TStylish pop singers are usually the default stars of fashion week. But at the latest womenswear show, which closed on Tuesday, it was a group of middle-aged men who unexpectedly stole the spotlight. Forget Mamil (a middle-aged man wearing Lycra), we're now talking about a middle-aged man wearing Loewe.
Some of those who favor midlife makeovers and experimental fashion strutted into the Loewe show wearing a casual knit jumper, cargo balloon pants, laceless hiking boots, and yellow-tinted sunglasses. This included 56-year-old Daniel Craig. Next up was Jeff Goldblum, 71, wearing baggy white chinos and an oversized leather jacket. At Saint Laurent, 60-year-old Lenny Kravitz posed with a black and silver striped cat-ribbon blouse tucked tightly into tighter pants, while 69-year-old Willem Dafoe wore a white shirt and Miu Miu closed the catwalk. A collar half sticking out from under a navy jumper and buckleless boots.
After decades of boring suits, menswear has officially entered a fun new fashion era. As 60-year-old Rob Lowe's plunging chest-baring vest worn at the Stella McCartney show puts it, it's “about fucking time.” The Outsider star paired it with oversized dove gray trousers that featured metal chains down the sides of each leg. Images of Rowe and others were posted on social media. “I love when men find their sense of style and it's totally hot and free,” read one comment. GQ He described Craig's situation as “sublime chaos.”
Craig first made headlines in July when he appeared in an advertising campaign for Loewe, the Spanish heritage brand made popular thanks to Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson. Gone are Craig's signature short back and sides and steely look. Instead, he debuted a stylishly cut fringe and pout while modeling everything from quirky knitwear to even quirkier beaded trousers. His recent appearance at the label's show in Paris further fueled his fashion rebrand.
“An actor so closely tied to an anachronistic but established male archetype, like James Bond, is indulging in a low-level midlife crisis by wearing highly directional clothes. “It may be subconsciously challenging for some people to see someone dressed like an independent, wealthy contemporary art curator,” says Luke Leach. Contributor to Vogue. “But I think that's a great thing. The idea of what is or isn't 'smart' or 'normal' is a canard designed to limit, just like 'common sense'.”
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While their younger generation is widely shunning Hollywood's old dress rulebook, Timothée Chalamet thinks so. Backless red satin two-piece by Haider Ackermann Venice Film Festival and Harry Styles rainbow mesh jumpsuit At the Grammy Awards, the change in the aesthetics of middle-aged men is rather scared of jumping. In 2022, then-58-year-old Brad Pitt made headlines when he wore a skirt instead of the standard tuxedo. When asked by Variety why he decided to wear it, Pitt replied: We're all going to die, so let's mess it up. ”
Pitt's skirts and Craig's cozy knitwear are a far cry from the masculinity of the Marlboro Man, but are we witnessing a new iteration of masculinity? Dr. Andrew P. Smiler, author. Is masculinity toxic?states that this change in fashion parallels a change in the definition of masculinity. “As cultures change, Western culture is also in the midst of major changes, and the definition of masculinity changes,” he says. “Some men stay close to what they know, while others are willing to make broader changes. Some people may think that they do.”
Evolution of masculinity aside, brands aren't just mobilizing older celebrities in hopes of attracting gray pounds. This older demographic broadly resonates with Gen Z and contributes to the convergence of mainstream and internet culture, which are inextricably intertwined. Kyle MacLachlan, 65, of Twin Peaks, sat front row at the Balenciaga show. usually called “baby girl” Online – A term of endearment to describe a man who is considered hot and sensitive. Goldblum, a baby boomer, is called “Father,” which is also sexually charged slang.
Part of Goldblum and McCrachan's appeal, Leach said, is that they “exude an unconventional intelligence that compliments their decidedly outlandish clothing and brands.” Author and cultural critic Jason Diamond says the fact that they've been around for so long is also appealing, saying: There's a huge cultural divide between men who are funny and authentic and men who are incredibly attractive and almost unrealistic looking. I love Chris Hemsworth and Ryan Gosling, but there are very few men who look like them. None of them look like Goldblum or Dafoe, but that's part of their appeal. they're unique. ”
