Fashion Has No Gender
Growing up, I always knew that I was different in my sense of style compared to my peers. I wasn’t a fan of how basic and simple the clothes were in the men’s sections. As for me, typical men’s clothing, such as a polo shirt and jeans, have no personality, quality, or character. Overall, it didn’t really express who I am as an individual. As a result, I wanted to wear something that that was unique and recognizes me as an individual.
From a young age, I was always confused as to why certain colors were made for boys, and other colors were made for girls. I have always liked light pink since I was little, because I thought that the color was very aesthetic and peaceful. In Vietnamese culture, it is immediately taboo if an individual decides to break social norms. Everyone will immediately stop everything they’re doing and draw their attention to you if you happen to be a derivative from the norm. Therefore, you’ll ultimately become the subject of talk amongst your peers wherever you go in the streets of Vietnam. Consequently, my mother would always force me to wear specific types of clothing, which was ultimately overly large T-shirts that were either black, blue, or grey. As for the bottoms, I was limited only to shorts longer than my knees and pants so baggy that I couldn’t even locate where my legs were. I was very uncomfortable at this point.
As I became older, I wanted to experiment with the ways that I dress. I bought my first pair of skinny jeans in middle school during the time where skinny jeans were only considered women’s fashion. I remember walking down the hall with all eyes on my legs as if I was a freak. I was nervous at first, but I eventually stopped caring because I was happy to finally express myself through my fashion statement. I started buying shirts from the girl’s section in Forever 21, because some of their designs suite my style. When I turned eighteen, I went in a piercing parlor and got my navel pierced because I felt confident that I could rock this look. A line from Daniel Hernandez’s article, “Terrorist Chic and Beyond,” reminded me that essentially your fashion choices really speak out to your personality. Gino Perez stated that:
“what you wear is who you are literally. People are not so much afraid, but weirded out. I get it every day of my life.”
At this point, I was unstoppable at expressing myself through my fashion choices. It just didn’t make sense to me how these norms were created for us to follow. However, it’s crazy to think that women can get away with wearing “men’s clothes” without being judged rather than men wearing “women’s clothing.”
This boy band really caught my attention and grew on me when I was feeling lost as a teenager. Kazaky, a Ukrainian-based synthpop dance boy band, significantly broke social norms with their signature of masculinity in heels. These men break gender norms by incorporating masculine and feminine attributes together. As shown in the image above, these men are wearing skimpy outfits that contrast their masculine physiques. The black tights added so much personality to their presence. Additionally, the heels aren’t just for the looks, but they’re actually for their performances. These men have no fears when it comes to busting out fierce dance moves on stage. I was so inspired to be express myself the way I want to after learning about Kazaky.
In our modern generation, I’m very content on how we have come to break gender stereotypes. It is more acceptable for men to express themselves through their fashion choices, such as painting their nails, wearing certain type of jewelry, or even wearing make-up. In recent news, CoverGirl, an American cosmetics brand in America, finally introduced their first ever male spokeperson, James Charles, for the brand. This is a very successful news in a way that our generation has a created a huge impact on breaking gender norms.
In Cintra Wilson’s interview, she demonstrated that “style can either liberate you or it can enslave you.” By the end of the day, I learned that you have the freedom to express yourself through your fashion choices. You have the power to liberate yourself through your own unique style, or you can enslave yourself through social norms. If a piece of clothing makes you feel happy inside, you shouldn’t stop yourself from trying it on. Clothes have no gender. Jewelries have no gender. Fashion has no gender. So what if I wanted to wear heels to a formal event? In fact, I did and I couldn’t be any more proud for being myself.
