The line between men’s and women’s fashion is blurring more than ever these days. Borrowing from the boys is becoming a basic trend throughout women’s fashion. As women wear more pant suits, loafers, vests, and button downs, they are channeling their inner masculinity.
Adding traditionally men’s clothing as statement pieces into a wardrobe isn’t always easy, says Veronica McCoy, a personalist stylist at Nordstrom who helps her clients achieve the look.
“Many times I will have clients come to me and say they love the trend, but can’t pull off an entire head-to-toe men’s outfit,” said McCoy. Her customers are mostly working women in their forties who want to be trendy but not necessarily the trend setters.
As a personal stylist, McCoy said she works with an assortment of people and body types. She likes to pick one masculine statement piece that works with a customer’s body type and configure the outfit around that piece.
“The woman that I dress don’t want to stand out as women at work, so by dressing more masculine they feel like they blend in,” said McCoy.
Blazers and tweed jackets hang on the racks at Bevello, a boutique in Snider Plaza. Rebecca Lyne, the store manager, said that even though her customer gravitates more toward floral prints and feminine pieces, she thinks that the masculine trend is significant enough to carry the basics: chunky heals, blazers and trousers.
SMU senior Trish Weisberg loves to incorporate the men’s look through the shoes that she wears.
“The first row of shoes in my closet is all loafers,” said Weisberg. “They are great to wear to class and they easily transition for work or running around doing errands.”
McCoy not only notices the huge impact of men’s fashion on women’s fashion, but she also sees the impact women’s apparel is having on men’s apparel. Men’s jeans are getting skinner and she has been noticing more floral print present mens apparel. This shift is also creating a market for uni-sex apparel. “The Vans Pop-up shop @nordstrom we had last month was completely uni-sex,” said McCoy.
Finding celebrities and other VIPs wearing the trend is easy. Most days, Hillary Clinton can be caught on the campaign trail in one of her infamous her pantsuits.
Meanwhile on the red carpet, Beyonce and Lady Gaga recently have been sporting their interpretations of business casual.
