Menswear and Fluidity

Menswear, classic tailoring, and its extensions have a problem with inclusivity in many respects. Privilege and whiteness. There’s a brand of masculinity that I’ve found to be harmful, rigid, and restrictive to growth. The “men should dress like men” chorus that shouts out from fear, creep out every now and again.

There is a lack of appreciation for expanding what manliness is. It’s still tied to power and authority. Despite clear progress, I’d love to see more men embracing a sense of sexiness, that’s not tied to dominance. There’s a continued space, a fluid sense of what’s enticing to he, she or they and expanding that narrative to include a sexiness in vulnerability.

That said, I could only chuckle after I posted a picture with eye shadow and a lace top, and lost close to 100 followers. That could be anything. This could be IG foolishness, but I suspect there’s a lingering sense of what men are supposed to look like in this world of tailoring. Anything antithetical to that has to be stomped out or erased as to assume it doesn’t exist. This is how we look dominant.

The suit connotes power, power attracts women is one of those expired schools of thoughts, but it isn’t. As I’ve grown, I’ve enjoyed to projecting what I love - tailoring - in a way that stays true to the good parts of this world and says fuck you to the bigoted parts that I’ve seen and witnessed over my career.

Playing in what’s considered a femme world has little to do with sexuality. Hetero/cis-gender/straight men are still far behind at disassociating gender, identity, and sexuality in regards to how they present themselves. For many, the lines are still clear, and perilous if crossed. These feelings despite proclaiming a love of Prince or Bowie.

I’m on my own journey, both personally and professionally. The Kamsten page reflects that shift and will continue to embrace that sense of sexiness and fluidity. I want someone to look at you in Kamsten and think “they fuck”, regardless of who is giving or receiving, or just enjoying it all.