Suitstudio’s Not Dressing Men – Empowering or Sexist?

Suit Supply’s Not Dressing Men intended to market a line of menswear-inspired garments aimed at women has sparked off the Objectification Debate.

“Little Sister” of the controversial Suit Supply, is making constant rounds on social media for a rather racy campaign. Suit Supply’s Not Dressing Men intended to market a line of menswear-inspired garments aimed at women has sparked off the Objectification Debate.

For the unacquainted, Suitstudio created valiant creatives featuring women sharply dressed in power suits straddling around with naked men in the frame. While the campaign was aimed at “telling her story”, it has attracted tremendous flak for objectifying men in the campaign.

Social media is divided with opinions as users debate whether the brand is making a point about objectification of women with role reversal or is just starting a new objectification trend of men.

The brand however, has a rather different tale to narrate. According to a report by PR News Wire, Kristina Barricelli, VP, Suitstudio, USA opined that all the campaign is doing is narrating her interesting story.

“Labeling her as flipping a gender puts too much emphasis on flawed impositions that have been put on the sexes for far too long. She is powerful, confident, and proud of herself. She also has a naked man in her apartment,” Barricelli opined.

Not Dressing Men in her opinion is a part of the “racy genes” suit studio has acquired from its big brother, Suit Supply. The latter was in a similar position in 2016 for their Toy Boy campaign. Featuring suit clad toy sized men on scantily dressed women.

Yo @suitsupply is there anyone at your office that sees women as more than sex objects? Your ads are always trash. pic.twitter.com/e9W1Su6ofi

— Ikiré Jones (@IkireJones) February 24, 2016

As social media called the brand out for being sexist towards women, the brand defended itself with - “The men in our toy boy campaign are depicted as play dolls for the women, we don’t see the men having the upper hand here”.

Empowering or sexist? It is very difficult to say. Had the brand created this spot with the intention of driving home a message, it would explain the idea behind the naked men in the campaign to a certain extent. However, the brand just seems to be having fun in these creatives at the cost of objectification, which in our foresight impaired society is a huge risk.