Slimming secrets: men’s fashion plunges into a glp-1 physique
The menswear season just wrapped, and it’s a jarring one – a relentless push toward extreme slenderness, fueled by the unexpected grip of GLP-1 medications and a renewed obsession with sculpted physiques. Forget the comfortable, oversized trends of recent years; runways are now dominated by second-skin garments and shockingly skinny jeans, sparking a serious debate about the future of male body ideals.
A body image crisis on the catwalk
The shift is undeniable. Prada, Dior Men, and even Gucci showcased models with an almost unnerving level of definition, mirroring the impact of GLP-1s on womenswear. Simultaneously, a surge in ‘jacked,’ muscular figures – often draped in ultra-short shorts – signals a countervailing trend, a desperate attempt to maximize musculature, driven by the ‘looksmaxxing’ movement. This tension, a battle between emaciated silhouettes and bulging biceps, reveals a deeper issue: the industry’s frustrating lack of inclusivity regarding male sizing.
For years, Vogue Business has documented this alarming stagnation – representation of plus-size bodies on the men’s runway remains a paltry 0.2-0.3% since FW25. But SS27 emphatically demonstrates not only a refusal to cater to a broader range of body types, but a deliberate escalation of the body ideal itself. Models are becoming slimmer, physiques are becoming larger, and the overall aesthetic is increasingly unattainable without the aid of peptides or similar interventions.
Industry voices express concern
“We are going backwards,” says Louis Gabriel Nouchi, founder of We Are King. “We feel really lonely. It’s always just me, Rick Owens, and Doublet [who are size inclusive at Paris Fashion Week Men’s]. I offer my clothing up to size XXL, so it’s important that we have a cast that represents a wide range of body types. This feels like a regression, fueled by a return to regressive ideals of masculinity and virility, exacerbated by the current obsession with transformation and idealized self-images.”
Style editor Mahalia Chang at British GQ echoes this sentiment: “You do start to feel like there’s a bit of a backwards slide in terms of inclusivity. This season, the slimmer silhouette and skinny fit was back again. That doesn’t always mean the bodies wearing that silhouette also have to be slim, but in this case, it did. I would have liked to have seen those clothes on a more diverse range of bodies, which would be a better indication of how you can actually wear them in the real world. A lot of murmuring I heard post-shows was about how it’s not a look you can wear if you’ve got anything resembling a bum, quads, or calves, which, you know, most of us do.”
The problem runs deeper than the surface
Buyers at Harrods and Mytheresa report a shift towards tailored shapes and refined proportions, but acknowledge customer demand for garments that offer structure and a flattering fit, rather than an emphasis on muscle. However, the underlying issue remains: a lack of standardization in sizing and a frustrating disconnect between brand offerings and customer needs. Willy Chavarria, a brand championing size inclusivity, notes, “Size inclusivity doesn’t seem to be on the brands’ minds, because, culturally speaking, we are still in a weight loss era powered by different injections and medications.”
Ultimately, the industry’s fixation on extreme aesthetics, driven by social media and the allure of transformative treatments, poses a significant challenge. As designer Tomo Koizumi observes, “As long as oversized silhouettes remain in Fashion, I can usually find clothes that fit me, so it doesn’t feel like a major issue. But I worry that as the oversized trend fades, I’ll once again struggle to find clothes in my size.” The question isn’t whether this is a temporary phase, but whether the industry will finally address the glaring lack of representation and embrace a more inclusive vision of masculinity.