Fashionably Fit: Young Men’s Dress Decisions and Appearance Anxieties

Abstract

This article explores how men’s everyday dress practices and associated social media usage influence their thoughts and feelings about their bodies. Through interviews with 20 young men of diverse ethnicities, body shapes, and sexual orientations, findings reveal that young men’s engagement with fashion and social media merge to create a cultural climate of heightened body consciousness. Contemporary slim-fit clothing trends magnified men’s appearance fixations and incited body surveillance in compliance with conventions of male attractiveness. The proliferation of outfit posts and selfies on social networks have further caused appearance anxieties as Web 2.0 apps impelled participants to compare themselves against their peers. This study concludes that men’s body image pressures have only reinforced hegemonic masculine boundaries and the subsequent power for those who conform to them. Men with bodies that deviate from the appearance ideals experience daily anxiety because they perceive their bodies as culturally deficient.

Keywords:

• body image
• embodiment
• fashion consumption
• social media
• young men

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ben Barry

Ben Barry is an Associate Professor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Director of the FCAD Centre for Fashion Diversity and Social Change in the School of Fashion at Ryerson University. His research unpacks the intersections between gender, fashion, and consumer culture. He holds a PhD in Management from the University of Cambridge. [email protected]

Dylan Martin

Dylan Martin is a Research Associate in the School of Fashion at Ryerson University. His research explores how gender, sexuality, and masculinity influence the fashion practices and shopping habits of young men. He holds an MA in Fashion from Ryerson University.