Thursday, November 17, 2016

A Brief History of Men’s Style - 2010s: The Evolution of Style Online

2010s: The Evolution of Style Online

The 2010s have brought us the evolution of the “fashion star”. Fashion bloggers have become mainstream. On the one hand, suddenly fashion is in the hands of the people, producing a larger variety of styles, reviews, and opinions than ever before. On the other hand, those being watched are naturally encouraged to try harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. “Peacocking” became a menswear term in the early part of the decade for “trying too hard”, although men have generally become more confortable with subtle, tasteful styling. 
This period also marked the widespread acceptance of online shopping. Style enthusiasts from all over the world now have access to more brands than ever, from the convenience of their homes. The internet also allowed for more start-up brands than ever, marketed using social media and funded with online resources like kick-starter. In a way, we’re starting to see the re-surgence of the small brand, fueled by the power of the internet and the desire for consumers to have something limited and exclusive. The best part is, middle men are getting cut-out every day. Department stores, who’s business is marking-up goods that have already been marked-up by the wholesaler, are losing their stranglehold on the market as designers now have a scalable solution to sell their products directly to their consumers.
Ultimately my hope for the future of menswear is that we can get back to the ideals of classic dress established in the 1930s, and gradually add personal influences from there. Its starts with understanding that there is one style that is best suited for each of us…our bodies, our lifestyles, our personalities, etc. Sure there is plenty of variation within that one style, but it shouldn’t require purchasing a new wardrobe every season, but rather adding well-made items to a lifetime collection of beautiful pieces that properly present, and represent, the wearer.




credit: Dan Trepanier

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