Fashion has recently witnessed a number of crossovers between menswear and womenswear. There’s been Yves Saint Laurent’s make-up for men, Marni and Calvin Klein’s leggings and Gucci’s gladiator sandals, but none have quite matched the new kid on the block – control underwear for men. Labelled as ‘Spanx for men’ in reference to the astonishingly popular women’s shapewear brand that boasts global retail sales of $350m and celebrity followers such as Gwyneth Paltrow, the phenomenon is crossing the pond and making waves in the UK.
‘Bodycon’ is the current fashion buzzword in womenswear and it is a trend that, to be pulled off respectably, requires some serious scaffolding for many, hence the skyrocket in popularity of women’s control wear. Similarly, in recent seasons slimmer cuts have become more and more popular in menswear. Thom Browne’s schoolboy-chic super slim-cut tailoring has somewhat changed the shape of menswear over the last few years and the trend for skinny jeans seems to have filtered through to formal wear creating an altogether more slender, chicer twist on the traditional tailored silhouette, as illustrated by designers such as Burberry, Paul Smith and Dell’Aqua. History is also playing a part in the changes. American drama series Mad Men has repopularised the sophisticated style sensibilities of the ‘60s. Costume designer Janie Bryant cites movies like North by Northwest and Breakfast at Tiffany’s as influences and believes that fashions new fascination with the era could be down to the realisation that “culture has got so far away from dressing up that maybe it’s going to go the other way now…men’s suits are so tailored in this era, and it looks so much more stylish.” Peter Som and Michael Kors have both stated Mad Men as stimulation, so much so that the latter gave away DVD box-sets on his website. So if women can have a little help slipping into tighter garments, why can’t men too?
Enter Equmen, a brand that would like you to know they are “Proudly Supporting Men of the World”. They offer “a premium range of body-optimising undershirts and underwear for daily wear” and last week released it’s latest offering, the Core Precision Undershirt which is available to buy on the company’s website now and exclusively at Selfridges from March. Tagged as a ‘compression’ garment, and with no hint of the word ‘slimming’ in sight it’s marketed perfectly – men can buy it knowing the purpose for which they are buying it but not having to confront that purpose. Corie Chung, creator of Equmen strongly believes that these garments “literally transform the body – helping to boost men’s confidence and keep them looking smarter and sharper everyday…There is a global revolution in men’s fashion with the growing sophistication of the male consumer, the result of which is a more fashion-conscious demographic of men who are highly educated in the choices before them, and demand products that incorporate function, style and sensibility” Within the UK the menswear market was valued at £9.8 billion in 2006 and is expected to grow steadily to 11.1 billion by 2012, a phenomenal increase which is being driven by increasing male fashion confidence, a return to smarter dressing, and an increasing fusion of sport and fashion – as a result men’s underwear is being hugely impacted. Nick Ede, a style consultant and author of Pantology, a men’s guide to underwear, agrees; “shapewear for men has become popular due to the fact that any enhancement is seen as both stylish and also a way of making the most of yourself. When men see pictures of models like David Beckham they want to look like them so underwear to them is a cheap way of feeling what those perfect men feel!” But is it really? Can a tight T-shirt really make a man feel like David Beckham?
Dan, a financial advisor in the City sampled what the Core Precision Undershirt has to offer; “When I took the top out of the packaging it looked as though it would fit an eight-year-old, but I persevered and put it on. I felt like sausage being squeezed into it’s skin. Once I had it on there was something comforting about having a tight layer underneath my shirt that made me feel compact and neat and it certainly shaved some weight off of my stomach but that feeling soon turned to one of claustrophobia. It was just so tight and by the end of the day I couldn’t wait to take it off, upon which I found pressure lines all down my torso from the tightness. It did make my guns look good, I can’t say it made me feel like I should be up on a billboard, but I can see why some guys would want to wear it” Probably not the opinion Equmen would hope for but truthful to say the least. Now, what would women think of a man wearing shapewear? “I guess it shows they care about their appearance which is admirable, but I’d rather not know about it!” says Cat, a fashion buyer.
So, the jury’s out at the moment but with major brand Spanx also set to release men’s control wear next fall it looks as though its an area of the market which is only going to grow. All hail the Mirdle (Man-Girdle)
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