I was riffling through a stack of musty magazines in a used record store recently when I spotted an amazing bit of history. In the Oct. 18, 1968, issue of Life magazine, there was both a story and a long commentary about designer Yves Saint Laurent and the absolutely terrible trend he was trying to force on the women of America that fall: the pantsuit.
Columnist William Zinsser pleaded for Saint Laurent to take the pantsuits and fedoras back to France, "where they understand such things," so he could continue to enjoy leggy miniskirts. A fashion spread on Saint Laurent and his dreaded pantsuits mentioned how New York restaurants and offices were "in a quandary about whether or not to permit pants."
Well ladies, take a toke of your Virginia Slims and tell yourself you've come a long way. You breezily conquered the unisex look decades ago with confidence and a healthy dose of poly-blend fabrics. But more than 40 years later, there's another unisex revolution brewing on the runways of Paris, and this time it's the guys' turn to crossdress.
Last week at his men's show in Paris, design John Galliano sent men down the runway in sheer, thigh-high pantyhose and garter belts. These looks were paired with dress shoes and dress shirts, along with silk robes. This is far from the first time that the feminine mystique has raided the male runway. Last fall, Yohji Yamamoto showed skirts for men in New York, while Duckie Brown sent male models down the runway in leggings. In a chilling vision of things to come, influential designer Marc Jacobs has recently taken to wearing a skirts (perhaps they're skorts, there's been some debate on the topic) around Manhattan.
Women happily dropped their skirts - in a matter of speaking - and adapted to menswear. Which raises the question: In 40 years will we be reading about the stir over Galliano's garter belts and pantyhose for men and wonder what all the fuss was about while kicking ourselves for not investing in the burgeoning manty hose industry?
"I don't think that's something men want to wear," says Los Angeles-based designer Andrew Christian. "I think the male point of view on fashion is a little more practical. Guys only wear items that are useful to them. I think what was happening at the show was that Galliano was trying to push some buttons and create some excitement."
I can only hope that Galliano was presenting garters as a concept rather than recommended evening wear. Unless their first name is Ru and their last name is Paul, most men look absolutely ridiculous in anything that resembles women's attire. I nearly spit up my Sprite the first time I saw a dude wearing capri pants, and the idea of sandals on men is about as appealing as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on pizza.
"The possibilities are infinite when it comes to designing for women," says Band of Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg. "But most men are not interested in fashion with a capital 'F.' I just do what I need to do with fashion, and Galliano, God love him, needs to make some garter belts. There's a place for that in the dialogue that's going on, but I will not be a part of that dialogue beyond this phone call."
More practical feminine styles have been making their way into men's haberdasheries in the past decade. Skinny jeans, fitted suits, and more expressive colors are all experiencing their moment in the spotlight. Steven Cox and Daniel Silver of the men's line Duckie Brown predict that we'll be seeing even more unisex looks.
"Things are definitely changing," says Cox. "Even so, most American men want to wear a plaid shirt and a pair of khaki trousers and trying to get him away from that is tricky."
Alex Carleton, designer of Portland, Maine-based line Rogues Gallery, says he simply doesn't see the day when gentlemen will line up to buy their underpinnings at Victoria's Secret.
As it happens, I have a suggestion for all designers who want to put men in skirts and pantyhose. Let's first start teaching men how to dress well as men. No pleated Dockers, no cellphone holsters, and no Merrell slip-ons. Once gentlemen have conquered dressing as men, then they can wear all the garter belts they please.
Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com.
