NYC Street - Considering Masculinity at Starbucks

Images by Vanguard - New York

The main premise of this blog is to explore ways for men to assert their individual expression through fashion while still maintaining a “masculine” appearance. So far, however, we have not asked what is “masculinity” and if/why it’s important. Also, what happens if you don’t really care? I think the best way to begin exploring these questions is through the amazing style of my favorite Starbucks barista in New York (I’ve had to quit Starbucks since moving to localtarian San Francisco. It's for the best.).



One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in life is that if you’re confident in who you are and what you’re doing, nobody is going to give you any shit for it. The outfit put together above does not attempt to be masculine, instead, it makes fun of masculinity and allows the wearer to appear as though they are beyond caring about such things. Irony is used with typical icons of masculinity; we see cowboy boots and cut-off muscle tees. The combination of these icons, however, with shorts and a “Miss Slut” t-shirt creates a direct blow at the expectations of men’s fashion. A striking and individual attitude takes this image to an important level.