For Men, Herve Leger Equals Promiscuity

With fashion playing a prominent role in many women’s lives, the question is constantly raised as to how men perceive the fashion trends that women consistently follow. Mycelebrityfashion.co.uk recently conducted a poll of men in London on which clothing styles they felt were signs of a promiscuous woman. Some of the results are rather surprising:

1. The ‘Bodycon’ Dress – 57%
2. Crop Tops- 53%
3. Corset Tops- 51%
4. Lace – 45%
5. ‘Underwear as Outerwear’ – 43%
6. Pencil Skirts – 38%
7. Knee-High Boots – 32%
8. Stiletto High Heels – 29%
9. Mini Skirts – 22%
10. Hipster Jeans – 19%

via {Grazia UK}

While crop tops and corsets aren’t that much of a surprise, the order is a bit puzzling. Who knew that men thought pencil skirts were more promiscuous than miniskirts? Miniskirts show more leg, but perhaps the tight fit of pencil skirts wins out in the mind of the male. In addition, we’ve never really thought a knee-high boot was suggestive of anything (unless, of course, it’s a very high stiletto, worn with fishnets, and quite vixenish).

While this survey sheds some light upon male thinking, it also serves as further proof that women are often dressing to impress other women, not men. The subtleties of fashion are often lost upon straight males, so it’s not impossible to see how a lace, bodycon dress from Filthy Couture, for example, may be unfairly lumped into the same category as other bodycon dresses even if they’re sartorial worlds apart from one another. As Grazia noted, it really does come down to styling.

But most disturbing is the response to a later question. Regarding the appropriateness of outfits, some men responded that if they felt their girlfriend’s outfit were too promiscuous, she would not be “allowed” to wear it. ‘Really guys? We let you slide on the years old t-shirts that the Salvation Army passes over, but anything deemed too sexy isn’t allowed?

While there are important things missing from the survey  – like how many men were polled and when the responses were gathered (based on some, we’d hope they were leftovers from a poll in the 1950s), it does raise the question of how progressive guys really are when it comes to style. Hearkening back to Debrahlee Lorenzana, who was fired for “sexy” work attire, is it surprising to you that in 2010, in Western societies there are still questions about how much leniency women should be “allowed” in regards to personal expression via their wardrobes?