Throughout fashion history, women stealing trends from men have been commonplace. In this day and age, that has been seen as okay, because it makes women seem “strong” and “independent.” For example, a woman in a leather jacket is seen as edgy. A woman in a suit means business. However, the reverse has not been taken positively. A man wearing a dress would be seen as absurd, and a man wearing makeup would be ridiculed. Gender norms and gender stereotypes have run men’s street style fashion, and the fear of coming off as too “feminine” has always been a widespread fear. That is why I am always forever grateful when I spot a Fashionisto unafraid to debunk those gender norms and pioneer his way through what women’s fashion can do for him.
Male-polish is becoming a proud trend here on Loyola’s campus. I came across this Fashionisto sporting a striking black polish as his fashion forward rebellion. The black suited his style well, and complemented his dark, short hair (which is smart considering hair and nail color are both arguably static components to a person’s look).
To stack up his outfit underneath the polish, our Fashionisto daringly wore a navy shirt underneath a black crew neck sweater. One might see the black and navy color combination as a big fashion no-no, but this rule breaker found a way to make it really work together. To parallel the slight contrast in color, he chose to put on off-white/beige socks and white adidas sneakers.
What’s on the BEAUTY BAR: To recreate this beauty trend, all one would need would be a bottle of nail polish. To keep things simple, a black is a bold way to remain neutral. If you like the idea of black but think it’s too bland, play with matte and glossy finishes!
