OUTRAGE | Male Body Image: Thom Browne and Hedi Slimane

A male model at Thom Browne Spring/Summer 2015 feeling the pump

The Spring/Summer 2015 menswear season has just ended, and may be one of the most radical - unusual yet intriguing styling, unorthodox headwear and a general flurry of graphically blinding prints filled the collections of London, Milan and Paris designer labels. But, it seems as though two designers, who are vastly different from each other, has tackled two sides of male body image and confidence head on.

There is no denying that a health and fitness revolution has struck the general population, and this has certainly been targeted by the blatantly obvious bodybuilding parodical designs of Thom Browne (as above). The Spring/Summer 2015 collection featured a myriad of padded blazers, jackets and pants exaggerating the muscle groups bodybuilders aim to pump up. It's plain and simple: Thom strikes at the heart of the resurgence of bodybuilding by conveying this physique as nothing but a fleeting trend, and how it correlates with the coming and going of trends in fashion. It's ridiculous to see clothing that reflects the body image, but that's how Thom is - he always strives to shove it in your face. Always an advocate for the avant-garde and risky, Thom has definitely challenged the realness of what dedicated muscle men are really striving for.

On the other hand, the comparatively small frames of the male models within Hedi Slimane's Spring/Summer 2015 collection for Saint Laurent Paris created a stir. An ode to a time when a man's natural physique was glorified, Hedi has also challenged the ideal male body image today. But, seeing these delicate men walk down the runway forces us to question whether the strive for thinness that is rampant amongst female models is being placed upon male models too. Whether or not these men are naturally or forcibly thin, I don't know, but at least there was a modern-day Jimi Hendrix to clear the air of shock (below).

Jimi Hendrix, is that you?

As a man, the pressure to become your best physical self is popping up everywhere. No doubt, these two designers have given us something to think about - male body image. Speaking as a young men adept to the rapidity of marketing, I believe men should be proud of their body no matter if they are striving for a better physique and health status or comfortable where they are. C'mon guys, stand with pride!

Images courtesy of Style.com