‘Man cleavage’ back in style
Younger generation embracing hairy chests and bold jewelry
When Keira Knightley’s husband James Righton was photographed with her at the Paris Opera Ballet Gala, it confirmed long-standing fears about the ever-turning wheel of fashion.
Yes, the medallion is back. The man jewelry and chest hair combo, so beloved by the likes of Tom Jones and Tom Selleck, now seems to have been taken up with enthusiasm by a younger generation.
Righton, the former member of the U.K. indie rockers Klaxons who was once more likely to be seen clad in skinny jeans and a blue lamé shirt, is the latest to undo one button too many and reveal a glint of jewelry overlaying a hirsute chest.
Fashion writers say the return of the medallion and open-necked shirt follows renewed focus on the natural and authentic rather than polished, over-affected style. Among its practitioners is Harry Styles, seen recently in an open shirt with dangling crucifix necklace, and Kanye West — both poster men for a look that Vogue.com has pegged as the return of man cleavage. On Instagram, Chris Millington, a Scottish model, has built up a 500,000-strong following based on his bearded, rugged, hirsute look which falls somewhere between Brokeback Mountain and David Beckham. There is also Christian Williams — with 140,000 followers — who regularly posts pictures of his bare chest. Robbie Williams can also often be seen showing off his fuzzy front-rug and glistening necklaces.
“I get it’s not for everyone, but there’s something nostalgic and sexually confident that I love about a hairy chest on display, with optional medallion for bonus points,” says Luke Day, editor of GQ Style. “That louche, sleazy look is actually very fashionable again and it’s non-ironic. We just need the manscaped, hairless ones to catch on.” But in an era when masculinity is being intently analyzed, it’s perhaps no surprise that men are going back to caveman basics. “The re-emergence of medallion man — that snake-hipped Tom Jones tribute act with his medallion necklaces nestling on a fulsome rug of chest hair — comes at a time when ’70s sensuality is the mainstay in men’s style,” said Stephen Doig, the London Daily Telegraph’s men’s style editor.