What’s more interesting is what we consider aspirational and why. In womenswear, body standards are shifting back to a thin-is-in mindset amid the Ozempic boom. Similarly in male body standards, we’re also seeing a shift towards the traditional vision of masculinity, shaped by the rise of conservative ideals. TikTok is rife with content on how to be an “alpha male”, and most of that boils down to being physically and socially dominant.
“Thinness is historically related to white supremacy, so if we see a rise of conservatism we will see a rise of people trying to be as thin as possible. That’s usually the case for women. For men, there’s this narrative that men need to be prepared for war and fitness is really a defence mechanism against perceived threat and fear,” says Dan Hastings-Narayanin, deputy foresight editor at strategic foresight agency The Future Laboratory.
At the same time, post-Covid, there’s more concern around fitness and health. Fitness is also a sign of discipline touted in the manosphere, says Hastings-Narayanin, and a form of social currency today.
As such, Hastings-Narayanin predicts that menswear silhouettes will become more fitted to emphasise muscle tone, and that campaigns are likely to include more shirtless, muscular males. However, he notes that in luxury there is a fine balance. “For luxury, there’s also the question of what happens if men get too muscly — because when you are in those elite spaces, you can have a bit of muscle but too much is considered ‘working class’.”
Munro says brands don’t have to choose between representing real people and still being aspirational. “These sorts of casting choices shouldn’t be sensational — it’s the opposite. It’s about having people all knit together in a row and when you look at them, everyone’s aspirational.”
Proponents of body neutrality would argue that bodies should never have nor be trends. But ultimately, very few brands have the internal motivation to address size inclusivity. “I don’t think that the fashion industry really cares about size inclusivity,” Munro says. “I don’t think they have the motivation to do it unless they feel politically and economically challenged — for example, they may get called out and that will hit the bottom line.”
Munro urges brands to think carefully about the role fashion plays in upholding body standards. “I’m not suggesting fashion is saving the world, but because it’s so front and centre in pop culture — now more than ever because of social media and because the sports stars and musicians are embracing it — we really have to consider what we do. The message is going to kids and young people on their phones, so there’s more of a responsibility on our shoulders now than ever.”
With data collection by Alyshea Wharton and data analysis by Emily Forkan.
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
The Vogue Business Spring/Summer 2025 menswear size inclusivity report
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