“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

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 »

We received this Letter to the Editor:

Hey Abe,
Is it OK to wear shorts around Paris? Your insight into what would be the best way to proceed would be much appreciated. Any info much appreciated. Thank you very much. Thank you.
–Paul… 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 »

“They’re baaack!” Remember Poltergeist II (see clip below) and to quote another line from the film here, “You are gonna die”, but only in the way that Rachel Zoe dies…as in I D-I-E. Manzies are back with a vengeance. Just look at what Marc Jacobs more to his Louis Vuitton after party in Paris. This updated Muu-Muu gown could very well be a Miu Miu gown, since he and Miuccia are palsies. But, hey, bless his heart for walking around as comfortably as he looks, complete with Priscilla Alden Pilgrim shoes, and not an ounce of flab. I’d kill to… 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 »

The Jean Paul Gaultier collection was fantastic and one of the funner elements was his inclusion of couture menswear, for those rich Manzies out there who want to wear a skirt or dress and are not feeling the recent collection by Rick Owens. Not sure if anyone saw some of the comments from my recent Paris menswear shows, but some anonymous person really has it out for me for being a hack. This person does not seem to think that we are all entitled to our own opinions. And (B), hack, is what I was doing (hacking) when I saw… 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 »