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Body Positive Workout Clothes Women's Thing, Not Men's?
Theoldguy1
Posts: 2,454 Member
The following thread discussing workout clothing made me notice something and ask this question.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10774888/body-positive-menswear/p1
I was doing some Christmas shopping on the website of a well known athletic apparel manufacturer. I noticed they had some plus size/obese female models along with their typical models, but all the male models were the typical models you would see on a fitness apparel website.
Since this is a large company with a large marketing budget, everything the do is for a reason. My thought was body positive sells for females but not for men.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10774888/body-positive-menswear/p1
I was doing some Christmas shopping on the website of a well known athletic apparel manufacturer. I noticed they had some plus size/obese female models along with their typical models, but all the male models were the typical models you would see on a fitness apparel website.
Since this is a large company with a large marketing budget, everything the do is for a reason. My thought was body positive sells for females but not for men.
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Replies
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I can only speak for myself but I have zero interest in body positive anything while I am still technically obese. I am fine with going to the gym in frumpy looking sweat pants and a tshirt.
I remember hearing that the demographic for dieters is largely caucasian women which might explain why a fitness apparel company is directing their money in that direction.12 -
I think its just a "spend the least to make the most money" approach. Maybe I am missing something, but I just have not seen the demand among men for body positivity as I have from women. If they don't think it is affecting sales no reason the spend money on it.10
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I think it's just what will boost sales. In my experience, women tend to be much more concerned about appearances than men. Not all across the board of course. So it makes sense that women would be more susceptible to feeling inadequate by always seeing perfectly sculpted and thin models and "instagram stars" etc. at every corner, thus the push to add models of different shapes and sizes. I don't think that is very prevalent among men, but I could be wrong.1
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »I think its just a "spend the least to make the most money" approach. Maybe I am missing something, but I just have not seen the demand among men for body positivity as I have from women. If they don't think it is affecting sales no reason the spend money on it.I think it's just what will boost sales. In my experience, women tend to be much more concerned about appearances than men. Not all across the board of course. So it makes sense that women would be more susceptible to feeling inadequate by always seeing perfectly sculpted and thin models and "instagram stars" etc. at every corner, thus the push to add models of different shapes and sizes. I don't think that is very prevalent among men, but I could be wrong.
I think a lot of it is because generally, women have been pressured to look a certain way a lot more than men have. That's not to say that men don't have certain societal pressures to look like a specific "type", but I think it's a lot more prevalent for women. I think we have treated overweight/low obese men different than we have women as well. I know even at my highest weight, when I was a 32.8 BMI, I didn't really feel any societal pressure about how I looked. I could look at buff bob and not feel an inadequacy and that I had to look like that. I think women with a 32.8 BMI would be treated a lot differently, and then feel more pressure.. At a certain level of obesity, both men and women feel more pressure, but at that overweight/low obese range, I think it is definitely harder on women.
So the body positivity movement in advertising has come as a response to that pressure that women have been put under. Men don't need it as much because we have always been allowed to be positive about our bodies, even if it didn't fit an ideal. But women are starting to push back against the unrealistic beauty standards put on them, so there is more economic upside for brands to tap into that by diversifying the weight of their models.
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I can only speak for myself but I have zero interest in body positive anything while I am still technically obese. I am fine with going to the gym in frumpy looking sweat pants and a tshirt.
I remember hearing that the demographic for dieters is largely caucasian women which might explain why a fitness apparel company is directing their money in that direction.
As an overweight female, when I first began going to the gym to workout I wore sweatpants and tee shirts. People pushed in front of me to use the equipment and were generally rude and unaccommodating. When I pointed out to one young guy that I had been waiting to use a weight bench that he had appropriated, he just looked me up and down and laughed. A friend suggested I get some serious workout clothes made for larger women so I at least "looked the part". I balked at first, but then followed her suggestion. Lo and behold, attitudes at the gym improved and I was treated differently. Men at the gym were actually helpful in pointing out how to use the equipment and exercises that would be beneficial. Maybe you guys can get away with "frumpy looking sweat pants and a tshirt" at the gym, but women are expected to show up in public a little better put together or reap the consequences of their own neglect.21 -
I'm a woman and a normal weight now. When I go to the gym, I'm the only female who wears $10 Walmart sweatpants and any old top. All the other females are wearing black leggings and matching tops. The men wear whatever. Nobody is rude to me. Some smile hello. Mostly people ignore me, which is what I want, to work out in peace and then leave.13
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Is the mere fact the clothing is shown worn by overweight models mean it's "body positive" workout wear, whatever that means? When I was obese, I bought some stuff at Target and ordered some stuff at amazon, and my main concern was whether it would fit and be baggy enough to cover me -- no body conscious stuff was wanted by me then, and lots of women's workout clothes tend to be more body conscious.
I also bought some sports bras for bigger women, which are a big deal for women and not men. For these reasons, I think heavier women are more likely to want to make sure the seller is not merely making bigger sizes of the usual stuff but has clothes that actual fat women might want. Lots of men's workout clothes are already what I'd want when overweight so I don't know if fat men would have the same concerns.
Now I mostly wear leggings of different types and t-shirts still, in the summer and indoors. In winter for running outdoors it's all about layering.8 -
I’m going to make a generalization here, but in my experience men are more utilitarian in their clothes preferences and how they shop than woean. I say this as being the exception to that generalization;). From my observation of watching men shop, there is less of a visualization component to shopping, it’s more about will that piece work for my needs, do I like the color, and is it available in my size.
There is also less division in men’s clothes based on size. Men’s Warehouse sells small through 6X, it’s a rare women’s store that would have that range of sizes.
To be honest I was confused by the original question about body positive men’s sportswe and a little confused by this one. I mean at the end of the day are you looking for different models or different clothing?
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Lobsterboxtops wrote: »I’m going to make a generalization here, but in my experience men are more utilitarian in their clothes preferences and how they shop than woean. I say this as being the exception to that generalization;). From my observation of watching men shop, there is less of a visualization component to shopping, it’s more about will that piece work for my needs, do I like the color, and is it available in my size.
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I think that's true for a lot of men, but I've noticed that a good lot of the younger 20-something's are very clothes-conscious. They want to look good no matter what they're doing, even just working out at the gym. I think the OP was saying, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that options for men, as far as how workout clothes will look on them if they're heavier, are limited. The sporting clothing manufacturers and retailers show heavier women in workout clothes, but the same options aren't available for the men. The men's clothing lines show clothing on young, fit men, so heavier guys can't see how that would look on them. They just have to order the larger size and cross their fingers.
[quote="
To be honest I was confused by the original question about body positive men’s sportswe and a little confused by this one. I mean at the end of the day are you looking for different models or different clothing?
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As far as the original question on the other post, I think he was looking for both. He specifically asked about yoga pants for men. You can buy yoga-specific clothing for women across the price spectrum AND see how it will look on heavier women, but men's yoga clothing is difficult to find. You also only see thinner, fitter men's models.
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For me when I wa heavier this would have appealed to me. Fun workout clothes in my size now appeals to me too. In my personal journey I have found that when I feel good about my appearance I am more likely to stick to my plan and put in the work. Fun cute workout clothes make me much more likely to workout daily. When I first started losing weight I actually started out with the commitment to do the things that made me feel good about myself everyday. This included doing my hair and make-up and wearing only clothes I felt good in. No more frumpy, no more just pulling the hair up and skipping my makeup to sleep in a few extra minutes. I found the more I took care of myself the more I wanted to.10
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For me when I wa heavier this would have appealed to me. Fun workout clothes in my size now appeals to me too. In my personal journey I have found that when I feel good about my appearance I am more likely to stick to my plan and put in the work. Fun cute workout clothes make me much more likely to workout daily. When I first started losing weight I actually started out with the commitment to do the things that made me feel good about myself everyday. This included doing my hair and make-up and wearing only clothes I felt good in. No more frumpy, no more just pulling the hair up and skipping my makeup to sleep in a few extra minutes. I found the more I took care of myself the more I wanted to.
I understand what you're saying, but I feel differently.
All the woman I see at my gym, all ages and sizes, wear gym outfits. That means leggings and tops that go with them. They also all do their hair and makeup and one wears oversized earrings.
I don't want to wear leggings. I'm not there to show off my body, which is a normal weight now. I wear inexpensive sweatpants, an ordinary looking shirt, and a light zip-up hoodie that I take off. It's also 15 degrees here outside and I go in warm clothes.
Just because I'm not wearing a more expensive or cute workout outfit doesn't mean I'm not taking care of myself. I end my workout covered with sweat and feel satisfied that I did something for my health. I also like to get in a mental zone where I'm not there to socialize, but to work and have personal peace doing it.
Again, because I'm not wearing cute clothes doesn't mean I'm not taking care of myself.9 -
Eh..we all have our motivators and they are all different. If it’s the workout clothes that gives you the boost, that’s great. If it’s something else, wonderful. Whatever cracks the nut, as they say.
Me, I’m lazy. Can’t be bothered to get to the gym. So I have a rowing erg in the basement. My workout wear consists of cheap yoga type short pants from Amazon, a hideous utilitarian nude colored not really a sports bra, and one of my husband’s undershirts. Oh yeah I rewear them so they stink. But I can put them on and get rowing as part of my morning routine and not even register that I’m doing it. So my motivation is habit and ease.
Back to the topic, I think if marketing and different choices becomes more important to men (as someone mentioned it is for the 20-somethings) then clothing companies and retail will respond accordingly, until then they won’t.5 -
For me when I wa heavier this would have appealed to me. Fun workout clothes in my size now appeals to me too. In my personal journey I have found that when I feel good about my appearance I am more likely to stick to my plan and put in the work. Fun cute workout clothes make me much more likely to workout daily. When I first started losing weight I actually started out with the commitment to do the things that made me feel good about myself everyday. This included doing my hair and make-up and wearing only clothes I felt good in. No more frumpy, no more just pulling the hair up and skipping my makeup to sleep in a few extra minutes. I found the more I took care of myself the more I wanted to.
I understand what you're saying, but I feel differently.
All the woman I see at my gym, all ages and sizes, wear gym outfits. That means leggings and tops that go with them. They also all do their hair and makeup and one wears oversized earrings.
I don't want to wear leggings. I'm not there to show off my body, which is a normal weight now. I wear inexpensive sweatpants, an ordinary looking shirt, and a light zip-up hoodie that I take off. It's also 15 degrees here outside and I go in warm clothes.
Just because I'm not wearing a more expensive or cute workout outfit doesn't mean I'm not taking care of myself. I end my workout covered with sweat and feel satisfied that I did something for my health. I also like to get in a mental zone where I'm not there to socialize, but to work and have personal peace doing it.
Again, because I'm not wearing cute clothes doesn't mean I'm not taking care of myself.
I should clarify, I would never say that someone who doesn’t choose to wear a specific type of work out clothes is not taking care of themselves. Everyone is different and I truly don’t care what other people at the gym are wearing. What I was trying to express is that for me it was a step in a series of taking better care of myself. I had gotten to a point where I no longer cared about me and I was not putting in effort to myself in anyway, pretty much In all areas of life. By identifying the things that made me feel good, and committing to them, it helped me re-learn how to take care of me. I was happier my family was happier. This was just one of those things for me. If I had been already doing that in other aspects of my life it might not have made such a difference for me.9 -
This thread has shifted substantially from the OP's question, but to address that, I think it's simply that many (if not most) guys, regardless of reality, can look at an ad full of typical male fitness models and tell themselves "yeah that's pretty much me" or "a few weeks in the gym and that's pretty much me," whereas females may have a less inflated sense of how they look. Seeing models who represent their actual body type in the ad probably has more of a benefit, whereas if a guy sees his actual body-type in the ad, he might think "these are workout clothes for fat guys.. and that's obviously not me!" even when it very well may be.15
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I don't think men care. Not like we do. Also... Men's clothes don't offer the same options as women's clothes. So it doesn't matter6
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extra_medium wrote: »This thread has shifted substantially from the OP's question, but to address that, I think it's simply that many (if not most) guys, regardless of reality, can look at an ad full of typical male fitness models and tell themselves "yeah that's pretty much me" or "a few weeks in the gym and that's pretty much me," whereas females may have a less inflated sense of how they look. Seeing models who represent their actual body type in the ad probably has more of a benefit, whereas if a guy sees his actual body-type in the ad, he might think "these are workout clothes for fat guys.. and that's obviously not me!" even when it very well may be.
I couldn't disagree more. I don't believe for a second that most men believe they more or less look like fitness models. I think that's actually a pretty insulting statement to make. You may be correct that women overall may be harder on themselves when it comes to their body image, but I don't believe that makes it true that men generally have an "inflated" sense of how they look or are out of touch with reality. I struggle with body image as much as anyone else, and definitely have areas I am looking to improve, but I also think its important to try to feel comfortable in my own skin. I think a lot of a woman's perspective may have to do with the body types you see glamorized every day on the cover of Cosmo, or a hundred other magazines, but that has nothing to do with how men perceive themselves.6 -
I don't think men care. Not like we do. Also... Men's clothes don't offer the same options as women's clothes. So it doesn't matter
What do you mean by men's clothes don't offer the same options? What type of men's (and women's) clothes and what type of options? I do think that some men care about this just as much as some women do, but I think that hegemonic masculinity tells men that being vulnerable in any way shape or form, including being unhappy about clothing options if you aren't traditionally attractive, is a form of being weak and that mean should not under any circumstances show any form of weakness.4 -
extra_medium wrote: »This thread has shifted substantially from the OP's question, but to address that, I think it's simply that many (if not most) guys, regardless of reality, can look at an ad full of typical male fitness models and tell themselves "yeah that's pretty much me" or "a few weeks in the gym and that's pretty much me," whereas females may have a less inflated sense of how they look. Seeing models who represent their actual body type in the ad probably has more of a benefit, whereas if a guy sees his actual body-type in the ad, he might think "these are workout clothes for fat guys.. and that's obviously not me!" even when it very well may be.
I couldn't disagree more. I don't believe for a second that most men believe they more or less look like fitness models. I think that's actually a pretty insulting statement to make. You may be correct that women overall may be harder on themselves when it comes to their body image, but I don't believe that makes it true that men generally have an "inflated" sense of how they look or are out of touch with reality. I struggle with body image as much as anyone else, and definitely have areas I am looking to improve, but I also think its important to try to feel comfortable in my own skin. I think a lot of a woman's perspective may have to do with the body types you see glamorized every day on the cover of Cosmo, or a hundred other magazines, but that has nothing to do with how men perceive themselves.
Yeah, the men in my life (who discuss such things with me) all seem to be realistic about what their bodies look like. And they're not immune to comparing themselves with men who are held up as "ideals" and feeling the same range of emotions that I know I am capable of in such situations.
I'm not saying there aren't men with an inflated sense of how they look, but the rise of eating disorders and other disordered body-related behaviors in young men is letting us clearly know that there isn't some male immunity to understanding that your body isn't fitness model perfect and feeling bad about it.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »extra_medium wrote: »This thread has shifted substantially from the OP's question, but to address that, I think it's simply that many (if not most) guys, regardless of reality, can look at an ad full of typical male fitness models and tell themselves "yeah that's pretty much me" or "a few weeks in the gym and that's pretty much me," whereas females may have a less inflated sense of how they look. Seeing models who represent their actual body type in the ad probably has more of a benefit, whereas if a guy sees his actual body-type in the ad, he might think "these are workout clothes for fat guys.. and that's obviously not me!" even when it very well may be.
I couldn't disagree more. I don't believe for a second that most men believe they more or less look like fitness models. I think that's actually a pretty insulting statement to make. You may be correct that women overall may be harder on themselves when it comes to their body image, but I don't believe that makes it true that men generally have an "inflated" sense of how they look or are out of touch with reality. I struggle with body image as much as anyone else, and definitely have areas I am looking to improve, but I also think its important to try to feel comfortable in my own skin. I think a lot of a woman's perspective may have to do with the body types you see glamorized every day on the cover of Cosmo, or a hundred other magazines, but that has nothing to do with how men perceive themselves.
Yeah, the men in my life (who discuss such things with me) all seem to be realistic about what their bodies look like. And they're not immune to comparing themselves with men who are held up as "ideals" and feeling the same range of emotions that I know I am capable of in such situations.
I'm not saying there aren't men with an inflated sense of how they look, but the rise of eating disorders and other disordered body-related behaviors in young men is letting us clearly know that there isn't some male immunity to understanding that your body isn't fitness model perfect and feeling bad about it.
You make a good point, as does @aokoye when stating that men typically are not encouraged to be outwardly vulnerable about the topic. There are definitely areas I would like to improve, but I wouldn't ever really feel compelled to have a conversation with anyone about it(outside of this forum of course).4 -
My n=1 on how men view how they look goes as follows.
I have a more healthy view of how I look now compared to when I was 17. I look back on photos of me when I was 17 and ask how I could have thought I was not attractive.
Probably good in the long term as I may have turned out differently had I realized how attractive I was. I may have been even MORE of a jerk than I am
As I got older, and fatter, I was able to lie/fool myself into believing that I wasn't fat.
It would be interesting to see how accurate people, in general, view themselves vs how others view them with respect to attractiveness.1
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