Man-style

So I've heard that girls can't really pull off the collared shirt and tie thing now that Avril Lavigne or whichever of those angsty girl pop stars that I can't tell apart claimed it.

But time out, let me back up. Boys are so easy to dress. I can't understand why so many of them have trouble finding hot clothes to wear. It's not just about skinny pants (although a lot of men look better in skinny pants than girls do) - there are whole genres of looks that men can just rock so easily. Maybe it's that there are fewer options and evolution has honed man-style into a number of sexy sexy outfit genres, but needless to say, I would effing love getting dressed in the morning if I were a boy.

Now, one of those boy-looks that I'm totally into is that whole tie and collared shirt thing. Esp. when the top button(s) are open. It's like dressy and casual. It says to me: I am such a rockstar that this tie can't hold me back. So, given that the odds of me waking up as a boy one morning (without a lot of pointed deliberation and effort) are pretty slim - not to mention that I don't necessarily want to be a boy - I'll be damned if I can't wear collared shirts with tie-things and my top buttons undone. For example:



[I am totally outing myself as closet photobooth addict, but it's for a good cause.]

If this were an ideal world, I'd own (and wear constantly) and awesome v-neck argyle sweater vest, but what I've got is this scoopneck brown sweater. And I'll say that I am kind of pleased and intrigued by the curve of the neck and how it contrasts with the v of the open shirt and how the girly thin sweater works with the man-ish faux tie especially when I wear it all with my fabuleuse new skirt.

[Side note about the skirt: it has the most incredible, incredible pockets and is brilliantly comfortable. If I hadn't gotten it as a gift - thanks mom! - I should totally have bought for myself. Skirts with pockets are hands down rad.]

So, I suppose the question I've been contemplating lately is if these hot man-styles just look good, or if they look good because they're man-styles. And if they look good because they're man-styles, what does that mean for me? Or, I guess the question should be - what can it mean for me?

Are these looks that you can break down into their geometry and recreate in women's clothing? And what's the difference, really - aside from the cut, which is important obviously because I have hips and a tiny rib cage in lieu of broad shoulders and chicken legs? The shape of clothes isn't just about the shape - it's about the shape on you. In any case, it's a question I'm curious about.