How Men’s Fashion Became So Monotonous and Conformist

Walk through any Western city in the world and you will begin to notice something: Despite the nearly infinite range of possibilities, most men tend to wear variations of the same thing and adhere to a core color pallet. Men’s clothing choices tend to all be very similar. A navy suit or sport coat, a white shirt, a grey hoodie, a black t shirt, jeans, sneakers, boots or loafers. This so-called masculine uniform is not a trend — it is a recurring pattern that crosses age culture, and socioeconomic lines. Being a menswear designer, I am obsessed not with what men wear but why they make the decisions they do. My question is why is it that men of various cultures, taste, style and environments all gravitate towards the same core pieces even if we are to assume these variations heavily shape their choices. I decided to look deeper into this and try and understand how we as men of all different cultures and backgrounds find common ground when it comes to the choices we make with clothing. My research focuses on men only. The most apparent reason could be that predictable clothing reduces cognitive overload. Psychologists use the term decision fatigue to describe the mental exhaustion that occurs after making too many choices. We live in a world where choices for everything we do are infinite. Research published in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that men experience significantly more stress when navigating high-stakes appearance decisions, compared to routine ones. Clothing for many men sits in a grey zone. It is judged socially, but very few understand the rules of dressing well. Therefore, a “uniform-like” wardrobe allows men to minimize “what to wear” decision-making. It preserves mental energy for work, performance or problem-solving which men are innately designed to do. It also naturally creates a sense of personal consistency or a personal brand identity. In addition, the man’s mind has been trained to follow a baseline script that transcends geographical locations, cultures and ethnicity. We have all grown up being told not to stand out, draw unnecessary attention to ourselves. None of us want to look like we are trying to hard because that alludes to a feminine way of being. We naturally want to blend in with the tribe, as if we are camouflaging ourselves from predators. When it comes to dressing, men need to understand they are not women. Men are visual, so it is only natural that women wear brighter colours, adorn themselves with makeup and jewelry. We like to see women dressed up and glamourous. Women, however, want to see stability, strength, emotional steadiness and discipline. Dressing like a peacock goes against nature and our innate wiring. Bold patterns, loud colours and fashion trends are not generally associated with masculine traits. Vassili Schneider attends a photocall for “L’Âge D’Or” at the Cannes Film Festival. Andreas Rentz/Getty ImagesStudies in evolutionary and social psychology both show men display higher sensitivity to status loss and social embarrassment in appearance-driven situations. This sensitivity forces most men to adhere to what is socially acceptable rather than being too adventurous with their clothing choices. We all remember the awkwardness of adolescence and duly learn quickly that neutral choices avoid ridicule. Following the crowd prevents us from being fashion victims and quiet tones prevent challenge or controversy. Research in identity theory suggests men often anchor their self-expression in function rather than adornment. When an outfit works, they stick with it because it aligns identity and purpose and reduces decision fatigue. For most men, the thought of shopping rightfully causes intense anxiety. So many choices, no real direction and a lack of interest in learning how to dress. A predictable “uniform” solidifies one’s own self-image making him unlikely to want to experiment with novelty. Culturally, men are rewarded for practicality, emotional restraint, consistency, and subtlety. It is not that men lack taste but rather they lack permission from society and therefore extinguish the desire to push the boundaries when it comes to what we choose to wear. Men need to understand that they do not need to throw out the uniform, but instead evolve it with better fabrics, sharper fits, elevated textures, refined colors, and more subtle risk-taking. Men don’t need more clothing. Men need a systematic, high functioning wardrobe that aligns with their sense of self and purpose. Vivek Nagrani is the author of The Burden of Masculinity and Creative Director of Articl3 Clothing

How Men’s Fashion Became So Monotonous and Conformist

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