website

Why People Perceive That Male Fashion Designers Are Gay

Male Fashion Designers Are Gay

The topic of discussion today revolves around the common misconception that all male fashion designers are gay. As you know, there are a number of gay men who play a part in the fashion industry, but there are plenty of other prominent men designers who are straight. We will go over some of the reasoning behind why so many people have this perception and ask that, in return, you can spread the word to others so that we can all make a positive change for the better.

 Why People Perceive That Male Fashion Designers Are Gay - Cross Sword - Mens High Heels

What are peoples perception?

A 2013 book entitled A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk says that during the 18th century, groups of men who appeared to have more pronounced feminine behaviors would mingle together cross-dress. At that time, these men did not focus on their sexual identity, but they were often referred to as “mollies.” Other men called “macaronis” were pushing the boundaries of contemporary men’s fashion which further influenced the idea of masculinity in the fashion world. Another significant thing that came out of this era was “man-milliners,” or the emergence of males who decided to be a part of the tailoring business. Over time, these minority groups within various European communities would start to shape the fashion industry as we know it today.

 Why People Perceive That Male Fashion Designers Are Gay - Cross Sword - Mens High Heels

Emergence of males who decided to be a part of the tailoring business

Now that you have that piece of history in mind let’s shift the discussion and dig into modern media for a moment. Whether you know it or not, various media outlets across the globe have indeed played a role in the overall portrayal of fashion designers. Even though there are plenty of women who study fashion design in school, it seems that the media coverage tends to focus on the fashion designers who are primarily part of the LGBT+ community. That is not to say female fashion designers aren’t good at what they do; they just aren’t talked about as much in the news. This makes it challenging for the general public to take note of the wide variety of up-and-coming fashion designers. 

 Why People Perceive That Male Fashion Designers Are Gay - Cross Sword - Mens High Heels

Female fashion designers are less focused on

The news is always looking for the next big story. It makes sense why various news outlets would want to focus on minority groups working in any industry, let alone the fashion industry. In a way, news outlets are skewing reality because they appear to be cherry-picking what they want you to hear, which strongly influences everyone to think that only gay men are the types of people currently working as fashion designers.

 Why People Perceive That Male Fashion Designers Are Gay - Cross Sword - Mens High Heels

Don't consume what your told to consume

In recent years, there have been significant positive changes in people’s attitudes toward the LGBT+ community. On the other hand, there are several stereotypes that society wants us to keep believing. One such stereotype, in particular, is that all gay men are “effeminate and flamboyant.” Meaning, in essence, gay men are inherently less masculine than straight men and are better suited to know what looks good on women. This statement is simply not true; however, it has been ingrained into many people’s perceptions partially because the media, in general, has unfairly represented homosexuality. There have been an increasing number of TV shows and movies depicting gay characters, but many stereotypes and stigmas are still prevalent. We need to learn how to form our own opinions about things and not allow big media companies to tell us how to think. 

 Why People Perceive That Male Fashion Designers Are Gay - Cross Sword - Mens High Heels

Make your decisions and form your opinions without using mainstream media

We hope that this article has been thought-provoking and invite you to analyze how you perceive things. Fashion designers are people who love what they do and are not inherently good or bad at their job based solely on their sexual identity. It is a fact that not all male fashion designers are gay, so just imagine the myriad of other topics out there that have inherent stigmas and stereotypes attached to them. You may be surprised by what you discover, so keep an open mind and try to look at things from different perspectives before creating a definite opinion of your own.