For eons, men have been asking themselves, why are women’s underwear so much more comfortable than men’s? It’s one of those things that no one has really done anything about, until now. Menagerié (heh), an actual lingerie brand for men, has barged onto the scene to change the discourse on gender-specific intimates.
Founded by Roman Sipe in 2014, Menagerié has a pretty objective, but the path to reaching it is a little complex. In Sipe’s own words, “[We want] to bring more adornment and beauty to men’s fashion, but still remind people that it is a brand for men.” Sipe acknowledges the flamboyant aesthetic of the brand, but strives to preserve masculinity in his efforts to appeal to men. A tough task considering lingerie has been marketed only to women for over a century.
Menagerié offers everything from underwear and loungewear to fragrance and even its version of a male waist trainer.
“People either love it, hate it, or find it interesting. The reaction from heterosexual men is pretty much what is to be expected. Most don’t think they need it, or couldn’t see themselves actually buying a pair of lace underwear. However, there are a few who find it intriguing and simply ask things like, ‘Well, are they comfortable?’” Sipe added.
“Though genderless fashion has been causing a buzz the past couple of seasons with Louis Vuitton, DSquared2, and Zara, I personally believe we have a while to go before we actually see the trend move off the runways and into the streets. You can’t help but notice that most of the items being sold as ‘unisex’ are traditional men’s pieces that are easily picked up by women, like T-shirts, sweaters, jeans, and jackets.”
While the flamboyancy of the style might keep it away from the mainstream in the near future, there’s no denying that this is a unique and interesting take on a garment that has remained unchanged through all of modern fashion.