{"id":446202,"date":"2026-07-25T23:22:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T21:22:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/?p=446202"},"modified":"2026-07-25T23:28:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T21:28:18","slug":"homme-bouscule-cliches-masculinite-grace-creations-crochet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/man-challenges-cliches-of-masculinity-through-crochet-creations-446202","title":{"rendered":"This man is challenging stereotypes about masculinity with his crochet creations."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the collective imagination, men occupy their free time with DIY tools, massive dumbbells, or the TV remote. However, not all of them fill their days off with mechanical activities or Cro-Magnon-like pastimes. Content creator Isaiah Moses (@zaeecrafts), on the other hand, uses his hands not to punch a bag or change his car&#39;s brake pads. Iconic and colorful crocheted creations emerge from his fingers.<\/p>\n<h2> Crocheting, more than a hobby, an art<\/h2>\n<p> Long seen crinkled in the hands of grandmothers or resting on their flowery laps, crochet has become a mainstream craft. It&#39;s no longer just a pastime for seniors, meant to fill their retirement and be used to create custom-made clothes for their offspring. It&#39;s a universal practice, even a highly contagious creative virus. Train passengers, office workers, and students in baggy jeans are all taking up this hobby, prominently featured online.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the spool of thread has taken root in every palm, even those bearing blisters from years of working with cast iron. Content creator Isaiah Moses (@zaeecrafts), whose social media presence eloquently showcases his talent, speaks the language of sewing fluently. When his hands aren&#39;t gripping a pull-up bar or gripping the rough surface of dumbbells, he&#39;s busy with his knitting, creating a series of textile masterpieces.<\/p>\n<p>And he&#39;s far from a beginner. He&#39;s a virtuoso of the crochet hook. Because no, you should never judge a book by its cover. While at first glance, Isaiah Moses may seem to excel only in weightlifting, behind this mountain of muscle lies a fertile mind and a tender heart. This man with the steely physique and impassive face is the author of pieces that seem straight out of a Lewis Carroll tale or the Winx Club&#39;s locker room. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@isaiahmosesart\/video\/7643528099858107679\" data-video-id=\"7643528099858107679\">\n<section> <a title=\"@isaiahmosesart\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@isaiahmosesart?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@isaiahmosesart<\/a> Opening them is the most satisfying part <a title=\"\u266c original sound - siennaliveontour\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7633513570231208705?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c original sound - siennaliveontour<\/a><\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2> Adding a little magic to everyday life<\/h2>\n<p> This young designer, destined for a bright future, has a real gift for reinventing fashion basics. A simple umbrella becomes a mushroom worthy of the Mario universe, while a hoodie transforms into an adorable kawaii costume or a rainforest. He even went to the gym wearing a trompe-l&#39;\u0153il balaclava in the shape of a sunflower. He also sewed a custom-made outfit with psychedelic patterns to stand out from the crowd of mouse-grey joggers and neutral-colored sweatshirts. His childlike spirit shines through in every stitch.<\/p>\n<p>These images, which certainly resemble scenes of horror for those whose sole authority is the patriarchy, are more than just a visual spectacle. They show a man who uses his sensitivity as fuel, not his testosterone. While masculinists claim &quot; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/societe\/derive-looksmaxxing-hommes-se-frappent-visage-pour-etre-beaux-411916\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">looksmaxxing<\/a> &quot; as a credo of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/societe\/risque-hommes-prennent-paraitre-plus-virils-405194\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">virility<\/a> , this prodigy prefers the slogan &quot;whimsymaxxing,&quot; which clearly means &quot;optimizing fantasy.&quot; <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@isaiahmosesart\/video\/7581996890590367007\" data-video-id=\"7581996890590367007\">\n<section> <a title=\"@isaiahmosesart\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@isaiahmosesart?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@isaiahmosesart<\/a> <a title=\"\u266c original sound - yumeuria\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7531162107558284088?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c original sound - yumeuria<\/a><\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2> Weaving a new model of masculinity<\/h2>\n<p> With his crochet creations, Isaiah Moses doesn&#39;t seek to oppose strength and delicacy, muscle and imagination. On the contrary, he reminds us that they can perfectly coexist. His large biceps don&#39;t prevent him from wielding a needle with precision, just as his passion for bodybuilding doesn&#39;t diminish his taste for colors, playful shapes, and fantastical worlds.<\/p>\n<p>Through each stitch, he ultimately sketches another definition of masculinity: a multifaceted masculinity, capable of lifting heavy loads while simultaneously crafting objects imbued with gentleness. Far from the boxes some would confine men to, he proves that a powerful body can house great sensitivity and that a hand accustomed to weights can also give life to creations full of poetry.<\/p>\n<p>Isaiah Moses (@zaeecrafts) is weaving much more than just thread: he&#39;s helping to build a new model where physical strength and gentle creativity don&#39;t cancel each other out, but rather reinforce one another. He&#39;s working to mend a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/feminisme\/toxic-masculinity-feminist-response-emerges-on-social-media-433020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">masculinity damaged<\/a> by years of stereotypes and the pressure to be ferocious.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the collective imagination, men occupy their free time with DIY tools, massive dumbbells, or the TV remote....","protected":false},"author":8340,"featured_media":446425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5678],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-446202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-societe"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/crochet-homme-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/crochet-homme-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/crochet-homme.jpg","author":{"name":"\u00c9milie Laurent","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-2f5d8c00d5d5c27f8ce4d9b3f9015467-96x96.png"},"categories":[{"term_id":5678,"name":"Society","slug":"societe","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5846,"taxonomy":"category","description":"<p>The Society section of The Body Optimist unpacks the debates that shape women\u2019s lives: equality, discrimination, beauty standards, social ties and the place of bodies in public space. Its analysis, first-person stories and practical advice are for anyone who wants to understand the pressures of everyday life and push back, with an inclusive, body-positive and judgment-free perspective.<\/p>\n<h2>What you\u2019ll find in the Society section<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Feminism<\/strong>: everyday sexism, gender-based violence, work, the domestic load and women\u2019s rights around the world, all gathered in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/feminisme\">Feminism<\/a> section.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fatphobia<\/strong>: discrimination against fat people at work, at the doctor\u2019s office and in the media, and ways to stand up to it, in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/grossophobie\">Fatphobia<\/a> section.<\/li>\n<li><strong>LGBTQIA+<\/strong>: sexual orientation, gender identity, coming out and the fight against homophobia and transphobia, explained in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/lgbtqia\">LGBTQIA+<\/a> section.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Beauty standards<\/strong>: where physical ideals come from, how they vary across countries and eras, and what they cost women.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Relationships and social ties<\/strong>: friendship, loneliness, bonds between generations and new ways of living together.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Women who break stereotypes<\/strong>: women making their mark in mechanics, science, sports or on stage, like the physicist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/sabrina-gonzalez-pasterski-a-young-physicist-could-revolutionize-science-432830\">Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski<\/a>, in fields where few expected them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why are beauty standards a social issue?<\/h2>\n<p>Beauty standards are a social issue because they are neither natural nor universal: they shift from one country to another and from one era to the next, as our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/heres-how-beauty-standards-change-in-different-countries-429750\">how beauty standards differ around the world<\/a> shows. Yet these ideals of thinness, youth and flawless skin have very real effects: comments starting in childhood, pressure to watch your weight, unequal treatment at work and in health care, online harassment. Recognizing that a norm is constructed helps you take a step back, spot the messages designed to make you feel guilty and choose what you want to keep. That is the common thread of this section: connecting individual experiences to the collective mechanisms that produce them.<\/p>\n<h2>What can you do about discrimination or online harassment?<\/h2>\n<p>If you experience discrimination or online harassment, the first step is to keep evidence, then to turn to the right people, who will depend on the country you live in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Save screenshots, messages, dates and the names of any witnesses.<\/li>\n<li>For discrimination in hiring, housing or access to a service, contact the equality or human rights agency in your country, a union or a lawyer.<\/li>\n<li>For illegal content online, report it to the platform and to the authorities in your country.<\/li>\n<li>If you have been threatened or targeted by a crime, you can file a report with the police.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Our approach: connecting the personal and the collective<\/h2>\n<p>Born from a plus-size fashion site, our magazine looks at social issues through the lens of the body and representation. We give a voice to the people most affected, we explain the words before debating them (sexism, fatphobia, trans identity, consent) and we favor practical ways forward over outrage alone. Our articles start from everyday experiences to shed light on broader patterns, without moralizing or pitting women against each other.<\/p>\n<h2>Articles to start with<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/grossophobie\/fatphobic-remarks-surely-said-without-knowing-430954\">fatphobic phrases many people say without realizing it<\/a>, and what they really imply.<\/li>\n<li>A look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/would-you-be-considered-the-norm-elsewhere-here-are-average-sizes-and-weights-in-the-world-429930\">average heights and weights around the world<\/a>, a useful reminder that \u201cnormal\u201d depends on where you live.<\/li>\n<li>What to do when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/what-to-do-when-a-colleague-appropriates-an-idea-at-work-447182\">a coworker takes credit for your idea<\/a> at work.<\/li>\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/how-to-set-boundaries-in-the-face-of-unsolicited-advances-at-work-447161\">set boundaries with unwanted advances at work<\/a>, calmly and clearly.<\/li>\n<li>Whether women still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/womens-work-applying-makeup-to-look-professional-446904\">have to wear makeup to look \u201cprofessional\u201d<\/a>, and what that expectation says about workplace norms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What counts as discrimination?<\/h3>\n<p>Discrimination is unequal treatment based on a characteristic protected by law, in a specific area such as employment, housing or access to goods and services. Protected grounds vary from country to country, but they often include sex, race or ethnic origin, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity. Some places also protect physical appearance or weight.<\/p>\n<h3>What is intersectionality?<\/h3>\n<p>Intersectionality describes how several forms of discrimination can overlap in the same person and reinforce one another. The American legal scholar Kimberl\u00e9 Crenshaw coined the term to describe the experiences of Black women. A woman who is both fat and lesbian, for example, may face sexism, fatphobia and homophobia, which compound one another rather than simply adding up.<\/p>\n<h3>What is diet culture?<\/h3>\n<p>Diet culture is the set of beliefs that equates thinness with health, success and personal worth. It shows up in foods labeled \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad,\u201d compliments on weight loss and the shaming of fat bodies. Our magazine prefers a weight-inclusive approach to health, at every size.<\/p>\n<p>Want to go further? Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/culture\">Culture<\/a> section explores how bodies and identities are portrayed in movies, TV shows and books, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/psycho\">Psychology<\/a> section supports you with self-image, confidence and emotions.<\/p>","parent":0,"count":1536,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5678,"category_count":1536,"category_description":"<p>The Society section of The Body Optimist unpacks the debates that shape women\u2019s lives: equality, discrimination, beauty standards, social ties and the place of bodies in public space. Its analysis, first-person stories and practical advice are for anyone who wants to understand the pressures of everyday life and push back, with an inclusive, body-positive and judgment-free perspective.<\/p>\n<h2>What you\u2019ll find in the Society section<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Feminism<\/strong>: everyday sexism, gender-based violence, work, the domestic load and women\u2019s rights around the world, all gathered in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/feminisme\">Feminism<\/a> section.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fatphobia<\/strong>: discrimination against fat people at work, at the doctor\u2019s office and in the media, and ways to stand up to it, in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/grossophobie\">Fatphobia<\/a> section.<\/li>\n<li><strong>LGBTQIA+<\/strong>: sexual orientation, gender identity, coming out and the fight against homophobia and transphobia, explained in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/lgbtqia\">LGBTQIA+<\/a> section.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Beauty standards<\/strong>: where physical ideals come from, how they vary across countries and eras, and what they cost women.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Relationships and social ties<\/strong>: friendship, loneliness, bonds between generations and new ways of living together.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Women who break stereotypes<\/strong>: women making their mark in mechanics, science, sports or on stage, like the physicist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/sabrina-gonzalez-pasterski-a-young-physicist-could-revolutionize-science-432830\">Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski<\/a>, in fields where few expected them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why are beauty standards a social issue?<\/h2>\n<p>Beauty standards are a social issue because they are neither natural nor universal: they shift from one country to another and from one era to the next, as our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/heres-how-beauty-standards-change-in-different-countries-429750\">how beauty standards differ around the world<\/a> shows. Yet these ideals of thinness, youth and flawless skin have very real effects: comments starting in childhood, pressure to watch your weight, unequal treatment at work and in health care, online harassment. Recognizing that a norm is constructed helps you take a step back, spot the messages designed to make you feel guilty and choose what you want to keep. That is the common thread of this section: connecting individual experiences to the collective mechanisms that produce them.<\/p>\n<h2>What can you do about discrimination or online harassment?<\/h2>\n<p>If you experience discrimination or online harassment, the first step is to keep evidence, then to turn to the right people, who will depend on the country you live in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Save screenshots, messages, dates and the names of any witnesses.<\/li>\n<li>For discrimination in hiring, housing or access to a service, contact the equality or human rights agency in your country, a union or a lawyer.<\/li>\n<li>For illegal content online, report it to the platform and to the authorities in your country.<\/li>\n<li>If you have been threatened or targeted by a crime, you can file a report with the police.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Our approach: connecting the personal and the collective<\/h2>\n<p>Born from a plus-size fashion site, our magazine looks at social issues through the lens of the body and representation. We give a voice to the people most affected, we explain the words before debating them (sexism, fatphobia, trans identity, consent) and we favor practical ways forward over outrage alone. Our articles start from everyday experiences to shed light on broader patterns, without moralizing or pitting women against each other.<\/p>\n<h2>Articles to start with<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/grossophobie\/fatphobic-remarks-surely-said-without-knowing-430954\">fatphobic phrases many people say without realizing it<\/a>, and what they really imply.<\/li>\n<li>A look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/would-you-be-considered-the-norm-elsewhere-here-are-average-sizes-and-weights-in-the-world-429930\">average heights and weights around the world<\/a>, a useful reminder that \u201cnormal\u201d depends on where you live.<\/li>\n<li>What to do when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/what-to-do-when-a-colleague-appropriates-an-idea-at-work-447182\">a coworker takes credit for your idea<\/a> at work.<\/li>\n<li>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/how-to-set-boundaries-in-the-face-of-unsolicited-advances-at-work-447161\">set boundaries with unwanted advances at work<\/a>, calmly and clearly.<\/li>\n<li>Whether women still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/societe\/womens-work-applying-makeup-to-look-professional-446904\">have to wear makeup to look \u201cprofessional\u201d<\/a>, and what that expectation says about workplace norms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What counts as discrimination?<\/h3>\n<p>Discrimination is unequal treatment based on a characteristic protected by law, in a specific area such as employment, housing or access to goods and services. Protected grounds vary from country to country, but they often include sex, race or ethnic origin, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity. Some places also protect physical appearance or weight.<\/p>\n<h3>What is intersectionality?<\/h3>\n<p>Intersectionality describes how several forms of discrimination can overlap in the same person and reinforce one another. The American legal scholar Kimberl\u00e9 Crenshaw coined the term to describe the experiences of Black women. A woman who is both fat and lesbian, for example, may face sexism, fatphobia and homophobia, which compound one another rather than simply adding up.<\/p>\n<h3>What is diet culture?<\/h3>\n<p>Diet culture is the set of beliefs that equates thinness with health, success and personal worth. It shows up in foods labeled \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad,\u201d compliments on weight loss and the shaming of fat bodies. Our magazine prefers a weight-inclusive approach to health, at every size.<\/p>\n<p>Want to go further? Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/culture\">Culture<\/a> section explores how bodies and identities are portrayed in movies, TV shows and books, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/psycho\">Psychology<\/a> section supports you with self-image, confidence and emotions.<\/p>","cat_name":"Society","category_nicename":"societe","category_parent":0}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446202"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":446427,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446202\/revisions\/446427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/446425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}