Gender-bending Fashion?
The industry has room for more options
With the rise of people coming to the acceptance of gender as a spectrum instead of a binary construct, we can start to make a space for everyone within the fashion industry. Culturally, fashion does not always follow western ideals, and with the current generations viewing gender as a spectrum, it opens up a future for more options in the industry.
When we take a look at cultures and groups like West Africans, Indonesians, and people of the Sikh faith, some of the men wear articles of clothing that resemble dresses and skirts. Mostly it is just a rectangular fabric wrapped around or tied at the waist sometimes called a Sarong. However, the men of the Sikh faith wear a Kurta Pajama, which is like a long, tailored shirt. It’s a rare sight to see men in this type of attire in western culture unless you find yourself in a multicultural area. From a cultural view, the way the people dress has just been a way of life and represents social responsibility or power. It is essential to be aware of the distinction between gender and sex. Often the two are used interchangeably because of how we view gender based on sex, which is the biological reproductive part of the body. It is easy to see how the two get confused, but for genderqueer, non-binary people that does not resonate. It is unfortunate that colonization happened and broke down cultures in a way that left them in fragments. Some customs and traditions were probably lost or broken in the process, “Prior to colonization, Aboriginal cultures across the Americas understood that there was a gender spectrum…” We often hear about Aboriginal people and the Ancient Greeks as at some point being open and accepting people of the LGBTQ+ community. It was just their way of life, but somewhere along the line that has been wiped out. We are now trying so hard to undo this systematic damage for everyone to be their true selves. Aboriginal Americans use two-spirit as a shared term to express gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Before Europeans came and decided how other people were to live their lives, Aboriginal people saw each other as human, and who someone loved did not change that factor.
“Prior to colonization, Aboriginal cultures across the Americas understood that there was a gender spectrum…”
Fusion ran a poll on millennials to see how they view gender. The results “found that 50 percent of millennials felt that gender is actually a spectrum.” This is only based on a fraction of the millennial population, so on a larger scale, that might not be the case. However, I find that in my circle, there is a lot of us who also have a similar view, in that gender is a spectrum and that every human being should be allowed the same love, respect, and courtesy no matter how they identify. The gender divide starts early, “The clichés fall easily from our lips. “Clothes make the man,” we say, “who wears the pants,” signals dominance.” From the moment our parents know what sex we are, we are put into the very cute gender-specific colours and clothes; pink with bows for girls, blue with race cars for boys. From the very beginning, society has already placed us in boxes, based on what colour our little jumpers are. Behaviours exhibited at the early stages of our childhoods are either reinforced if they align with our sexes and what that means in the community or are taken away because that’s not what girls/boys are supposed to do. It should not be the case when so many people are forced to hide their true selves because they’ve been told its wrong for as long as they’ve been alive. Thankfully with the rise in support of people being who they are, fashion is starting to make a change to include everyone. With Millennials and Generation Z making up the largest consumer market, it only makes sense for designers to cater to them, “Designers are responsive to the moment. They respond to the street, to the Millennials and Generation Z”
Dylan Peck is a Model with feminine features in his facial structure. Growing up, he was bullied because people were unclear whether he was a boy or a girl. His androgynous features give him an edge in his career as he can model for both men’s and women’s wear. Lucas (2019) uses examples of icons like David Bowie, Madonna, and Prince as gender-bending pop icons that influenced fashion with the way they expressed sexuality with their makeup and outfits. They made it okay to dress outside of the gender norm, and although we still live in a society that isn’t fully accepting of that, it gives validation to the people who feel like they are not allowed to express themselves in that way. Back in 2016, Jaden Smith rocked a skirt for Louis Vuitton and it ‘broke the internet’. When this advertisement circled the social media platforms, the response was decidedly mixed. Some people were very against it, whereas a lot of people thought it was incredible that he could be this open with the world. Smith took a step outside of the gender-neutral path and opened up the door to a new conversation on fashion and gender and what that means for the future. There are brands out there that cater to gender non-conforming folks such as Not Equal, Gender Free World, and Olderbrother, to name a few. However, these brands are on the more expensive side, so they are not as easily accessible to everyone. It’s not as easy to find affordable options for gender-fluid clothes; you have to go digging for them. The Phluid Project and Oblanc are a couple of examples on the more affordable side.
The days of living by only two genders are fading away and making space for a world where all people, Transgender, non-binary, or other, can live their lives comfortably without the stigma surrounding their sexuality or the way they choose to present themselves. Millennials and Generation Z people are working on making everyone feel accepted and, hopefully, to get the world to a place where one does not have to come out, and they’re accepted and loved regardless of how they identify. How a person chooses to present themselves to the world should not be scrutinized the way that it is. Clothing is about fun and comfort, and everyone deserves the right to determine what that means for themselves. From a cultural standpoint, there shouldn’t have been a change to the attire based on colonization. Had the Europeans left traditions alone, we would now be able to see how the affected cultures advanced had they been left to their growth. I hope for the growth of affordable androgynous/gender-fluid clothing on the market. It needs to be a bit more accessible for those with lower budgets.
