March 4, 2013

"The first woman to be signed exclusively as a male model, ex-Olympian Casey Legler..."

"Legler is 6ft 2in, 35 years old... muscular and cheery, with the awkward swagger of a rock star."
Her voice is soft and earnest, and when she talks, she holds unblinking eye contact. In front of the camera, edges appear. Spikes. She juts her chin; she becomes a boy....

Emily Novak at Ford Models signed her to the men's board immediately. "She has an incredible presence and personality, and, most importantly, she is confident in who she is," Novak tells me. "Being the first woman on a men's board is the least-surprising bit to me – it's me," Legler laughs. "I walked in. It seems so obvious. I have the vocabulary."...

Geoffrey Finch, the creative director of London fashion label Antipodium, says one of his proudest moments was giving Peji´c his women's catwalk debut, but believes fashion has always celebrated difference. "It's all about playing with the ideal of beauty and normality. Perfectly pretty girls are rather dull, aren't they?" he says. "It's Cara Delevingne's strong brows that make her such a babe, likewise Saskia de Brauw's boyish features and iconic crop. Sartorially, women in slouchy suiting, or men in kilts, catch the eye: the 'off' element is the turn-on."
ADDED: Some pix.

51 comments:

vet66 said...

Link says the file is too large. A little butch never hurt any female. Bring it on. Interesting that the same cannot be said for men looking femme but that is my opinion. Reminds me of the movie from years back, Le Femme Nikita and other tough gals of the movies.

Glen Filthie said...

So, minus all the turd polishing and social engineering and politicall correct language:

She's a tranny.

I'll pass on this little celebration of mental illness. If anyone needs me I will be back in the 70's, where Corporal Klinger was a loon and a clown and not a role model....

Palladian said...

Don't get strung out by the way I look, don't judge a book by it's cover...

madAsHell said...

Ugh...neck tattoos.

I'm sure she is very comfortable being a male model. She's a top.

Ann Althouse said...

Link fixed now. Thanks for the alert.

Cody Jarrett said...

I don't get it...why is she a male model?

I mean, she's a fairly striking female (I don't mean striking as classically beautiful or anything) but she's got good bone structure and an interesting look about her, why can't she be a female model?

A lot of the male models used these days look feminine, she still looks more feminine than most of them.

I guess I just don't get it. How is this supposed to redefine gender or whatever they were saying in the article?

I guess. Whatever she wants to be and whatever they want to pay her to be she should be.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

She's got the perfect boy/girl name.

Shouting Thomas said...

Can it kick a football?

Cody Jarrett said...

By the way, the article says she's "muscular and cheery". I went to google images, and the girl, she ain't muscular. There are a lot of women who're muscular, she's not one of them. She's scrawny. She's not even muscular for a woman. I mean--she doesn't have to be, but a little bit of honesty ...meh, it's the Guardian. Never mind.

Unknown said...

She looks like a girl. Even in the pictures where she's trying really hard to look like a guy she looks like a girl.
Do men want to look like that?

Synova said...

I think she looks feminine is most of those pictures, if you asked me "girl or boy" I'd only get it wrong on maybe two of them, or even only one.

But whatever. No male model working the runway would get hired to model for a romance cover anyhow.

rhhardin said...

There's a large supermarket checkout clerk that I've seen for years whose sex has never been clear to me.

I doubt it'll be a fashion coup.

Anonymous said...

Blogger madAsHell said...

Ugh...neck tattoos.

I'm sure she is very comfortable being a male model. She's a top.

3/4/13, 7:35 AM
________________________

Tats are the first thing I noticed too. Ugh!

Ann Althouse said...

"She looks like a girl. Even in the pictures where she's trying really hard to look like a guy she looks like a girl.
Do men want to look like that?"

It's interesting that in her masculine style, she's nevertheless clearly a woman.

She is displaying the clothes in the way the designer wants, and obviously the clothes are never for everyone.

Who are these clothes for? It's a very small subgroup of men (and women dressing in men's clothes) who will buy these things, so it's not the general issue of what "men want to look like."

Most men will keep wearing traditional clothes, perhaps things they've owned for years. These designers are not trying to sell to the average man, who'll be happy with things sold at Brooks Brothers/REI/Farm & Fleet/etc.

chickelit said...

Give it a TV show and make it a role model!

Renee said...

In her non-photoshop casual pictures, her cheeks are so feminine. Especially when she smiles, they just burst with natural femininity. She has an great smile.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It looks like a combination of k.d. lang and Morrissey, is all I care.

Cody Jarrett said...

"These designers are not trying to sell to the average man, who'll be happy with things sold at Brooks Brothers/REI/Farm & Fleet/etc."

Having seen the odd snippet of video and the occasional still photo of the catwalk when designers are bringing out their new stuff, my question to what you say there is: are designers ever actually trying to sell stuff to anyone, or are they just trying to make a splash in whatever way they can?

Serious question. The fashion industry is more impenetrable for me than an advanced physics class.

(And I wear stuff from LL Bean, mostly. The flannelier, canvasier, tweedier the better.)

Aridog said...

Legler is about as "butch" as Justin Bieber...and between the two of them the metro-sexual male is now fully designed. And nobody is funnier in his imagery than Justin Bieber in his saggy pantie queasy hip hop style.

There is no intention to enhance males, it is to feminize the image of males. Look through any fashion 'zine today, even the monthly WSJ versions and look at the mens' stuff. "Everybody" [who dat?] wears tight pants now, pegged above the ankle to almost leotard diameter.

Nothing is funnier, to me at least, than the sport coats, blazers, and suit-coats that are so short they don't come down below the wrist, have 3 or more buttons, with tiny collars. I fear Burberry and Calvin Klein may have to whooly re-do their collections of men's wear. OMG!

[snort, giggle, pbbffft!]

Cody Jarrett said...

Mitchell the Bat said...

It looks like a combination of k.d. lang and Morrissey, is all I care.


God! Yes! That!

rhhardin said...

We need a line of men's briefs, bermudas, tee shirts and socks. That's all I buy.

All neutral or white, so they can be washed in one load every three weeks.

rhhardin said...

White is the best color for bike riding. It shows up even in a sudden shade to motorists.

Except in snow, then don a red or yellow jacket.

Ann Althouse said...

The typical man probably thinks Target is too fashion-forward.

Icepick said...

Is she more or less butch than Hillary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry"?

Anonymous said...

She's hoping for a prime spot in the Victor's Secret catalog.

Anonymous said...

She will model man-bras.

rhhardin said...

"You're not going out dressed like that, are you?"

Anonymous said...

And stockings silk-screened with hair and white socks.

Anonymous said...

For the catwalk the positioning of the rolled-up sock will be important.

Would be unsettling to see that roll out the pants-leg.

Known Unknown said...

It's Pat!

Icepick said...

The typical man probably thinks Target is too fashion-forward.

The typical man doesn't think about fashion unless forced to. It's one of the real perks of manhood.

Aridog said...

Althouse said ...

Who are these clothes for? ... it's not the general issue of what "men want to look like."

You're right. It's not about what men want to look like it is about what hipsters want men to look like. The less manly the better.

Most men will keep wearing traditional clothes, perhaps things they've owned for years ... who'll be happy with things sold at Brooks Brothers/REI/Farm & Fleet/etc.

Absolutely right, and it isn't limited to gritty macho men, all men, straight or gay will dress as they please, and among the successful (outside of entertainment) it will be more traditional/utilitarian than not.

Funny you mention "Farm & Fleet* ...as I type this I am wearing quilt lined flannel shirt from "Farm & Fleet", over a tee & shorts from "Duluth Trading", under a pair of Lands End jeans, "Ultimax" socks from Aerostitch, and penny loafers from Orvis.

The only "bespoke" things I have ever owned are the chaps worn in certain horse shows and trials...and that was just because, not necessity....plus specialty saddles,and custom lace up hiking boots by Florshiem (when they still made them here).

However, in my closet for funerals, marriages, and dinners with my daughter downtown, I have proper Calvin Klein and Burberry sport coats and slacks, as well as Allen Edmonds shoes, ....although if not a funeral, I prefer the Orvis loafers. One of the Calvin coats is 20+ years old and very close in shape/style to one bought last year. Good shit is timeless....fruity runway shit is hyperbole rendered in cloth.

Anonymous said...

Re: "....although if not a funeral, I prefer the Orvis loafers."

Makes me think of a military funeral I went to two years back (WWII vet who lived across the street).

As my wife and I drove into the cemetery we were astounded to see a family with the children in flip-flops and tee-shirts, waiting for their service.

The father was wearing shorts.

Perhaps they were going to the beach afterwards...

edutcher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
edutcher said...

Her main schtick will be modeling stuff designed to trip the world's gaydar.

And her salary will go for analysts' fees.

chickelit said...

Her real stamp of approval should be whether Titus would do her. Therefore we should all wait to cast the first stone.

edutcher said...

I intend to cast Keith Richards, followed by The Mick.

Anonymous said...

"Obama pushing to diversify federal judiciary; It's all about playing with the ideal of beauty and normality."

SGT Ted said...

Well, when gay men are in charge of picking beautiful women, you get:

"It's all about playing with the ideal of beauty and normality. Perfectly pretty girls are rather dull, aren't they?" he says. "It's Cara Delevingne's strong brows that make her such a babe, likewise Saskia de Brauw's boyish features and iconic crop. Sartorially, women in slouchy suiting, or men in kilts, catch the eye: the 'off' element is the turn-on."

SGT Ted said...

And you also get butch women chosen as men.

Darrell said...

Target is too fashion-forward.

Sam L. said...

Got the face for it.

Astro said...

AA Said The typical man probably thinks Target is too fashion-forward.

The typical man never has the term 'fashion forward' in his head. It's like saying 'The typical woman probably thinks footballs should be softer.'

Btw, I usually shop for most of my clothes at Kohls. Is it 'fashion-foward'? I have no idea, nor do I care. For something dressy I'll go to Jos. A Bank, because the people there are helpful.

Rabel said...

I'll just throw this out there.

Target Affiliate Program

Alex said...

Liberals love gender-bending. I never understood WHY.

Alex said...

Androgeny hearts androgynous. Lady Gaga has always struck me as a bit man-ish.

Amartel said...

Dude looks like a lady.

Aridog said...

Alex said...

Lady Gaga has always struck me as a bit man-ish.

Heh. Gaga looks flat out like a guy in drag to me. Flip side Madonna.

However, I could care less and he/she/it is about as entertaining as watching moss grow on rocks.

Amartel said...

Don Johnson in the Harrad Experiment-Dude looks like a lady!
I mean, really, that's ridiculous.

Critter said...

um, ew.

Bob Loblaw said...

Do men want to look like that?

Straight men? No. The gay guys will have to speak for themselves.