On Men Having No Taste

My fiancee spends a fair bit of time asking me the same set of questions: What should I wear? Does this go? Which do you like better? So when I heard recently that only 4% of women trust the opinions of the men in their lives regarding what to wear, well frankly, I was shocked.

Since my information source on this fact is a call in radio contest titled 'Battle of the Sexes', please understand that I will not stand by the number under scrutiny. But there it is - 4%. And a quick survey seemed to confirm it. I would understand if it were the question - "Do I look fat in this?" Self-interest is a very powerful motivator and no one should be trusted to counsel you against their own self-interest. But what to wear, what looks good? Who could possibly be a better judge? Or at least a more relevant judge?

"Don't be crazy," I was told, "women dress for women." "Men have no taste."

Whereas women, left to their own devices, will demonstrate all sorts of tastes. I have to believe that straight women do themselves a great disservice in dressing for each other. (Especially those who complain that their partners doesn't show enough interest.) What better evidence do I need to highlight the follies of women dressing for women than pedal pushers - pants designed to make all women look short and frumpy. Men have a simple name for them - floods.

I suppose the 'men have no taste' comment would be easier to swallow if men didn't dominate the fashion industry. Women will let famous men con them into wearing the craziest god awful outfits - thank you Fashion File. But let us assume that the "men have no taste" rings true. Doesn't that really mean you are just spinning your wheels when you dye your hair three colours and spend an hour blow drying it straight or curly (whichever it wasn't). If we don't notice, why do you bother?

Don't you think that maybe you might just want to find out what we do like? I caution: be prepared for an appalling lack of vocabulary. We may not know if you've had your hair layered or frosted. We may just call it a shirt, when clearly it is more of a top. But like art and wine, we don't know much, but we know what we like.

So try asking new questions, like, if we have favourites. You might be surprised. But if we say, "These jeans and this t-shirt." Don't just think we don't have any taste. It is our taste. Anyway, you probably look pretty damn good in that outfit.