Predicaments of a Fashion Lover: Let Them Wear Skirts!

This week I graced the population of Glasgow with this utterly amazing coat. It's from Nick Grimshaws range for Topman, a collection I waited for MONTHS to arrive, desperate to buy some of the bold printed and super stylish stuff. This gorgeous leopard print coat is one of them, it photographs well don't you think?

As you can tell, this collection was designed by Nick Grimshaw with mainly fellas in mind, taking them out of their oversized jeans, baggy hoodies and DC trainers. Grimshaw created a collection which played with the gender boundaries of clothing; soft see through jumpers, skinny scarfs, bold baseball jackets, printed shirts and coats, even a fringed suede coat. #NICKGRIMSHAW4TOPMAN was something that echoed the changes of fashion we're seeing today in the famous houses and world famous magazines - Louis Vuitton casting Jaden Smith in their womens' campaign, the flamboyant Gucci guy created by Alessandro Michele, pink haired pixie boys at Versace, ID Magazine's discussion and spread in their 'Gender Is A Drag' issue.

The fact that the collection fucked with the perceived gendered clothing boundaries was what drawer me to it in the first place; while I'm quite secure with the body I was born in, I've always preferred boys clothing. It seems to work so much more effortlessly for them, a simple good coat, well fitted jeans and smart boots makes them sorted to take on the day. The shoe's are something I'e always loved; masculine brogues with or without tassels, sturdy chelsea boots, burgundy loafers. There may not be that many options out there for men's fashion, but there is some fantastic choices. But I haven't been thinking about that.

I've been thinking about why we made restrictions on our boys style.

Why can't boys wear pink? Who started the no skirt rule? Where's the COLOUR in their clothes? How can't Topshop and Topman come together to create a new force not to be fucked with, Topcat or Topthis? What's with the separation when it's just clothing?

We haven't always been like this. Only a few hundred years or so ago, men used to wear heels/heeled boots to show off their shapely calfs, just like women do today. George Washington was one, as was Louis XIV of France. Pretty cool huh? The heel fell out of fashion because some Important But Silly Humans decided that male sexually provocative clothing became associated with homosexuality, which as Tumblr called it, started a 'big gay panic' men have yet to come back from one hundred years on. How crazy is that? Imagine how better made heels would be if men also wore them - we'd sure have gotten comfier heels quicker I'm telling you.

So our boys have had some restrictions taught to them until they don't see anything else when it concerns their clothing. Many men don't know how to dress, mainly from either having had no opportunity to choose what they want to wear and explore their style (mentally unable to realise they can wear whatever they want), or from the lack of choice or support we give when our boys are young and want Mum to stop picking their clothes. It's also got something to do with the past generation(s); they don't seem to have a lot of fun when it comes to clothes, my father just wanting something that fits half the time (he's partial to a purple or pink shirt mind, so that's pretty wicked).

So what's with us? Why can't we let our boys just wear whatever? Is it got to do with the way we objectify them, wanting only to see what we'd perceive a 'real man' to wear? Do we really freak out about the colour pink? Deep down, are we all just scared about seeing fantastic calves on a daily basis and a little style competition?

I know how much a guy would rock this coat, probably much better than me, but living in Glasgow I don't often see guys making their own style and statement as I walk down the street. Just the same New Balance trainers, Nando's haircut or super tight black skinnies. But when I do see a guy who's wearing clothes which may be branded 'hipster', 'flamboyant' or 'indie' (circle appropriate) it's really cool. You can tell he feels comfortable with himself and what he's wearing. It's nice. It's different and new and I love it.

Plus we rejected the colour pink for boys because Hitler considered it a 'feminine colour' (pfffft), so boys got swapped with girls for blue. THAT'S RIGHT MY FRIEND. So do we really want to go along with what a mass murderer, lunatic and All Round Awful Human decided nearly a hundred years ago?