Remember RompHim? Those polarising rompers on Kickstarter that were designed for men, by men? The very same rompers I’ve thought about at least thrice a day since its introduction to the universe exactly 21 days ago (I’m not counting, who’s counting)? Yeah, you guys know which ones I’m talking about.
While its birth naturally generated an avalanche of reactions on social media, with some being a little more… um… sexually charged than others (guilty, very guilty), quite a number of jibes at the RompHim sparked off debates regarding traditional masculine attire. Well, here in time to amp up that volume to new levels are these pastel lace shorts created by Hoza Rodriguez, designer and owner of streetwear brand, Hologram City. Specially crafted for rapper Cazwell’s next music video, Loose Wrists, these gauzy, provocative bottoms come with matching tops too. After all, the more that’s on display, the better right?
Just like the RompHim, these particular lace shorts have gone viral, but the comment sections have been equally laced with comedic roasts and disparaging remarks centred on the feminisation of the male attire. We get it, lace is seen as something that’s reserved for women, and the same goes for rompers, but come on guys, we’ve literally hit the middle of 2017. How is this still an issue? If Prince could wear jumpsuits bedazzled in sequins and Kurt Cobain could wear floral dresses on stage, then anything goes.
Lace shorts for men aren’t new. In fact, they’ve been featured on male models from the runways of Versace and Gucci in 2013 and 2015 respectively. The romper, too, hasn’t strictly been worn by women either. Even the sexist, misogynist character of James Bond (Daniel Craig’s words, not mine) wore one back in the ’60s – too bad he didn’t think to capitalise on that blue terry romper back then. Hence, the slew of homophobic reactions that ensued aren’t just invalid, they also exacerbate a form of toxic masculinity that’s rife in many cultures, when all that was intended of the RompHim and the lace shorts was to inject a tad bit of fun into an incredibly limited assortment of menswear.
I for one, think we all can do with a little men’s fashion resurgence every once in a while (especially when that revival calls for more thigh and derrière). But since these revealing bottoms aren’t for every boy, perhaps the RompHim would serve as a better, less audacious choice. We still have a pretty long way to go when it comes to embracing the ever-changing landscape of men’s fashion, but right now, these two subversive articles of clothing appear to be steering our society in the right direction.
RompHim, US$119 TO US$139. Available from romphim.com.
Hologram City Lace Me Up Shorts, US$49. Available from hologramcity.bigcartel.com.
Main image: @hoza729
