Mysterious 'Menswear Guy' Promoted By Twitter's Algorithm, Baffling Many

A certain fashion-oriented gentleman has curiously started appearing so often on the Twitter feeds of so many different people that an outcry has emerged on the platform this week as to what the heck is going on with the seemingly arbitrary account.

Online, most of us have observed the oddity of when an algorithm misses the mark and serves a post that seems random, gross or unlikely to interest us, but the Twitter algorithm's mysterious promotion of the now-infamous "menswear guy" is on a whole new level for many.

omg I thought I was losing my mind

— Sebastian Modak (@sebmodak) January 25, 2023

The powerful have been ripped from their decadent nests, and cast out into the cold world that we know and endure. The menswear guy is in charge now. https://t.co/MNoJVIhdKQ

— Tom Gara (@tomgara) January 25, 2023

three days ago my four you feed was all the menswear guy, now it's all tweets from people i don't follow about how their for you feed is all the menswear guy

— Andy Cush (@cushac) January 25, 2023

I find the case of Menswear Guy pretty novel. It's rare to have a Main Character forced upon you by the algorithm. It's usually a million quote tweets dunking on someone for claiming that feeding a little bit of chocolate to their dog every day is helping it build immunity. https://t.co/YERYSCfpSR

— The Elegant Boy (@cameronreed) January 26, 2023

Some seem to hate menswear guy, while others seem to love him. Then, there's a whole group of people who are deeply disappointed to see no "menswear guy" posts at all on their feeds, wondering why the algorithm has chosen to leave them out of this latest twist in the simulation.

Over the last two days, droves of Twitter users have tweeted their reactions to the bizarre phenomenon — whether they've been personally graced with the presence of menswear guy or not.

the menswear fit guy is right about many things but if i would rather die than wear any article of clothing he has ever posted

— Jackbooted Thot (@jackbootedthot) January 25, 2023

menswear guy is good as he knows a lot about how clothes are made and most people on here myself included don’t know a lot about anything

— Sunk Cost Pharisee MD PhD (@Liamjsm) January 26, 2023

The algorithm has completely kept menswear posts from me. I have yet to see a single one from the guy everyone is complaining about

— DEI coordinator for sinaloa cartel (@Forever_Wario) January 26, 2023

So, just who exactly is this mystery menswear guy?

Twitter's "menswear guy" is actually fashion writer Derek Guy, whose handle on Twitter is @dieworkwear. He typically posts pictures of good clothes and nice outfits, reporting on the world of men's fashion and tailoring. Amid his recent virality, he is aware of his sudden fame and appears to be taking it all in stride.

everyone is talking about the menswear guy showing up in "For You" cause of the algo. just know next time you need A GUY to show up FOR YOU, ALGO pic.twitter.com/XJzgVEtfI9

— derek guy (@dieworkwear) January 26, 2023

i was just talking to my therapist on Monday about how i think a lot of people hate me, and she said "can you name these specific people?" i said "well, no" but in two weeks, i will pull up the twitter search for "menswear dude."

— derek guy (@dieworkwear) January 26, 2023

me thinking about how i like to talk about nice little outfits but now ppl are annoyed bc of the algo pic.twitter.com/80Izsy2QrD

— derek guy (@dieworkwear) January 25, 2023

Many of those who found themselves flooded with Derek Guy's posts have developed something of a parasocial relationship with him, speculating about his motives and his life.

A writer for GQ magazine, Gabriella Paiella, interviewed "menswear guy" earlier today and provided fodder for more viral discussion about the man and his life. According to the article, an important piece of "menswear guy" lore is that he has a long-running feud with Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports.

menswear guy if you’re reading this i want to be your friend

— thot choc (@shreyabasu003) January 26, 2023

the menswear account guy is harmless and actually quite entertaining/informative. just because he's on the algorithm conveyor belt doesn't mean you have to throw a tomato

— Ashwin Rodrigues (@shwinyo) January 26, 2023

Good morning, I talked to … Menswear Guy! https://t.co/UFXC7cAlcr

— Gabriella Paiella (@GMPaiella) January 26, 2023

Some have also wondered whether the algorithm's promotion of menswear guy is a sign of Twitter's potential decline in the Elon Musk era. With a much-decreased staff and rumors of constant chaos, many have predicted the site will see increasing amounts of bugs and errors, perhaps explaining why this oddity took place (though no confirmed explanation is known).

Regardless of whether people like menswear guy or not, the news about him fits into a broader pattern in recent years: The general public is becoming more aware of algorithms and the work they do to distribute and filter the information we receive.

It's also becoming clear that the online content marketplace might not be a pure meritocracy. Recent reporting suggests that TikTok has a "secret button" it can press to make posts "heat up" by serving them to many accounts simultaneously. This often results in videos going viral, and TikToks which have benefited from the button reportedly account for up to 2 percent of all views on the platform every day.

It's possible (although mere speculation) that Twitter has a similar button, and it was pressed for "menswear guy."