TOROS IN THE ATMOSPHERE

As in, 'Brr, it's could out here, there must be some...' (AKA everything I know about climate change I learned from Bring It On.) Today's look goes out to my momma, who hooked me up with this old Ann Taylor sweater last time I was home. I love the longer proportion of it with my Brooks Brothers skirt, worn here with tights, all covered up in teddy bear fur—basically melding this look with this look. Also of note: I'm wearing a nose ring!

UNIQLO SKIRT + ARMY JACKET

Photos Angelica Domingo // jacket vintage // skirt Uniqlo // tights American Apparel // boots Forfex

"I like the skirt. I like the look. It's interesting." So said one lady on the subway, the second that day to comment on this outfit. It's sort of a gray area, as we discussed at length in yesterday's post. It's a skirt, but...it's not really feminine. It's pretty...butch? I've loved it since I saw it on the lady mannequin in store, though I ended up buying it online because they didn't have it in my size in like, two different locations #SOML. I paired it with this totally quiche vintage army jacket that I found for under $20 at Beacon's Closet. For whatever reason, I seem to have an affinity for that vintage army look—my dad's old duffel bag, the Filson briefcase I tote everywhere.

This look is a great example of how to mix old with new, how to marry butch with theoretically femme. Plus, it's so next lev with my Forfex boots, I can't even. Inspirations for this outfit came from far and wide, by which I mean Instagram (below, left) and Pinterest (below, right). I'm just really feeling black & navy layers in unexpected lengths, what can I say? Also, kudos to The Sartorialist for igniting my passion for a quilted skirt in the first place.

I feel like this is my man-spin on a trend Who What Wear reported on, the frilly dress with a combat boot. Obviously this isn't quite the same, but the idea is there! Check out my other skirted looks here and here. Which is your favorite?

THE OTHER F WORD

By which I mean "femme" – though some might say "faggy". Let's dish about the recent men's shows, sex, and the science of self-expression.

A few weeks ago I asked my mom to help me choose which black lipstick selfie would be the cutest choice for Instagram. She laughed and said, "My sister and I used to do that." It was like I was five years old again, sneaking into my parent's bathroom to marvel at the sea of compacts laid out on the counter and the powder-caked puffy heads of makeup brushes—except this time, I wasn't afraid of getting caught.

When people ask me what my blog is about, what the focus is, I always feel left in the lurch. It seems wrong to say I’m a menswear blog, not just because I post about other stuff, too, but...“menswear”? Really? I'm coming around to calling it a "queer men's style site." When I was a kid I had no other associations for that word—queer—outside of its rhyming with “smear”, but nowadays there's something like comfort in the term. I like that it says other. I like that it suggests something amorphous, something unexpected, something that deviates. I like the idea that you can use it as a verb and a noun. I like that it's open and inclusive and ambiguous. “To identify as ‘queer’ is to be at ease with your own masculinity and femininity,” said writer Rohin Guha in his viral essay, On Gay Male Privilege. “You’re not constantly having to fear for your own gender expression.”

There was a time when the idea of sharing that side of myself that likes to play with makeup would have terrified me and made me feel unbelievably vulnerable. Now I'm broadcasting it to not just my mom, but to two thousand strangers on three or four different social networks. It's a bit self-indulgent, admittedly, but I'm just glad that the stigma associated with being open about what makes me different—or, really, the same as any eight-year-old girl—has dissipated.

MILEY CYRUS MADE ME DO IT

It's time for the fall edition of Sean In Skirts, in which we ask: Is grunge the great unisex unifier? I know people were pretty into my très polished turtleneck look from the other week, but if you couldn't tell from that mischievous twinkle in my eye, I'm livin' by a new motto: "I'm just being Miley." I don't need no sport coat or "glasses"—I can't see through the fog of sex and awesomeness that I'm walking through right now, anyway. Hell, I don't even need pants. But what does this all have to do with androgyny and 90's alt-rock? Find out—plus see the rest of this outfit—after the jump!

1 LEATHER SKIRT, 2 WAYS

The idea here was simple: take one versatile wardrobe "staple" (a YSL reproduction leather wrap skirt) and style it two ways to reference two very different designers, Yohji Yamamoto and Rick Owens. Both have played with gender boundaries and conformity in their work, and a lot of the dialogue we've seen played out on the runway (or on Style.com and in the pages L'uomo Vogue through the years) has to do with proportion and silhouette. So, long story short: I'm just a boy in a leather wrap skirt, standing in a garden, asking you to buy him a matching manpurse.

BORROWED FROM THE BABES

In light of last week's post about Alexa Chung-ing and Monday's lady-centric feature, it feels like the time is right to divulge some of my recent babespirations as we head into fall. One of the biggest things on my mind right now is the skirt: how to wear it and what to wear it with. Layered? By itself? A t-shirt? A button-up? To make a long story short, I want to look like Saskia in this month's Vogue Paris:

I mean, hot damn. Amiright? And that blonde buzz! Oof. It looks like the "skirt" she's wearing in the lefthand picture is actually a slip that's folded down—a whole new world! And three cheers for her makeshift charpet underneath those overalls, mmm. But in all seriousness, the muted color palette and simple lines of this look paired with that chunky boot—it's the perfect unisex ensemble! The only thing maybe more perfecter is Yara Flynn's outfit (via Garance Doré):

This just screams, "My Fall Look" to me, and not just because I wore something very similar last winter. All of the different elements here are really versatile and basic—again with the muted color palette and the clean lines, though I guess the kilty-ness of the pleats and and the oxfords make this look a little more #menswear-y. I could really get into this as a sans-leggings option.

Of course, I have even more faux leather leggings in my closet than we've heretofore seen, and they need some time to shine. That's where the above options come in. I love the wrap skirt with those big pockets, it's so apron-y and kind of utilitarian, but IDK where to get it so I found two other pieces I love for layering.

1) This mesh knit Jacquemus skirt from the incredible last collection, "La Piscine." I could see myself wearing basically every piece from this collection, #tbh.

2) This AllSaints black leather mini. It's really tiny and super simple (but also overpriced as balls) and would look awesome layered over leggings—or maybe even pants? Non, too outrageous.

I'M A STRANGER HERE MYSELF

Or, fuckyeahsockswithsandals.tumblr.com. That's right, your eyes do not deceive you, dear reader - I am wearing the sh*t out of a pair of Birkenstocks right here, with socks. It sounds gross, but you should try it. I never thought I'd be into it until I came across these Birks at 10 ft. Single and fell a little bit in love. With a black sock they just look so...dare I say it? Chic! Current! C'est fantastique! And if you find yourself on the opposite end of the enthusiasm spectrum then you only have Dries Van Noten to blame, whose AW13 collection made the combo look just so sophisticated. Also see: Céline SS13's fur-bottom frankenstein sandal creations.

This outfit showcases my favorite use of a skirt and is the only one I've so far found myself actually wearing on the day-to-day. I feel a bit Annie Hall-ish, but also like a Japanese grandmother? Almost everything here is thrifted; a breakdown: the hat I got for $5 at Vice Versa here in Park Slope. I thought I'd use it more as a prop, but have found it functioning as a legitimate addition to my wardrobe. The top half of this ensemble is the same as what we saw Tuesday, but I've left the shirt untucked to get the extended proportion in the back. The skirt is also thrifted, and is really nice - Brooks Brothers, made in Italy, 100% wool, size 4 petite. Holla at me, ladies and gentlemen, if you wanna traveling pants this thing. The "vegan leather" leggings (seen here and here) are from Urban Outfitters and the bag I'm holding is a vintage rucksack I bought in Zürich.

I've got a bit more to say about this outfit, but have saved that for a special post coming atchu tomorrow. What do we think? Will you do socks + sandals this spring? Photos Anthony Urbano.

GIVING FACE

This is a skirt that I picked up for $1 in a thrift shop. The tag just says, 'Made in Belgium'. I like to imagine it has fancy origins...look at that badass zipper! I paired it with my CDG blouson (seen here and here) et voilà! I've got a timely "gay" wedding outfit (well, once I find the right oversize clutch to take it to that next level.) Photos Anthony Urbano.

BRAVE NEW WORLD (ON MEN IN SKIRTS)

In this post: photography David Williams (site|blog) // beanie Topman (seen here and here) //jacket vintage // leggings American Apparel (seen here) // skirt thrifted // shoes thrifted (seen here and here)

Men in skirts. It's a hot button issue that has people in the streets talking - how will we know who's a woman and who's a man anymore in this freaky deaky gender-bending upside-down world? The answer? You won't! Muahahaha, the Gay Agenda strikes again! Soon there will no longer be 'boy' and 'girl' babies, just cribs labeled, 'Jaden' or 'Roxx'.

Joke! But, seriously, there has been an increased public interest in men wearing skirts, if only because of the continued influence of Kanye West and his designer-dud-loving hip-hop contemporaries. When I last touched on this issue (Men Without Pants), I declared, "wearing a skirt isn’t emasculating because maybe looking 'like a woman', like looking 'like a man', isn’t something to be ashamed of – nor is it something defined by an article of clothing." That statement still pretty well sums up my feelings on this issue, but now that I'm a convert myself, the absurdity of our social unease with men wearing skirts is more profoundly striking.

A skirt is, in terms of construction, an absurdly sexless garment. It's a piece of f*cking fabric that you wrap around/pull up on your waist. Sure, they get more complicated, but not necessarily so. My friend Brandon, one of the most distinctive and honest dressers I know, recently wrote a great post about the societal implications of his sartorial preference for skirts, describing them as an empowering weapon against oppressive heteronormativity. My skirt-wearing has not gotten that far and doesn't resonate with me so deeply (yet), but taking this chance, slight as it is, has left me feeling emboldened to explore my options outside of the prescriptive world of #menswear. Can I wear a dress? How? What is a dress? Why is a skirt? There's a lot of layering potential my eyes have been opened to recently because of this - could I wear a dress over pants? A shirt over that? A blazer with a skirt? Understanding these items divorced from gender helps eliminate outdated connotations - that a man wearing women's clothing is, "in drag," or "cross dressing." Those things are separate from this, but hoping the general public will comprehend that is...reaching.

But here's what you really want to know...so I bought this tartan skirt for $12 a few months ago and have been struggling to figure out how best to wear it. It made its debut a few months back (check it out on Instagram here), but hasn't gotten much action since. I decided to give it another go during post-blizzard fashion week while shooting outside Lincoln Center. I was pretty miserably cold, but I managed to get photographed by BuzzFeed Shift (I'm number 24 on their list), so obviously I make great life choices. This second time around I've paired it with my super intense fringed leather biker jacket that I love so much, but have never shot for the blog before. I literally die for fringe, plus this S.O.B. has epaulets - be still my beating heart! Leggings are an obvious must when going sans pants in the dead of winter and I like the way my thrifted Bass platforms give the outfit a schoolgirl-gone-bad edge. One thing I want to make note of, in typing out my thoughts here - I'm indeed wearing a (vintage) size 12 woman's skirt here, not a kilt, the difference being...I mean, IDK, but it's not an authentic kilt. Also, can I get a hurrah for a half-thrifted half-vintage outfit that's decidedly modern? That is all.

Click through to read about my inspirations for this post!

[STREET STYLE] MY FRONTIERSMEN

These are some men wearing outfits that I think bring something unique to the "style table," but I'd really like to draw attention to the first and last photos...

I came across the man in the first picture at MoMa, where he was rather majestically strolling through some of the exhibits in studded-heel platforms (yes, with a studded heel! I didn't catch him from the right angle, je suis désolé.) I love love love the contrast between his look and the outfit in the last photo - they are both in skirts, yes (or maybe khaki-man is in some sort of artistically-interpreted apron, could be) but they are so different! I think the first look is maybe what we would consider a "traditionally" female ensemble worn by a man, whereas the second is very sexless - his look just happens to involve a skirt (and white nails)(but also Tevas?) and it's not exactly something you could easily or immediately imagine on a woman.

I find both looks to be exceptionally fashionable and courageous and feel they represent the next wave in men's dressing, which brings me to the post title. It's a reference to one of Bill Cunningham's columns from last month in which he discusses the "frontiersmen" whose ensembles are at the forefront of menswear...turning the tides, bridging the gap between East and West, confronting expectations and saying 'non!' to conformity. The men who are making America a better place to dress!

What do we think of these outfits? Granted, it is still maybe a bit of a shock to see a man in a skirt, but this is not drag, it's not "cross-dressing." These are simply men...in skirts! We know how I feel about this (or if you don't, take a gander at Some Boys Like Me and/or Men Without Pants), but I always welcome feedback, particularly on this topic ^_^ ( <- face of encouragement!)

Special thank you to Julia at La Belle Oiselle for bringing this video and the Cunningham piece to my attention - I love to find bloggers on my wavelength!

THE MODERN MODE

Love love love love LOVE these looks. The layers, textures, colors, shapes...so much food for thought!

Click image for source.

DEAR INTERNET No. 17

Sharing the love...

The menswear shows have finished up and one of my new favorite things I'm seeing is the giant necklace that's basically a talisman, as seen here at Givenchy pre-fall. Also, men in skirts!

I love love love these desk "tablescapes" by Betsy Burnham (top) and Lizzie Bailey (bottom) for Lonny. I've lately had orange, lacquer, desk chair pillows, trays and decorating with candles on my mind, and if my weekend shooting goes well you'll see the results of all that brain juggling next week!

Follow me on Pinterest for more interiors inspiration!

Oh, hey there Martin Margiela tote that is perfect. How you doin'?

Milan Vukmirovic is obviously my style soulmate - mondo chest action, check; aviators, check; a thing for pared down sophistication, check (sort of - I have a debatable track record in this department, but big dreams.) Also, I think I'm going to have to make suede happen soon, and buttoning just the top button of my coat is definitely something I did this one time that is now a "thing".

Photos via here and Tommy Ton for style.com

Lana del Rey is so hot right now, but I can't just blog about any old LDR song since that would be so two months ago. Instead, I bring you an awesome remix of her single, Blue Jeans. In my dream life where I'm a DJ/Balenciaga brand ambassador/sexy gardening activist I'm totally killing it on the dancefloor with this number.

Happy weekend!

MEN WITHOUT PANTS

photos, from left to right: Stylites, The Sartorialist, Pop Bop & Snap (x2), Brandon Acton-Bond, Joey Ma from Individuality.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about men without pants – but there’s a twist! They’re wearing skirts. And I’m not just talking about that recurring dream where I show up to the first day of high school wearing a pleated mini and everyone starts laughing and I look down and am like, “How did Cher Horowitz’s bottom half get on me?! Oh, but I love my shoes right now.” Nor is it some hypothetical alterna-reality where everyone wears a cross-cultural kimono-wrap-dress hybrid uniform, because I know that’s where your mind went next. My interest in the skirt was piqued a few seasons ago when Marc Jacobs closed a few shows in a kilt, but I wrote that off as something that worked because he’s Marc Jacobs. But as the pics above evidence, men are wearing skirts outside the exploratory realm of the high fashion runway and on personal and street style blogs alike. Is this the final frontier in breaking down gender boundaries?

What I most appreciate about the effect, especially as seen in its incarnations here, is its sincerity. There really isn’t anything in a man’s wardrobe a woman couldn't pick out for herself, right? She’d be a tomboy or just edgy and there’d be nothing sensational about it. To think of a man walking into a woman’s closet and pulling out his “fave piece” to co-opt seems a bit preposterous. Part of this is the dynamic and complicated nature of the female wardrobe; part of it is obviously social stigma. He’d be a cross-dresser – not a label you’ll see playfully splashed across the pages of a GQ market section the way you might find “Tomboy Style” sitting proudly atop a selection of "ways to get the look" inside Elle. The reasons behind all this are handily explained in song form, thanks to Madonna.

Long story short, these guys are wearing skirts and it isn’t drag, nor do they look like cross-dressers. They’re post-modern men to whom wearing a skirt isn’t emasculating because maybe looking “like a woman”, like looking “like a man”, isn’t something to be ashamed of – nor is it something defined by an article of clothing. Will I be wearing a skirt anytime soon? I’m not a post-modern man yet, although I do think the look has potential. I just figure Katherine Hepburn wanted to wear pants for a reason. But hey, if Lady Gaga hasn’t technically started a revolution she’s at least indicated a movement of sorts in the fashion universe – pants are kind of optional, really. It’s 2011 - power to the pantsless!