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.

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.

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.

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.

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."