“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

Earlier in the week I did a report on the Milan Men’s Shows an noticed a burgeoning trend that I lovingly call the “Season of the Manzie”. Now, maybe I need to clarify here. A Man-zie is not like a Dandy, nor is it like a Pansy, hence the revised spelling. In my book, a Pansy doesn’t necessarily need to dress effeminately in order to be called a Pansy by a bunch of blokes. On the contrary. They just need to have a sisssing “S” in their speech or run with their arms flailing or become cheerleaders. A Dandy on… Read More »

Fresh from Paris and Milan, we have the Manzie Report featuring the latest trends, mistakes and mishaps for Fall 2011. The over-arching story for men is luxe, sophisticated, elegance. There were boxier shapes and shorter skorts. No, I am not kidding. Since Marc Jacobs wears nothing but kilts, Parisian menswear designers took that look to the next level and hiked up the length of skorts for men. Let’s face it, the kilt length is not all that flattering, and men’s legs are just as lovely to look at as women’s…especially when they are long, lean and muscular. Collections from Hermes,… Read More »

Q. What is a Manzie?
A. A Manzie is not a Pansy or a Dandy. A Pansy doesn’t necessarily dress effeminately in order to be teased by a bunch of blokes. A Dandy dresses like a proper gentleman adding a special touch of avant-garde styling. A Manzie is a guy desperately trying to be “on trend”. He can be a straight man trying too hard to be stylish or a straight-acting-gay guy who acts extra butch to compensate for his quirky fashion choices. Bottom line: A Manzie will wear any of the outfits featured here. … Read More »

Remember the movie Divorce Italian Style, the hilarious satire of male-chauvinist society in Italy? Well, move over ’cause the Manzies are taking the title for themselves. The Milan men’s shows are in full bloom and there are some Bloomsbury beauties among other mishaps and very little that screams male-chauvinism. On the contrary. It is as though some of these designers are divorced from their better judgment, or any guy that wears them will be. You tell me.    … Read More »

New Word Alert: prada v. prada-ed, prada-ing, prada-s a. To go crazy, to  flip often used with out. b. To react strongly and especially enthusiastically: She pradaed over the new men’s collection from London. Nothing has made me happier  than when I was pradaing (see above) from the images at London Men’s Fashion Week only to discover that the long, lost Manzie is back… and potentially with a vengeance. Only time will tell though as we prada through Milan, Paris and New York. Let’s face it, menswear has become one bland sea of plaid and quasi-butch-realness. Coupled with the horrible… Read More »

Please note: This Entry First Appeared July 12, 2009 Who’d have thunk that when I MEAN…WHAT?!? coined the phrase Manzie Report, and pointed out the horrendousness of some of the things that everyone’s favorite Manzie is wearing, that lo and behold, Time Magazine, yes, that magazine that puts Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin on the cover, has an entry about Mancessories. So, now that the Manzie has been adulated by the general media, I am thrilled to say my prescient observation of this uncanny trend has now been substantiated and I am officially anointing Time Magazine with… Read More »

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bid a fond farewell to The Manzie*. (*See below meaning of Manzie for those of you new comers.) What was once a vibrant, hysterical fashion statement that captivated the runways of Milan and Paris—heck and New York for that matter—looks that left us speechless, or gagging anyway, have now gone to that great fashion graveyard beyond… Ebay. Who won’t miss those retarded styles by Thom Browne, or some of those collections from Rick Owens and Walter Van Beirendonck’s Big Bird ensembles from Spring ’10? And surely we can never forget that madcap John… Read More »

Italian men have the reputation for being sexy, brooding, manly and the overall Spring ’12 season from Milan held steady to that notion. I just barely squeezed enough juice out of the fruit (as it goes) to quench your thirst for a Manzie Report. One can only hope that Paris will have far more tasty fruits in the offing. With that, I give you the final looks from Italy.   Follow us on Twitter.com/imeanwhat or Sally Field Us on Facebook.… Read More »

Milan continues to show great collections, many are strong and colorful and leaning toward manly-man. One can only be happy for companies that design to be sold. Naturally, a few nelly ditties slip through to the cracks of better judgment to create some magic or drama or giggles. Here they are some Manzies by proxy. Follow us on Twitter.com/imeanwhat or Sally Field Us on Facebook.… Read More »

Two years ago I coined the phrase Manzie in response to the men’s runway shows in Paris, Milan and New York. That phrase caught on like wildfire within the industry and in a short time after that, the looks being thrown down the runway became increasingly butch. Designers like Billy Reid set a new tone and standard for what men should look like and all was well in Glocca Morra. That was then and this is now. There is something in the air and it is living up to Lord Alfred Tennyson‘s poem, Locksley Hall when it says, “In the… Read More »