STYLE : LOOKS : Man of the Moment

As the shape of men’s tailored clothing changes (the look is now leaner, with less emphasis on the shoulders and chest), so do the models who wear the new fashions on runways and in ads. For the past few years, designers have sought male models with pumped-up lats, pecs and biceps to fill their loose, unstructured clothes. Now that suits have smaller armholes, narrower shoulders and higher buttons, designers want models with more compact, more natural frames. Sorry, gym fans, the sinewy, long-distance-runner body has become more stylish than the bulky weightlifter profile.

Which brings us to ponder: What is masculinity? Is Sylvester Stallone more manly than Daniel Day-Lewis? How about Billy Ray Cyrus versus Sting? Our concepts of male beauty, masculinity and the ideal physique will change again, but, hey, a man is more than the sum of his parts.