhose and underwear, in any case, take off everything that restricts your waist. After unbuttoning, unzipping, and taking off all these things, I would breathe a sigh of relief and finally be able to rest my body and mind. But you see, even though I have to do this every night, I still take the constraints and discomforts of women's clothing for granted.
Nor did I consider its chafing effects on my mind. A lot of my clothing never quite fit me—instead, I had to make sure I fit it. Wearing an off-shoulder shirt or a silk dress meant constant fidgeting and adjusting. Every mirror, shop window, or reflective surface was an opportunity to check my appearance; every glimpse was a disappointment. The threat of gaping, riding up, and puckering was ever-present.
I had never thought about the negative impact these dressing rules had on my psychology. A lot of my clothes don’t fit me – instead, I have to work hard to make sure I fit them! Wearing an off-the-shoulder top or a silk skirt means I have to constantly adjust and pinch. Whenever I pass a mirror, store window, or any reflective surface, I take the opportunity to check my outfit. But in fact, every time I look at it, I will find faults. If I accidentally wear it, the skirt will slip up, or the clothes will wrinkle.
The dilemma of men's clothing
Similarly, not only women are dissatisfied with the design of Hanfu, but there are also people who are not interested in the mainstream men's clothing on the market.
Columnist Alice O'Keeffe wrote an article in The Guardian about her experience of buying clothes for her son. The choice of colors was pitiful. If children's clothes are so boring, you can imagine that adults' wardrobes will not be able to escape from "black, white and gray".
I completely understand parents of girls objecting to endless pink and princess dresses. But perhaps the situation is almost worse for boys. At least girls get a bit of choice. What does this weird lack of diversity tell us about what we expect boys to be? Boring, conformist, dull, practical – or worse.
I completely understand that parents of girls don’t want their children to always wear pink and dress up like princesses. But perhaps boys face worse choices. Girls at least have color options. Boys’ clothing has very few colors. What kind of education do we want our children to have? Boring, legalistic, stuffy, pragmatic, or worse?
Staring at the deathly rows of mini-suits I was reminded of Grayson Perry's book on gender, The Descent of Man, and in particular his idea of “default man”, the archetype of the wealthy, powerful and besuited white male. Perry — a man who knows a thing or two about clothing —has a lot to say about suits. “The real function of the sober business suit is not to look smart but as camouflage,” he writes."A person in a gray suit is invisible."
Looking at the row of monotonous small suits, I remembered Grayson Perry's book about gender, "The Fall of Man," which mentioned that "men ’s default setting”—the rich, powerful, suit-wearing white man. As a man who knows a lot about dressing, Perry has a lot to say about suits: "The real function of a plain business suit is not to make people look good, but to serve as a camouflage protective color - a person wearing a gray suit is invisible. ”
This is the message high-street fashion is sending to young boys: That they should aim not to express themselves but to don a kind of cloak of invisibility. Why? It's not as though men are genetically programmed to want to look dull. In many cultures, men's fashion is as colorful and glamorous as women's. Go back a couple of centuries or so to when wealthy European men would have worn sumptuous colors and fabrics, jewelry and even high heels.
This is the message high street fashion sends to boys: you shouldn’t dress conspicuously, but wear an invisibility cloak. What is this for? It’s not in men’s genes to wear boring colors. Men's fashion in many cultures is as colorful and attractive as women's fashion. A few centuries ago, wealthy European men would dress up in a flashy style, wearing gold, silver, and high heels.
Fortunately, we now have other options. After a reviving bun in the local cafe, my son and I went home and hit the internet. And there, readers, we found our happy ending: An outfit so outrageous, so loud and silly and glorious, that there was simply no way to resist.
Luckily my son and I finally found the clothes he wanted. After eating cake in a restaurant in the mall to replenish our energy, my son and I returned home and turned on the computer. Readers, we found the perfect outfit online: it was so bright and flashy, even a little silly, that it was impossible to say no to it.
Who knows how long my boy's commitment to bright red will last – perhaps in a couple of years he will join the navy-blue crowd. But I hope not. Life can be tough, and we all need to find joy where we can. It's not only girls who benefit from a touch of glitz and glamour.
But who knows how long my children's love for bright red will last. Maybe in a few years, he will join the "navy blue camp." But I don't want that to happen. Life is already so hard and everyone needs to find happiness. It’s not just girls who can get satisfaction from gorgeous clothes.
The carnival of consumerism reached its peak in these two days.
You may have emptied your shopping cart containing more than a dozen products, or you may be too busy with your own affairs to participate in this 100-billion-dollar project.
If you can’t stop your desire to buy something, at least think clearly about what kind of clothes you really want to wear.
Notes
capacious / kpes / adj large volume, spacious
herring / her / n herring
knuckle / nkl / nknuckle, knuckle
pantyhose / pntihoz / n pantyhose, tights
pucker / pkr / vpucker, make pleats
conformist / knfrmst / nsubmissive, follower
archetype / ɑkitap / typical
sumptuous / smptus / adj luxurious, luxurious, luxurious
glitz /ɡlts / ndazzling, gorgeous
Edit: Zuo Zhuo
Source: yayprint; thefword; pudding; today.com; Quartz
Source: China Daily Bilingual News WeChat
