Even the most clueless observer will have noted a disturbing new trend emerging among the male of the species these days: the deep V-neck T-shirt. We're not talking about the ratty white Hanes with the yellow-stained armpits that your dad used to wear while cleaning the garage. No, this is a far more insidious epidemic, recognizable by its long, deep V, supple fabric, and retro color schemes. But why is it happening? And what does it say about us?

As with many dubious fashion choices (see: leggings as pants), much of the blame can be placed on American Apparel. The phalanx of twentysomething professional men who are exchanging their uniform of striped, untucked dress shirts for plunging necklines take their cues from Dov Charney's magic factory. Sure, these dudes may need to throw another $40 at the bouncer to get that "strict" dress code policy waived, but it's a small price to pay for how much hotter they'll look dribbling $20 margs on their exposed, baby-soft chests.

"I see them on the street and I am almost sick of it," says Mathew W. Swenson, fashion media and public relations director for American Apparel. "We had this track jacket when we first started getting big that ended up all over the streets," he says. "If I got a dollar for every time I saw a track jacket, I'd be able to retire. The deep V has kind of blown up further."

Swenson says the shirt is currently the company's best seller.

"That is definitely the prevalent look right now," says Mike Polk, a writer/comedian whose popular essay was the driving force behind Look at My Striped Shirt!: Confessions of the People You Love to Hate, a compilation of "first-person satirical pieces" poking fun at stereotypical real-world characters.

Don't want to believe it? At American Apparel alone there are 12 different types of deep V-necks. At Urban Outfitters, there are eight different options for guys, including the "Super V," which boasts a 27-inch neckline from shoulder to hem. A 27-inch neckline.

According to Mark-Evan Blackman, chairman of the menswear design department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, the renaissance of the deep V-neck T-shirt is directly tied to the popularity of the basic white tee, which he says came into its own over the past five to seven years.

"It became a nice, really inexpensive, good-looking item that would always look fresh in the summer," says Blackman. "[The white tee] was embraced by lots and lots of people. We saw it being worn on everyone from Compton to Westport, Connecticut."

Blackman says that, like any good fashion trend, as soon as the basic white tee became too ubiquitous, people set out to redefine it. Thus, the rise of the V-neck.

No matter who the wearer, his deep V makes a statement. "In short order, the statement is, 'I'm a little cooler, I'm a little more fashion-forward, I am a little more fashion-conscious, because I'm not wearing a regular scoop-neck T-shirt anymore. I am now wearing a V-neck. I've taken the next step,'" says Blackman.

Donning a deep V-neck T-shirt to a summer party may scream "sexy and confident" to the fashion elite, but to others it simply bellows, "Look at me and my chest hair!"As for the guys ditching their striped dress shirts, Blackman thinks it shows a greater level of comfort and confidence.

"The striped, untucked dress shirt is saying, 'This is part of my work wardrobe,' meaning, 'I'm a professional.' So, it's really holding onto that leash that links them to how they define themselves.

"The V-neck is not made of oxford cloth, it's not from Paul Stuart or from Brooks Brothers or Joseph Banks. It's a more casual garment to begin with. The V-neck is showing that they're a little more secure about themselves than the guy who chooses to wear that dress shirt," Blackman says.

Swenson sees another explanation: Our culture is moving toward a more unisex fashion. "I can't even tell who's gay or straight anymore," he says. "The way straight men dress, especially in L.A. and New York, the lines are kind of blurred, and straight men are becoming more stylish, and a little sexier, I guess."

Donning a deep V-neck T-shirt to a summer party may scream "sexy and confident" to the fashion elite, but to others it simply bellows, "Look at me and my chest hair!" Those too young to remember the '70s should be reminded: This is not a good thing.

On Kempt, a blog dedicated to the "interesting, scandalous, useful, and cutting edge in the world of men's style, fashion, and grooming," the deep V-neck is lambasted as a "misguided ode to the dude sternum."

In fact, the in-your-face plunging necklines that are making their way around the U.S. have spawned a new term: the "aggressive V." Where showing cleavage and having a nice clavicle looks great on a woman, on a guy it's apparently not as hot.

"[The shirts] definitely have a sense of purpose," jokes Polk.

Polk says the trend has yet to make waves in smaller towns like Cleveland (where he lives), but suggests that has more to do with the five-year trickle-down period that exists between the time fashion in L.A., New York, and Chicago begin to show up in middle America.

"It's like when you send a radio signal out in space. Some aliens might hear it 10 million years from now. It works on the same principle," says Polk.

Despite its slow adoption in smaller metropolitan areas, the look has spawned a cottage industry of haters around the country. On Facebook, seven groups have been formed proclaiming that men should not wear V-neck T-shirts.

"I think these shirts are a bother themselves," says Michael Migas, creator of the group "Guys Should Not Wear Deep V-neck Shirts." "It's just odd-looking to see such a low-cut shirt on a man. It's even worse when it's a hairy guy."

Migas says he's happy to stand by the wayside as the trend comes and goes, dressed in his standard outfit of "Levi's, a crewneck shirt, and baseball cap."

"I think as recently as 15 years ago, the standard was if a guy made a lot of money he was successful, period. That's not the case anymore. Now guys are being held to the same standards that women have been held to forever. Women are now demanding that guys look a certain way."Still, hordes of men of all backgrounds continue to buy deep Vs by the dozen. Gee Law, a 24-year-old finance administrator for a charity in London, is the creator of a pro V-neck Facebook group named "American Apparel Deep V-neck Appreciation Society," which he formed to "celebrate the greatness of the 6456," the product number for American Apparel's Sheer Jersey Short-Sleeve Deep V-Neck.

Law admits the shirt isn't popular with everyone, but says he doesn't think the cut is particularly feminine, nor does he consider the deep V a bold fashion statement. He says it's simply "a really awesome T-shirt."

"I've received some nice compliments while wearing the T-shirt," he writes, "and on one occasion even been asked out!"

Blackman says the growing popularity of the V-neck is part of a larger trend where guys need to pay more attention to their clothing if they want to stand out from the pack.

"I think the standards are really changing exponentially. I think as recently as 15 years ago, the standard was if a guy made a lot of money, he was successful, period. That's not the case anymore. Now guys are being held to the same standards that women have been held to forever. Women are now demanding that guys look a certain way, and the attention to one's appearance is important."

Swenson points out that where sporting a bad fashion silhouette once marked you as the popular guy—"If you dressed badly that meant you were kind of the hot guy"—today, men, especially the straight ones, are showing off their bodies and their fashion savvy.

So, at least for a little while longer, the question isn't crewneck versus V-neck, it's V-neck versus aggressive V-neck. Just be careful how low you go. "It's getting pretty close to being a vest as it is," Polk points out. "It's, like, another three inches and that's a vest, motherfucker."

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