Why men’s fashion is skimpier and more queer
Life and Art from FT Weekend
Forhecz Topher
4.6 • 601 Ratings
🗓️ 15 July 2024
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
You have probably noticed by their clothes: this summer, men just want to have fun. Crop tops, short shorts and even kilts and skirts are in. Long sleeves, and long inseams, are out. Today, two of the FT’s men’s fashion experts, Robert Armstrong and Eric Platt, join us to discuss how and why this happened, and what the rise of skimpy menswear tells us about masculinity today.
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Will you take our survey, for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.
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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at [email protected].
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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– Rob’s latest style column is here: https://on.ft.com/3xWm8pa
– Rob is on X @rbrtrmstrng. Eric is on X @EricGPlatt
– Here’s the GQ piece we mentioned, called “Why is everyone on steroids now?” https://www.gq.com/story/why-is-everyone-on-steroids-now
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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi Life and Art listeners, this is Lila. Before we begin, I want to tell you we're running a short survey because we'd love to hear a little more about you and what you like about the show. If you take part before August 29th, you'll be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of Bose, Quiet, Quiet, Comfort, 35 wireless headphones. It also helps us make sure that we're making the best show for you that we can. You can find a link to the survey and terms and conditions for the prize draw in our show notes. |
| 0:25.0 | And thank you. |
| 0:29.1 | Welcome to Life and Art from FT Weekend. |
| 0:31.4 | I'm Lila Raptopoulos. |
| 0:33.3 | Today we are talking about men's fashion. |
| 0:35.5 | It seems we have found ourselves in a season where boys just want to have fun. |
| 0:39.1 | We're seeing short shorts, bare midrifts, bright prints, men are showing off their bodies and having a chaotic time sartorially. |
| 0:46.7 | Just recently a photo emerged from Milan Fashion Week that really put a definitive point on this trend. |
| 0:51.7 | It was the Irish heartthrob actor Paul Mescal wearing a |
| 0:55.7 | dress shirt unbuttoned at the bottom with a pair of striped boxer shorts, tall white dress socks, |
| 1:01.0 | and black horse bit Gucci loafers. It was a little preppy, a little oops I forgot my pants, |
| 1:06.3 | and it quickly made its rounds on the internet. The first person I texted when I saw that photo |
| 1:10.7 | was my |
| 1:11.2 | colleague Eric Platt. He writes about corporate finance for the FT, but is also a fashion expert, |
| 1:16.2 | so we have invited him on today to talk about it. Eric, welcome. Thank you so much. We're also so |
| 1:20.7 | happy that I was the bet you thought of me when you saw that picture. That's beautiful. |
| 1:25.3 | It's very important. I have also invited in the FT's true Renaissance man, Rob Armstrong. He writes financial commentary in the unhedged newsletter and hosts this podcast. But he also writes a men's fashion column for FT weekend. Hi, Rob. I'm a little hurt. I wasn't the first person you emailed, but that's okay. We're not on personal. One day. |
| 1:45.0 | One day to time. |
| 1:46.7 | After this, we're all on a group chat. |
| 1:49.2 | Thank you both for being here. |
| 1:51.0 | So this is actually our first chat on the podcast specifically about men's fashion. |
| 1:55.0 | And my first question for you both is just what you think about this trend big picture. |
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