Volume 1
Fall 2008
Special Issue: Menswear
Letter from the Editors
Articles
Hip Hop's Slimdown: The Transition from Prison Yard Sag to 'Skurban' Slim
Naimah Ali
Asian Invasion: The Rise of Asian Male Designers
Monet Grant
International Crisis: Italian Menswear vs. American Menswear
Tiffany Gravinese
You Are What's on Your Feet: Men and the Sneaker Subculture
Caroline Cunningham
Men's Hats: Types of Hats over the Years
Amanda Lambert
Hip Hop's Slimdown: The Transition from Prison Yard Sag to 'Skurban' Slim
Naimah Ali
Keywords: hip hop / fashion / silhouette / skurban / prep-hop
Abstract
For some time now, Hip-Hop and oversized clothing have gone hand in hand. Young African American, Latino and even Asian males sporting hoodies and jeans that appear a couple sizes too big can be seen as products of the Hip-Hop culture. However, the face, or more specifically, the silhouette of Hip-Hop fashion is changing - to the joy of grandmothers around the world.
full text / pdf 
Asian Invasion: The Rise of Asian Male Designers
Monet Grant
Keywords: asian / male designers / asian design
Abstract
Kenzo, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto. The early 1970’s brought about the beginnings of the first ‘Asian invasion’ of the fashion world and by the 1980’s these names were wildly popular. Though they’ve remained highly renowned, during the 1990’s eyes shifted toward the up-and-coming American designers like Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors. What happened to the surge of Asian designers from then until present day? For some reason, they are on the rise again. The designs of Peter Som, Phillip Lim, and Derek Lam among others are becoming fashion staples and the epitome of simple yet extremely modern fashion. This paper will discuss how the first Asian designers broke through in the Paris fashion world, the new Asian designers that are on the rise today, their differences, and how both generations of the ‘Asian invasion’ are making their mark in the fashion society.
full text / pdf
International Crisis: Italian Menswear vs. American Menswear
Tiffany Gravinese
Keywords: fashion / men / style
Abstract
Imagine yourself in New York City. It is a comfortable Saturday night and you are dining outside of a swanky restaurant, enjoying a cool glass of Italy’s finest white wine. The city is buzzing with people hurrying off to the latest “hot spot” in the city. The women are dressed in their finest, and the men….well, take notice of the men. Most are wearing a baggy cotton T-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of sneakers. Some men were feeling a little brave this evening and pulled out cotton polo and a pair of loafers. There is nothing too exciting about these men, but wait. You see something else. In the distance, a tall lean man comes walking down the sidewalk. His hair is styled vertically, despite gravity’s stubbornness. He wears a bright pink graphic tee topped by a metallic brown jacket over khaki linen pants and matching brown, patent leather, pointed shoes. To any fashionable woman, this man is a godsend. He is of rare form in an American city. He defies all typical style guidelines in American men’s fashion. To the average American onlooker, this pink panther is either gay or from another country. Yet this man is a European-influenced American fashion icon. American menswear has struggled with a reputation for being sloppy and tasteless. European fashions have traveled across the ocean to assist the troubled American man and improve the perception of men’s fashion.
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You Are What's on Your Feet: Men and the Sneaker Subculture
Caroline Cunningham
Keywords: menswear / sneakers / collectibles
Abstract
Men’s sneakers have evolved from being purely functional to having a cult-like following where sneakers reign superior. The sub-culture that sneaker fanatics have unknowingly created is a noteworthy explosion in the menswear fashion industry. The small niche of individuals that make up the sub-culture are highly regarded by sneaker companies because of their knowledge of what’s hip. For this style tribe, sneakers are an addiction where rarity and limited editions bring status and small celebrity within. Don’t be fooled: these sneakers aren’t found at your mall’s Footlocker, but rather in unmarked buildings in urban cities found by word of mouth. The intention of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of an unlikely male fashion trend turned into hypnotic obsession that, unlike many other male fashion trends, has pervaded all lines of race and economic class.
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Men's Hats: Types of Hats over the Years
Amanda Lambert
Abstract
The fashion history of hats has seen cultural and social many changes. Although there are a vast variety of types, some are much more influential than others and have thus lasted longer. Today’s hats are not the same as they used to be, evolving into a more comfortable accessory. In the past, hats were usually more about fashion than function and discomfort was almost always a given. These uncomfortable styles were worn to show status and to gain respect. Although the social customs related to hat wearing are not around today, hats can still tell a lot about the wearer. However, today the hat is not so much about status but more about individual personality.
full text / pdf