Man-Capris and French men: We expect more from you, Jean Pierre!

Given the countless magazine covers touting the latest styles from Paris, the utter deference we give the French when it comes to fashion, and the general inferiority we feel to their claim on style, it is with a tad bit of glee that I write today about an increasingly pervasive French trend that, in my humble opinion, makes grown men look totally absurd. That trend is Man-Capris.

This may not be new, and it may be something that not everyone finds so silly looking. I do know, however, that I'm not alone in finding this particular fashion so objectionable that it puts in peril the reputation French men have for style and sexiness. How can they defend a look that makes a man look like he's mugged a child for his cargo pants? How can they take themselves seriously when they wander around looking like they're taking their fashion cues from the Incredible Hulk and Huck Finn?

I realize that this trend is not unique to France. Indeed it has taken over much of Europe, and has even been sighted here in the States. The difference is that in the rest of the world, it's just an ugly trend. In France, however, it flies in the face of what we know and love about our Froggy friends.