Unisex is a good thing, no? I personally rejoice at the sight of uni public toilets, because it means I won't have to wait in line while guys get to waltz in, do their thing, and waltz out again. Now that unisex is transferring to fashion, this could be a wonderful thing, or it could be disastrous, depending on whose shorts you're wearing.
In the UK, women are buying out the men's undies section at Marks & Spencer. Not necessarily for their brothers, boyfriends, husbands, or sons, but quite possibly for their personal, comfy consumption.
An estimated half of men's underwear sales are by women. And even if the ladies aren't wearing their man's briefs, they are certainly snapping up M&S's lingerie line by David Gandy, which consists of fancy-looking boxers that can be safely worn by either sex. As a former ex-pat, I confess a deep and unwavering love of M&S's underwear section. I still beg for travellers to send me back their boy shorts, which are then worn until the greying, fraying point.
And M&S isn't the only one who has caught on to the fact that many women are over thongs and want to opt for comfort, at least when it comes to loungewear and sleepwear.
Calvin Klein caught wind, and apparently reissued a style from the early '90s under the hashtag #mycalvins. People are clearly emotionally attached to their undies. American Apparel have been selling their Y-fronts to the masses, while the Swedish retailer, Acne, also sells “gender-neutral” underwear "for real kids and not models.” In other words, many women want undies that don't leave half of their butt cheeks hanging out.
Of course, for dudes the idea of her prancing around in your Y-fronts may not hold quite the same sex appeal as her sauntering around your apartment in, say, nothing but your rumpled white work shirt.
On this subject my husband and I are forever at an impasse. I lay down the gauntlet, challenging anyone to show me undies that are at once incredibly sexy and incredibly comfortable. (And no, I don't mean the frilly French ones, either. They may offer more coverage, but all that frou-frou isn't comfortable.) The closest I've seen are made by Calvin, and even they fall somewhat short of Bridget Jones's enormous granny "knickers."
You tell me: ever coveted your man's undies?
Another fall fashion trend that will see you raiding your man's closet.
So Apple's CEO Tim Cook has come out and, predictably, every time someone prominent or famous comes out as gay, it's a big deal. Or it's supposed to come as some kind of shock. This begs the question... Why does anyone give a flying truck if Tim Cook, or anyone else for that matter, is gay.
That's like me shouting out that I'm straight. It's not a given, but it's not entirely relevant, either. Gay rights have come a long way. I know things aren't perfect, is the point moot?
What he shouldn't have to do is broadcast his sexual orientation to the masses, because it's no one's business. At least it shouldn't be. The fact that he feels the need to declare his sexual position in an essay published in Businessweek tells me that maybe as a society we are not evolved as we like to think we are.
"I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," Cook wrote in the article. "Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me."
Fair play to him, and fair play to Apple's many employees, who probably couldn't care less which way he swings. His sexual preference doesn't detract from—or add to—his role within the company.
Good luck to you, Mr. Cook. Now go back to doing what you do best.
Many parents like to round out the family with both daughters and sons. After a few rounds, though, most people eventually concede that it's not meant to be. A couple from Michigan is not giving up that easily—after conceiving 12 boys, Jay and Kateri Schwandt and their sons are crossing their multitudinous fingers and toes that lucky 13 will be a baby girl.
"If we were to have a girl, I think we would go into shock," said Kateri Schwandt, who welcomed her 12th son in 2013. "It would probably be disbelief."
Though the Schwandts would love to welcome a girl into the fold, fortunately they aren't too hung up on the baby's sex, provided he—or she—is born healthy.
It's hard to imagine what injecting a little girl into a home with that much testosterone would feel like. It goes without saying that mom would appreciate another female around, yet even she claims that there is a certain comfort in sticking with what she knows.
"A little girl would be neat to have in the house, but a little boy kind of takes the pressure off," Kateri said. "We know what we are doing. Why change things up?"
You won't be surprised to hear that the Schwandts are devout Roman Catholics, hence the lack of birth control. While I agree with her that being pregnant is a "special" experience, I cannot even fathom being pregnant for half of my life (not to mention labouring a dozen times)!
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