The Rise and [Continued] Rise of the Men's Skirt

Over the past few years it seems like the world of menswear has taken on an entirely new "life.” In fact the men’s fashion weeks in Milan and Paris are receiving almost similar amounts of attention and focus as those dedicated to the ladies. Part of this change has been an influx of new ideas, silhouettes and an increased element of innovation and fun on the menswear runways-AND the adjacent idea of gender fluid clothing. Arguably the most extreme of this trend is the takeover of the men’s skirt. Now, the men’s skirt is not [brand] new to menswear, however in recent seasons the traditional womenswear item has been front and center in men’s fashion shows in a way some might not have anticipated even a few years ago. As such, let's take a look at how the men’s skirt went from extremely niche fashion piece to budding menswear staple.

(Thumbnail Photo: Getty Images)

‍

The Start of the Rise

OK so this is in no way a full history of skirt/dress-like pieces in menswear and it is also not a deep look at more cultural skirt-like garments such as the Scottish Kilt, but more so an examination of the evolution of the modern-day men’s skirts in popular culture and today's fashion landscape. French designer Jean Paul Gaultier is widely credited with bringing the modern-day men’s skirt to the runway circa 1985, albeit shown worn over wide-leg trousers. However, in 2007 Thom Browne, who is now widely associated with the revival of the men’s skirt, sent his first iteration down the catwalk. Edgy designers such as Rick Owens also began to show men's skirts in their collections during the late 90's and 2000's, although they still did not translate outside of the high-fashion sphere in a major way at the time.

From Runway to Red Carpet

While there have been famous (and non-famous men) who have worn skirts/dresses publicly in the recent past, it was definitely not something commonly seen. Fast-forward to 2016 and an unexpected fashion pairing (possibly unintentionally) began the men’s skirt's big (and controversial) introduction into mainstream society. Jaden Smith’s appearance in a Louis Vuitton campaign donning a skirt truly sent the internet into a frenzy. Many people, including Jaden’s father Will, had much to say about the young man wearing an item that many thought solely should be worn by women. The fact that he wore it in such a public way also ruffled more than a few feathers, but Jaden did not seem phased. In fact, the campaign arguably influenced more designers to show the skirt as part of their menswear collections. As such, more male celebrities such as Odell Beckham Jr, Kid Cudi and A$AP Rocky have been seen wearing designer skirts at events ranging from concerts to the Met Gala.

From Red Carpet to Real Life

While we began to see several high-profile male celebrities donning skirts, it still took a little time before men’s skirts began to really translate from red carpets to sidewalks (albeit mainly the sidewalks of fashion capitals like Paris and New York). Undoubtedly, the rise of male social media influencers in the later 2010s, as well as ever-increasing appearances of the men’s skirt in street style photos during events like fashion week have helped influence the increasing number of skirts worn by fashionable, but still everyday men who are interested in the latest trends and who want to be the most up-to-date, if not ahead-of-date when it comes to their wardrobes. Now, is that to say that the majority of men generally have come to embrace men’s skirts as part of their look, no lol. However, I do think that we will continue to see more and more men, specifically Gen Z fellas, embracing the trend as it continues to dominate runways.