“I prefer women's jeans – men lack subtlety when it comes to design”: why men buy women's clothing

Earlier this year, a unisex pricing frenzy gripped TikTok menswear followers when a series of videos championed a sleeveless stretch vest from Target's women's section , the American supermarket.

< p class="dcr-1jv7e0x">Made by Good Day, male influencers took to the platform to tout the $8 (£6.40) price, its comfort ( thanks to a cotton/elastane blend) and the way the design complements the male physique. “Black in particular is the perfect tank top for the gym,” said Xander Torres, 30, a Vancouver waiter and menswear blogger in one of his videos. “The way it is cut really highlights your shoulders and chest. I'm warm inside – and that's what you want. »

The humble tank top – renamed by Generation Z the wife-joker orwife-respecter,rather than woman-thresher – is already enjoying something of a renaissance in men's style. Over the past year, thanks to countless images of Jeremy Allen White from The Bear, as well as runways from Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana and Ami, sleeveless vests have played a starring role. Last year, Prada launched a white cotton tank top for women, priced at £690 – but it was also worn by men and, despite the price, sold out in all sizes. In July,GQmagazine advised its readers to forget everything they knew about vests because they were "the hottest thing to wear this summer."

The rise of the Target tank top is also indicative of a broader shift in the way men shop for clothes, with some turning to the women's section for cuts, colors and finishes that men's collections simply don't offer. .

For a decade, it’s been the opposite. “Men's clothing keeps women's clothing at arm's length, while women's clothing leans more toward men's clothing,” says Rich Legate, 34, a musician in London who shops in the men's and men's departments. women. He believes there are more nuances to women's clothing, that it lends itself more easily to personal style choices. In contrast, in men's clothing: "There's no subtlety or consideration that you might want to accentuate your body in some way," he says.

Legate recently decided to purchase some flared jeans. which met her requirements – high waisted with a subtle flared cut on the leg – and ultimately settled on a women's pair from Levi's. “There was no chance of finding them in the men’s section,” he says, noting that most men’s jeans are “very normal,” with little shape or thoughtful finishing. "I'm more likely to find them in the women's section, so that's exactly the way to go."

Throughout history, men have dressed...