Feminine Clothing for Men: A Look at 14 Seductive Styles

The modern day metrosexual is evolving into something new, but we’ve seen this story a few times before in our history.

Centuries ago men donned a number of styles and garments with extravagance, flare, and femininity. Then Beau Brummel introduced the 3-piece suite in the early 1800s leading to a more subdued look for men–this was the beginning of the division between men and women’s modern day fashion.

Now, two hundred years later, we are witnessing the graduation of the metrosexual to the Merry Man; a man who will “flirt openly with feminine styles and fashion,” according to an article by scandanavianfashion.net titled Feminine Styles For Men Gain Ground.

Feminine clothes for men are now mass market, yet the industry still has much, much more opportunity. As a general rule, clothes that fit into this category are tighter and more revealing (like skinny jeans and v-necks) or larger and more grand in appearance (think big shawl collar coats or pleated skirts).

Examples of Feminine Clothes for Men

Next let’s review some examples of men’s clothing and accesories that skew more effeminate than masculine.

V-Neck

The v-neck style is quite common in women’s dress tops. V-necks for men have been around for a long time, but haven’t been as popular until recently.

The v-neck is more feminine because it opens up the face by exposing the chest at an angle–it’s a very inviting look that makes you approachable.

American Apparel is probably the leading retailer for v-necks next to Hanes and Fruit of the Loom. They have a full assortment of colors and sizes, and I own most of them. If you take a pair of your nicest denim, pair it with a v-neck, and then top it off with a blazer and some hot shoes, you’ve got a stunning look.

Slim Fit Shirts

Finding a slim fit shirt used to be almost impossible but now a number of clothing retailers are producing them.

Slim fit shirts bring out a feminine quality because they are tapered around the waist to create a contoured look–also quite common in most shirts worn by women today.

Express for Men has been the leading retailer for men’s slim fit shirts for several years now. They have three different slim fit styles: modern fit (snug), fitted stretch (more snug), and extra fitted (snuggest).

Shawl Collar

Nothing says larger than life than a shawl collar.

Shawl collars are effeminate as they shroud the neck with a grandness and boldness that draws attention to the face. Shawl collars are quite common in women’s clothing, especially dress clothing.

I find that American designers aren’t too grand with their shawl collars, however European/Asian designers will definitely take more liberties with their designs. In fact, in Asia, the collars on a variety of garment types can be everything from exotic to regal.

In addition, shawl collars tend to be very seasonal in men’s clothing–you tend to only see them in winter collections, whereas with women’s clothing you see them all year round.

If you love shawl collar jackets, cardigans, and hoodies, then you’ll want to check out YesStyle, an importer of Asian fashions, as they probably have the best selection and variety of shawl collar garments.

Faux-Fur Lined Jacket

Similar to the shawl collar, a faux-fur lined jacket has a grandness and opulence to it that will certainly put you in touch with your feminine side.

In the US, these can be somewhat difficult to find. There are definitely jackets with fur or faux-fur collars, but they aren’t feminine. I tend to find that in the US there will only be a handful of fur lined collar jackets that are truly spectacular. In Asia though, this style of jacket is everywhere.

Fitted Pants

Finding a good fitted pant, especially dress/casual pants is still fairly difficult. However, one designer sticks out above the rest: Bonobos (new customers get 10% off orders of $100 with exclusive coupon code: BetterFit10E).

Bonobos is doing two things with their fashion that I love (and it’s very feminine). First, their pants are specially cut on the backside to flatter the curve of your butt–no more diaper butt. Women don’t always have to be the ones with an attractive butt anymore.

They also produce a bootcut or flared leg in their dress pants–also very rare to see, but quite common among women’s clothing.

For a pear shaped man, I think a bootcut pant works well as it helps to even out the pear a little. Bonobos also carries tapered leg pants as well.

Leggings

One of the rarest and most feminine of men’s fashion are leggings. Leggings were worn by both men and women during the Renaissance period, and now they’re back.

You will see garments that are leggings-ish, like some jogging pants that men wear, but I don’t really consider those leggings.

Today when you see a man wearing leggings, I always find it to be quite a surprise, and more so than seeing a man in a skirt; and I say that because if you don’t have the right top on, they will showcase your jewels more than most probably care for.

The leggings featured to the right are made from lamb leather and will set you back $2,800.

Harem Pants

Harem pants originated in India and are a cross between a skirt and a skinny jean.

A harem pant is feminine because it would normally be worn by a belly dancer; the dancer would also wear a short skirt that covers the top of the harem pant.

These are starting to come into style in the US, but they’ve been around much longer in other parts of the world like Asia. If you like harem pants, you will want to check out YesStyle.

Skirt

H&M unveiled its skirts for men in 2010. In the same vein, kilts have been popular among some men as well. In the US, when you do see a man wearing a skirt, it’s typically the Utilikilt (which I wouldn’t call fashionable).

The H&M brand definitely has its share of feminine clothing for men, so it’s no surprise they have introduced a skirt (along with harem pants as well).

I love feminine clothing for men, but skirts are something I can’t get into. Men don’t typically have sexy legs; they have hairy legs, and that’s not always a hot look to be sporting–but that’s just my opinion.

Thin Belts

Thin belts are definitely a feminine style and quite common among women’s executive fashion.

Typically, the average belt for a man is about 2″ to 2.5″ in width. The thin belt shown here is about 1″ in width. I own a couple thin belts–they’re a great way to add a dainty-like quality to your ensemble.

However, these too are also fairly difficult to find. You can easily find them from many high-end retailers. However, if you want something more affordable you can usually get them custom-made from a leather belt maker for much less.

Hermes Silk Ties

Hermes silk twill ties are not only the best and most timeless ties a man can by, but they a little playful. They are inviting and charming, and really open up a man’s business attire and the persona he projects in the workplace.

Traditional and conservative business attire, while classy, can be a bit too reserved, pretentious, and masculine.

An Hermes tie will visually disarm the aggressive, masculine ego of a man, into something that is a bit more seductive and feminine.

Scarfs

Nothing can dress up a neck and your face like a scarf–especially one that is fully embellished.

Men have worn scarfs throughout history off and on, and you’ve seen women mostly wear them until today. Pay a visit to any big city, and you’ll see quite a number of men wearing them from the US to Europe and Asia.

Scarfs for men are one of the easiest, feminine garments to find as almost all men’s clothing retailers are carrying them.

Man Bag / Murse / Tote Bag

A designer tote bag is another great accessory that will add a feminine quality to your sense of style. We typically only see women carrying bags, but in recent years these have become all the rage among men. In fact, it’s rare to see a designer men’s runway collection without boys carrying totes.

Sandals

Sandals open up your feet by exposing more skin–yet another feminine characteristic of this footwear style.

Summary of Feminine Clothes for Men

As you can see there is no shortage of feminine clothes for men. The most exiting part is that the market is still relatively new, so I think we’ve still got much, much more coming from fashion designers.

If you are anxious to find more feminine clothing for me I would suggest that you check out men’s fashion in Asia–it’s very effeminate and avant-garde.

In closing, the last featured picture is from the Spring 2011 collection of Louis Vuitton, and it’s truly emblematic of how effeminate clothes have become for men–the lambskin anorak with the large ruffle collar, the short shorts, a see through sweater, a man bag, a bracelet, and open sandals–it doesn’t get any more lady like than that guys.

Retailers Of Feminine Clothes for Men

Aside from all the high-end retailers that most consumers are familiar with, below is a list of all the retailers who carry some feminine clothes for men in their stores or collections: