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When it comes to the general idea of sexy, we hardly ever talk about how men can exude it with their choice of fashion. Sure, a tailored suit has become the default (and at times, only) way that a man could ever be sexy in clothes. That ’60s definition of sexy has largely continued to hold true in society today — the Dapper Dans with their suited up machismos, typical Hollywood stylings and perhaps even a cigarette on hand. But now that we’re expanding our notions of what makes a man, sexy has slowly been redefined to mean more than traditional menswear tropes.
Sexiness in a man has often been portrayed in pop culture as skin-baring, in other words: the lack of clothes. You’d only need to look at the covers of cheesy romance novels to understand where I’m getting at. They’re the kinds where the men all look as though they’re different iterations of Prince Adam from Beauty and the Beast — flowing locks and styled with an unbuttoned shirt exposing smoothly bare-chested bodies. Or just basically, multiple states of undress.
But like most things portrayed in media about our bodies and appearances, there’s always a double standard. These visuals have always been relegated to just for media consumption and not real-life applications. It’s like a dirty little secret that everyone shares and prefers to keep in private, but then having such things out in the open are often unspeakable and met with negative responses.
Times are certainly changing and new and up-and-coming fashion designers are taking the lead in expressing masculine sexiness in more ‘risque’ ways. Gone are the restraints of conventional menswear design decisions; these fashion designers are proving that men can show skin if they want to and in fashion that speaks to their individuality.
Dion Lee
One of Australia’s most famous fashion names, Dion Lee made his fashion debut in 2009 and hasn’t stopped since. While a predominantly womenswear designer, Lee has expanded his range to include more unisex pieces over the years. Lee has also mentioned in interviews that the human body often serves as an inspiration for him, so it’s perfectly normal to see a lot of skin in his collections — both womenswear and menswear-esque pieces included — whether it’s with a Monstera leaf-shaped top in spring/summer 2021 or the barely-there knit harnesses from his latest autumn/winter 2021 collection.
EÑAUT
Formed in September 2018, Spanish brand EÑAUT may not be consistently sexy season after season. But the Barcelona-based designer is not opposed to displaying some skin in his co-ed collections. Whether it’s simply by wearing a suit without a top but replacing it with a a layer of mesh, or delicately sheer tops that exposes everything, EÑAUT does so in ways that are still somewhat conventional and approachable. And the best thing is, they’re ethically made in Barcelona where the brand is based.
Lazoschmidl
The clothes created by designers Josef Lazo and Andreas Schmidl are probably unlike any other Nordic fashion brands out there. There’s nothing minimal or simple or clean about anything by Lazoschmidl. The duo describes their brand as, “Liberation, sensuality, body, rebellion, glamour, freedom.” With nods to pop culture and contemporary art, Lazoschmidl came into the scene with lurex bodysuits and glittery pieces that accentuate every curve on the body, all while challenging conventional notions of race, gender and sexuality.
Ludovic de Saint Sernin
LVMH Prize finalist Ludovic de Saint Sernin is one of the more mainstream examples of menswear turning a sharp corner into sexually charged territory. The Paris-based brand is famed for turning what would typically be bondage lacing onto denim jeans and underwear, with some extravagant pieces (glittered up in Swarovski crystals) are made-to-order. But at the heart of it, Ludovic de Saint Sernin champions craft with the male body as its form in order to showcase the fineness of techniques.
Shop Ludovic de Saint Sernin online here.
ALLED-MARTINEZ
Another LVMH Prize alum, ALLED-MARTINEZ is a brand that may be familiar to every Harry Styles stan. The multifaceted artist has been seen in a beautifully knitted suit with signature bare-chested ALLED-MARTINEZ styling. While the brand initially started out focusing on elevating knitwear in the most sensuous of ways, its latest spring/summer 2022 collection expanded the notion of the dandy into streetwear. As an homage to pioneers who lost their lives due to AIDS, the socially charged (but still undeniably sexy) collection has names of some of them splashed across fitted muscle tees and paired with skin-baring accoutrements.
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