HMMM. See, it's partly this distinction that gives me confusion. An example for me is the series K-ON! There aren't habitual panty shots in K-ON! (there is one embarrassing moment, but it is actually part of the plot and not just randomass (har har)). It's a show about girls who hang out and form a band. They eat cake, they go to school, they hang out after school and on the weekends. To me, everything about this show screams, "It's for girls!"
But K-ON! is classified as "moe," and it runs in a sienen magazine. So is it specifically geared at men, or at women? Is K-ON! considered "male-oriented"?? I have no idea! If it is geared toward men, I don't know why, or what marks it as such.
I'm not always sure what the markers are; sometimes I'm surprised to find out that something's considered "moe" or "sienen;" with series like Yotsuba&!, I feel mildly disturbed and kind of don't want to know why.

I think partly I'm having trouble fully following your comment. You talk about an upsurge, presumably a recent one, but Lain is as old as Escaflowne/Evangelion, right?