Shopping for Guys

Shopping for guys can be extremely hard.

Today my brother asked me to pick out some (relatively cheap) new shirts and sweatshirts for him online. At first I was at a loss for where to go, because most of my prefered shopping websites are targeted at women. When I finally settled on Forever 21, it was a complete bust. I was shocked to find a meager selection of ugly, vaguely hipster clothing was all that was available for men, and my brother was shocked to find that I would consider shopping for him at such a terrible store. Of course, I immediately showed him the beautifully abundant womens' selection so that he could see why I had thought to shop there, but the damage was done. My wonderful twin brother has a bad opinion of my favorite store, and I can no longer speak to him. I wonder if Forever 21 realizes that their tiny mens' selection is causing rifts within families?

Only slightly discouraged, I continued on my valiant quest for decent mens' clothing. I logged onto the Urban Outfitters website and headed straight for the clearance section. I thought I was having better luck there, but my brother didn't like almost anything I picked out. And the things that he did like, he was too embarassed to wear to school. I needed to try a different store.

Okay, I told myself, it's time to pull out the big guns. Third time's the charm, right? I gritted my teeth and went to ASOS. And you know what? The sale section was chock full of things my brother wanted for his wardrobe. Mission complete!

I have often wondered why most guys fear to take any kind of fashion risks, and always end up acrediting it to general laziness and a lack of interest. It turns out that the reason my brother won't abandon his uniform of baggy jeans and plain t's is because (according to him) his friends would laugh. I think that any guy can come up with interesting and unique outfits, given access to a thrift store or ample amounts of money, but many fear the reaction of others or don't know where to look. To make matters worse, there are few stores that cater to men interested in expanding the limits of their wardrobe. I don't know what can be done about this, but I do think it's unfair.

The bottom line? I'm glad I was born a girl.