A Balancing Act  

Jennifer Chang

There is nothing unusual about back-combed hair, varnished nails, matching of the shoes, and handbags worn by women at a couture show. It would be a completely different story if those things were seen on a male bodybuilder a decade ago. Today, we are too subtle to voice anything.

The presentation of bringing men’s and women’s fashion together in couture is one clear example of how the roles of both sexes in the society are confusingly redefined. More, this fine bridge between how the sexes dress has certainly become narrower and similar. This can be seen in the upcoming Prada fall collection. The ever-groundbreaking Miuccia Prada went further with her perverted vision of a soft and vulnerable man.

The trendy term “metrosexual” is a neologism generally applied to heterosexual men with a strong concern for their appearance, or whose lifestyles display attributes stereotyping seen among gay men. Heterosexual men with feminine polarity are commonly accepted, but are we as welcoming to the masculine women as we are to men? Not quite, but we are slowly opening up. A woman supporting an over-sized, men’s button up is somewhat acceptable, but only when she pairs it with something extraordinary girly, say, short shorts and a pair of shiny red, sequined Manolo Blahniks.