Well, The New York Times Style Magazine offered its “Men’s Fashion Spring 2008” issue on Sunday. The emphasis was on hard-edged masculinity, a trend to be expected now that troubled times and belt tightening are in order. Although the occasional pale pink shirt could be found in an ad here and there… The emphasis was on hard-edged masculinity, a trend to be expected now that troubled times and belt tightening are in order. Although the occasional pale pink shirt could be found in an ad here and there… 

Here’s a rather appropriate quote I found in my research papers for “A Rakish History of Men’s Wear,” from an old-time academic, Friedrich Vischer (1807-1887), writing an essay entitled “Fashion and Cynicism” in 1879:

“We cannot escape fashion once it has assumed the place of traditional dress. As we just said, fashion represents through and through the keenly roused spirit of modern culture, including, to be sure, all its bad habits, but fashion represents spirit.”