A Coast-born brand is facing backlash after posting an image of a man in ‘womenswear’. But if women wear trousers, why can’t men wear pink?
There are calls to boycott Gold Coast-born high-end clothing label Kivari after it uploaded a social media post this week featuring a popular pink pantsuit.
The problem? The model was male.
Look, I’ve sadly grown accustomed to seeing online battles blazing when it comes to the latest clash of the culture wars, both here and overseas, but this just seems ridiculous.
How could one man in one pink suit cause so much clutching of the pearls?
“Just like Seafolly, Budweiser and Target that tries to push radical and dangerous gender ideology on to the populations, but worse on to the kids, let’s see how that goes for you. Ladies, it’s our turn now to stand up to this stuff. No more purchases from Kivari,” said one commenter.
“Kivari, my advice is to stay in your lane, ie selling women’s clothing to real women and girls, not pushing some woke and dangerous ideology on to the masses that do not want it,” said another.
And my favourite:
Tim Slotta of @jimsandkittys models the Kivari pink boilersuit Picture: supplied
“Kivari, your (sic) globalist owned and pushing this agenda.”
Globalist owned? Kivari was created by a former Gold Coast radiographer who started selling her wares at The Village Markets … geez, little did we know the new world order would be launched from the sporting fields of Burleigh State School.
However, it is true that the label is popular around the globe, and is even stocked at NYC heavyweight Saks Fifth Avenue.
But just what is it about a man wearing pink that is so triggering?
For crying out loud, he’s not even in a dress. In fact, the irony here is that the technical term for this trending look is a ‘boilersuit’, once considered traditional workwear for a man. Now, of course, it’s unisex … unless it’s pink, I guess.
All of this hullabaloo seems somewhat reminiscent of that quaint controversy when women first wanted to wear trousers. There were protests, arrests and plenty of public panic well into the 20th century as females fought for their right to wear what they wanted.
And now, sure enough, we’re seeing calls for men to be arrested for daring to wear literally anything but trousers.
Take conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, (please):
Kiarra from Azalea Models, shot on location at The Laurels Manor, Mylor, South Australia. Kivari Arabella white blouse. Picture: Ekaterina Shopova Bell
“Men wearing traditional female clothing in public … I think that there is a case that local communities should be able to stop that.
“Should wearing dresses and skirts be illegal for men in public? I mean, we have local laws about being naked or indecent exposure …”
Who cares what anyone wants to wear? It’s their body and their choice. No one is forcing any other man to wear pink, a boilersuit, or (gasp) a pink boilersuit.
Honestly, I feel bad that the vast majority of men will never know the glory that is wearing a dress … the comfort of being free from restrictive waistbands and letting your legs breathe.
So good for Tim Slotta, the man in Kivari pink, for rocking this fierce look.
Meanwhile, the Kivari website features plenty of images of women in this boilersuit, so any gender can make up their mind about whether this look is for them – or maybe their partner.
Kivari owner Kiki Keysers says she would love to see her old hometown embrace a little more diversity in its own dress, and she’ll support anyone who wants to wear her label.
“We did not expect this reaction, but we absolutely stand by our post,” says Kiki, who recently opened Kivari’s newest boutique in James Street, Burleigh.
“Here at Kivari, we encourage inclusivity and self-expression. Social media is a platform for celebration and positivity. We support anyone wearing our pieces and finding joy within fashion.”
The truth is that kindness is always in style … anything else is below the belt.
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