Filling Out the Future

In the near future, dresses will become as common in a man’s closet as trousers are today. Once that happens, men will face a question that generations of women have already confronted: What do you do when the dress fits everywhere except in the bust?

Today, a man wearing a dress usually has several choices. He can select a style that flatters a relatively flat chest, ask a tailor to alter the garment, or create curves with a padded bra or breast forms. In a future in which most men routinely wear womenswear, there will undoubtedly be many more options.

Fashion designers will produce dresses specifically proportioned for male bodies. Lingerie companies will sell bras and shapewear designed for men. Department stores may have entire foundations departments where a gentleman can choose anything from a subtle suggestion of cleavage to a figure capable of filling out the most demanding wrap dress.

But will some men decide that removable curves are not enough?

Probably.

Once feminine fashion becomes mainstream for males, breast augmentation may no longer be associated primarily with women or gender transition. It could become another form of male cosmetic surgery—something chosen to improve one’s proportions, appearance and wardrobe.

A man might not think of himself as becoming a woman. He may simply want his favorite dresses to hang correctly. A modest augmentation could give him a more balanced silhouette, keep darts from collapsing and eliminate the daily fuss of positioning breast forms. Instead of saying, “I want breasts,” he might tell his surgeon, “I would like to fill out a size 14 without alterations.”

Naturally, fashion would influence the desired results. A professional man who wears tailored skirt suits to the office might choose a conservative figure. A younger man who favors clingy cocktail dresses could want something more noticeable. As styles change, so might the fashionable male bust—small and understated during one decade, fuller and more dramatic during the next.

Popular culture would accelerate the trend. The first male movie star to appear on the red carpet in a plunging gown with convincing cleavage would inspire imitation. Fashion magazines would publish features explaining which neckline works best with which implant profile. Before-and-after photographs would appear beside advertisements promising a “more feminine fit without sacrificing your masculine identity.”

Of course, surgery would never appeal to every man. Many would prefer the flexibility of breast forms: curves for an evening gown, a flatter profile for exercise and no permanent physical change. Others would reject the idea that a dress requires breasts at all. Designers would respond with beautiful garments cut expressly for flat-chested men, just as women’s clothing already accommodates many different figures.

Cost, recovery time and medical risks would also discourage casual augmentation. No sensible person should undergo surgery merely because an off-the-rack dress pulls awkwardly across the bodice. A good tailor is less expensive than a surgeon—and usually does not require anesthesia.

Still, as men become more comfortable wearing feminine clothing, some will inevitably become more comfortable adopting feminine curves. What initially seems radical could gradually become ordinary. The procedure might begin with performers, models and dedicated fashion followers before spreading to businessmen, suburban husbands and young men preparing for their first formal dance.

One day, a wife may accompany her husband to a consultation and help him choose a tasteful size. Mothers might advise their sons not to go too large. Clothing saleswomen may ask male customers whether their measurements are natural, augmented or adjustable—not from curiosity, but because it helps them find the right dress.

And husbands may finally understand why the correct bra can make or break an outfit.

Will breast augmentation become popular among men? If dresses become everyday male attire, almost certainly more popular than it is now. But it will remain one choice among many. Some men will develop curves, some will purchase them and others will proudly wear dresses exactly as nature made them.

The future of fashion will not require every man to have breasts. It will simply give him the option—and a much better selection of dresses.

Wearing Venus

James Hayter, Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat femulating in the 1952 film The Crimson Pirate.