Can a woman learn anything from menswear?

I have been thinking about how men dress lately; two photos caught my eye for different reasons. The first is clearly one of those runway-bait photos, but still I kept thinking, What man would stuff his legs into thigh-high leather boots? And, under...cotton shorts?

Saint Laurent runway, winter 2026

 I defy a man to walk into a hotel lobby or even a club in this outfit and not get snickered into Sunday. You do you, fella, but I see a silly waste of money. 

The other photo was a different kind of runway, a Sundance tribute to Robert Redford, where Ethan Hawke appeared in a hand-embroidered custom-made suit designed by Dominique Jerrigan that was an homage to the film festival's final Colorado event. (Lyrics from Waylon Jenning's "Waymore's Blues" are embroidered on the trouser seams.)

Ethan Hawke at Sundance

It's another look that draws attention, but a whole different aesthetic. Well, I'd look twice at Ethan Hawke in Dockers, but as ZZ Top sang, "Every gal's crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man."

In everyday life, men (or those wishing to dress in male gender signifiers) shop differently than women. I notice these characteristics:

1. They usually circumvent extreme trends, and stick with a uniform, whether a polo shirt and jeans or shirt and crisp blazer. They are far less worried about about avoiding styles thought "aging".  You may find a peacock flourish like a red silk lining in a sober suit or a flash of unusual argyle on a sock, but that flash is balanced with restraint. 

2. They expect functional details. Their trousers come with real pockets and shirts are made to tuck in without popping out when they raise their arms. Tailoring comes with the territory, except when absent for a reason, e.g., sweatpants or chore coats. Obsolescene takes longer to arrive.

3. They encounter less pressure to conform to a size ideal. No maker uses the term "body con", nor is the word "flattering" floated when advertising pleated trousers. The guy above age 50 who doesn't fit into his pants does not buy industrial-strength shapewear; he orders the bigger size. 

When he shops, he has the advantage of consistent sizing. A pair of trousers with a 36-inch waist and a 32-inch inseam is just that. I spoke with Manny Straith, of Straith's Fine Clothing (fine, indeed) in Victoria, B.C. while shopping for Le Duc. He mentioned that vanity sizing has begun to creep in. He sells certain imported cords whose 36-inch waist will actually accommodate 38 inches, but "that's the Italians for you."

Overall, men get a better-made garment for their money. Certain women notice, and order custom-made trouser suits and shirts. But for ready to wear, the men's department doesn't reliably accommodate the female body. Some women buy men's jeans, heavier-weight and often better-stitched, but you need the right hip/waist ratio.

What we can do is send a message that we will not buy the degraded offerings sold to women, by brands that used to be better. (The estimable Bridgette Raes nails it in her recent post "More Clothes, Worse Wardrobes: The Death of Quality in Modern Fashion". She says, "The industry hollowed out the middle while flooding the bottom.").

Example: The Boss "Peduzzi" zip polo in mercerized cotton, not the weasel term "cotton rich" that is fashionspeak for "we put synthetics in this". The price is $CAN 229 at Harry Rosen, a store stuffed with this quality.

Photo: Harry Rosen

For comparison, here's a J. Crew women's crewneck that looks pleasingly plush but turns out to contain  38% acrylic, 22% polyamide (aka nylon), 28% wool, and 15% alpaca; price $CAN 188—not that we are ordering presently.  

How could you, J. Crew?

I remember when they would never sell a garment that is 60% thermoplastic product.

The Christmas clunker

At Christmas, Le Duc gave me a vintage, rug-weight green mohair cardigan whose cut and closure indicated it was a man's garment, which is why the thing drooped like the Seven Dwarves' tunics, the sleeves so long I had to roll them three times.  

You had to give it points for quality— plush mohair, precise finishing—but Madonna, this even hung off my six-foot tall giver.

What read as graceless on me might charm on an eighteen-year-old looking for a dark academia-meets- grandpa vibe. After the sweater was judged "hysterical" by my girlfriends, I modelled another cardie I've owned for years, with a a body cut for a woman; Le Duc said, "Ah, I see the difference!"

He donated the green giant and recovered via a soft blue cashmere tank from Jumper1234. Though menswear-inspired, the colour and cut are feminine.  

Not all men know how to assess quality; as with women, there's a continuum of knowledge and interest. But when a man steps into a good store, he's already ahead of the game. Maybe it's not so much what I learn from them, it's the lessons inherent in the goods they can get. 

The clothes deliver more, and though the cuts change with the times, a guy could actually put some wear on his clothing before it's out of style. 

Used to be this way for women, too.