Monday, 20 September 2010
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Why Does Everyone Think V Necks Look "Gay"?
No, seriously, I think I need this spelled out for me.I love you guys, but I just can't understand why almost every response to Sunday's post Just A Quickie: How Do You Feel About Man Cleavage? was something along the lines of "I think v-necks look gay." The next most often response was that they were a sign of douche-dom. Finally, a small few said v-necks were OK in their opinion.
For the record, I do think deep v-necks are silly (like almost all the pictures I used in the earlier post), but smaller ones compliment a lot of guys. And that post wasn't even about v-necks specifically, it was on man cleavage.
Don't get me wrong, to each their own, but why are we equating an item of clothing with sexual preference?
I mean, I'm guilty judging guys at my school for wearing pastel shorts with boats shoes and button ups, assuming they are jackasses because of their bro-thing (bro clothing, or frat dress code). But calling something some inanimate object you don't like gay? That seems ridiculous.
Where I go to school, and my perception of most of the US, v-necks are the heralds of hipsters. And, yes, some hipsters are dicks, but a lot of them are smart and talented. Some hipsters are gay, but most are just more feminine artsy guys who like to take pictures, write, and listen to indie music. Some women love this kind of man, while many loathe him. In my opinion, it is because some girls just can't cope with the concrete reality that men aren't all football loving manly men, just as not every woman is the picture of femininity-- they are too similar. But that's just a theory and not the point of this post.
Getting back on track: I have a lot of gay friends. And I also have a lot of musical, writer, and theater friends. It's the latter grouping that is more prone to v-necks, although many men in theater are gay.
I'm curious, how do you think most gay men dress? How do straight men dress?
If you think gay means slim jeans and v-necks, you might be confused if you go to Europe (or to a concert), where that is the norm. A gay friend of mine was in Italy last semester and brought back a lot of tiny underwear and insanely skinny jeans because that's apparently what guys wore over there. But my friend-- who truly has no fashion sense at all-- won't wear them in the US because "everyone will assume I'm gay."
Now, if you want to say, "there is a reason why stereotypes exist," think twice. Yes, there are a lot of gays who are open with their sexuality and you can tell their preference by their mannerisms, but for every obvious gay, there is another who you would swear is straight.
Why perpetuate the idea that all gays are flamboyant feminine dudes who wear tight clothing and like Britney Spears? More importantly, why are we using "gay" as an insult?
I think it's so silly to assume sexual preference based on clothing. You can tell a lot about a person by how they dress-- if they care about fashion, if they have money, if they are high maintenance, etc-- but I don't think you can assume sexuality.
Clothing is expression for some, a way to communicate your thoughts without actually saying something. Just ask the kids with the punk attire, the girl in fishnets, or the dudes with gauges. Personal style means something, but it isn't everything.
Ladies, how many of you don't care all that much about your appearance? Do any of you dress in sweats or flip flops half the time? If you have a "masculine style" have other people just assumed you are a lesbian? How often have you seen the labels female jock and "dyke" cross paths? Enough to make me feel uncomfortable with the easiness of the association.
Maybe you don't agree with the points I am trying to make, maybe you think I'm making a stink out of nothing, but I was honestly taken back by the responses to the last post. Even if you think I'm a jackass, I hope at least one person thinks a little more before assuming someone is gay just because of what they are wearing.
Thoughts?
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- From: TheCatInTheCradle@xanga
- About Me: Greetings! My name is Alexa. I write, I read, I tweet. Oh, and I kick ass on my good days. You can find all of my social media at http://flavors.me/alexajohnson
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Comments (71)
I, for one, didn't assume sexual preference based on neckline. But I do hate v-necks on guys.
AMEN!!
I totally agree with you.
i don't think it looks gay. some guys look so fine with a v-neck... depends on the guy!!
I think the idea is just that it accentuates the chest, which is typically something a girl would try to do. A V-neck comes to a point too, which to me is a daintier sort of thing- a point is thin (as opposed to a rounded neckline).
So it's probably less of a "gay" thing so much as girly- but I'd assume you're more likely to see a gay man wearing it than a straight man.
I was surprised also. I never knew v-necks were thought of like that.
mmmmmmm I LOVE v-necks on a man. like the one in the picture.....mmmmHMMMM. ;)
These days, most of the guys I know are comfortable wearing v-necks. It's pretty common to see skaters around here wearing them, especially.
i absolutely looove vnecks.. a guy who can pull off a vneck can make me melt right on the spot.
i agree with this post though. just because you dress a certain way doesn't prove or disprove your sexuality (usually). one of my coworkers is gay, and you wouldn't even know because he seems like the typical "gangster," if you want to put a label on it. i'm not going to lie and say that i've never called something "gay," but i've never thought of someone's sexuality solely on their clothes.
i think v-necks are great on guys.
especially black guys.
I like this post.
I live in the UK. Guys dress in skinny jeans A LOT. I haven't seen so many v-necks, but its really cold here, even in summer. Too cold for such neck and chest exposure.
This v-neck really is not a good example. When I refer to v-necks looking gay I am usually describing the more sever v-neck, which you see a lot of homosexual men wearing.
I really don't care what kind of neckline my boyfriend wears as long as it's fitted around the sleeves and shoulders because his muscles bulge out and he looks all rippled and I get excited about things...
Daniel Tosh wears V necks. Daniel Tosh had a hot model girlfriend. Daniel Tosh also has more money than the average douchebag. Idk.
It completely depends on how deep the V. There are some REALLY low V-necks for guys, and those look ridiculous. It's like, wtf, you don't even have cleavage, what's the point?
V-necks are sorta gay, just by aesthetic standards. Literally, I went into Converse, bought some t-shirts without realizing one of them was a v-neck, and I thought to myself, "Eh, what difference could it make?" and I put it on, looked in the mirror and thought I looked gay, with absolutely NO prior concept or opinion of v-necks. Plain and simple, it just does.
Don't really care too much about v-necks..it just really depends on the guy. Too low for any sex is bad..and looks trashy.
it depends on the rest of their outfit. some guys can wear it and immediately I'll think that he looks hot, while other guys, who may even have more man cleavage or a hotter body, don't necessarily look hotter, but look like the jersey shore dbag. it is their overall attitude that they express that makes them or breaks them.
my style is versatile and depends on my mood. sometimes I dress in tailored menswear inspired outfits like ellen degeneres but I'm not a lesbian. sometimes I dress very girly but I don't think in general I'm high maintenance. other times, I just dress in whatever jeans and shirt I usually wear that I find comfortable and when my mother sees me, she asks me why I'm dressed like a homeless person
due to my nonchalant messy style but I do care about appearances
@SodomyClown@xanga - haha win.
and he's pretty good looking if I do say so myself
V-necks on guys are an epic win!!
I actually think they look nice.
but ANYWAY point of the story = vnecks are awesome. i can dig that clavicle action
I couldn't agree more. Do you also feel that you don't really have any "gaydar", for the same reasons? A friend and I were talking about this recently (this video is a result) and is it just us or are stereotypes regarding sexual orientation really related to gender expression; and how do clothing and sexual orientation correlate? It just doesn't make any sense.
I. Love. V-necks. So sexy. They're so.... European?
V-necks = love. Get me a man that looks good in one and I will be incredibly happy.
i think v-necks look great on bot genders- as long as the wearer isn't fat