There has been a rise in popularity in the fashion industry when it comes to plus-sized fashion, with more brands and designers featuring a diverse range of bodies in their advertising as well as a broader range of sizes in high streets. This, however, has predominantly only been witnessed in the women’s fashion industry. 

 

But what about the men’s fashion industry?

Some may argue that perhaps men are not interested in shopping and fashion as much as women, but is this just a stereotype? And should this be the reason for the lack of body diversity? Men are often forgotten about when it comes to fashion, body positivity, and mental health in general, which is leaving the male fashion industry a few steps behind. Men also shop for clothes, arguably some more than others, so the impact on men should be considered when they do not have their body type or size represented in the high street and online clothes shops. 

There are many issues of diversity in the male fashion industry and a few of them are discussed below. 

Impact their mental health 

Body dysmorphia is often talked about in girls, but is not talked about enough in boys and can be present in any gender. Boys and men who do not look like the chiseled models they see online or in the high street shops can leave them struggling with body confidence and feeling insecure. Typical marketing promotions are designed to create a need within a consumer to purchase their product. It appears that actually, using stereotypical, athletic bodies to sell fashion is having the opposite effect because it has become overwhelmingly unrelatable for some individuals. 

 

Lack of relatability

Throughout society, there has become a huge problem with the media that shows unrealistic bodies, that are often manipulated with PhotoShop and enhancements, that don’t represent the majority of society. These unrealistic betrayals of bodies are not relatable and in turn, result in men feeling like there is something wrong with them because they don’t fit into society’s idea of masculinity.

 

Excluding a whole market of people

As these brands are not relatable and are negatively impacting men’s mental health, they are actually negatively impacting their own business by excluding a whole market of people. While some argue that they don’t want to represent unhealthy bodies or obesity, the goal of plus-size models is only to promote the natural, diverse range of human bodies. Businesses have a responsibility to be more inclusive and represent allmale body sizes to help change the face of the industry and move with forward-thinking.  

Inclusivity and relatability are key if businesses want to grow, as it enables them to closely connect to their audience. 

A surge in the number of bigger male models required for the fashion industry is showing that the industry is positively changing. Brands are offering a diverse range of products, such as big men’s shirts that are realistic and relatable. This acceptance and diversity need to continue to grow in both the men’s and women’s industries if they want to reach and relate to real people.