Brands like Cosabella and Savage x Fenty are now selling sexy lingerie … for men. Their men’s products include things like semi-sheer thongs and briefs, lacy bodysuits and colorful g-strings. Savage x Fenty’s first collection sold out in 12 hrs, and was bought mainly by men – for themselves.
Cosabella CEO Guido Campello knows that mainstream audiences aren’t overly comfortable seeing men in lingerie. The fashion-forward customers who purchase these products are mostly gay men and nonbinary people. But his goal is to convert “the dudes.
And while it’s unusual to see men in lingerie, it’s not a totally new concept.
According to the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, men's lingerie can be traced to 1920s Soviet Russia, where men's underwear was made of delicate fabrics (like silk) and embroidered with things like hammers and sickles ☭. In 1974, a catalog called “International Male” was dubbed “Victoria's Secret for guys” and included plenty of men in thongs on the pages. While the overt sexualization of men's bodies still primarily occurs in gay culture, some believe it’s time for men to embrace overtly sexy clothing.
The founder of Leak NYC, a men's brand that sells bodysuits made of fishnet and other see-through materials, agrees. "We're entering a new age where male-presenting bodies feel comfortable wearing effeminate shapes and fabrics that didn’t exist when I was growing up… We're trying to explore, push and question the binary that has limited us for so long."
Which got us thinking…
? Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of men in lingerie. Is that because it goes against our cultural norms (i.e., because we don’t think of the shapes/materials as being very masculine, or because we’re used to women’s bodies, but not men’s bodies, being sexualized)? Or is there another reason?
? If men’s lingerie becomes a thing, should it be different than women’s? (e.g., Should it emphasize different parts of the body, utilize different fabrics, etc.?) Or should it look similar across genders?
? Should lingerie be for everybody (and every body)?
See what our followers had to say about this topic.
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