Sex, power and the fetish of dress - Part 2

Dsquared2 Spring-Summer 2025

The feminine gaze Masculinity has long been dictated by cultural expectations rather than intrinsic qualities, meaning that fabrics, silhouettes, or garments themselves do not inherently make a man more or less masculine. Silk, lace, skirts, or any other traditionally "feminine" elements of dress only hold gendered connotations because society assigns them meaning. A man wearing these materials does not lose his masculinity—rather, his reaction to wearing them and how he carries himself determines whether he feels secure in his identity. If masculinity is rooted in confidence, strength, and self-assurance, then a man unbothered by external judgments—one who wears lace or a skirt without hesitation—may actually be expressing a more unshakable form of masculinity than someone who rigidly adheres to traditional dress codes out of fear of being perceived as weak.

James McAvoy wears a kilt at The Hollywood Reporter TIFF Portrait Studio to promote his directorial debut ‘California Schemin.’

The kilt provides a fascinating counterpoint, as it is widely accepted as a masculine garment despite being, in structure, a skirt. Its historical association with warrior culture, national pride, and military regalia shields it from the feminizing lens that a skirt in other contexts might invite. This proves that clothing itself is neutral; it is the cultural framing and historical narrative surrounding it that dictate how it is perceived. If a man in a kilt is still unquestionably masculine, then why should a skirt in another context be any different? The deeper question is whether masculinity is fragile enough to be undone by something as simple as fabric or cut—or whether true masculinity is defined by an internal sense of self, unaffected by societal preconceptions and external validation?