Being One of the Guys?
I used to have a black jean jacket when I was in third grade that was a handy-me-down from my aunt. I thought it was the coolest piece of clothing I owned, up until I walked onto the school courtyard with my friends. The first thing they asked was why I was wearing a boy’s sweater if I was a girl. I remember purposefully forgetting it in the courtyard that day because I was so embarrassed about the whole situation. I look back now and wonder what about the jean jacket made it boyish and if I was indeed wearing a boy’s jacket how did they know? It was in fact a girl’s jacket but why did they assume it was a male’s sweater? Why did it even matter?
The culture around us has developed a binary system where things, such as clothing items are either masculine or feminine. Regarding the role that culture plays on gender Judith Butler says, “When the relevant ‘culture’ that ‘constructs’ gender is understood in terms of such a law or set of laws, then it seems that gender is as determined and fixed as it was under biology-is-destiny formulation” (pg 8). In the society that we live in there are simple style rules that are imposed by all of us, including my third grade bullies, and for all of us. As we were growing up we were told that girls wear dresses and boys wear pants but it’s okay for girls to wear pants but never is it okay for a boy to wear a skirt or a dress. So what does that mean then? Does the idea of androgyny only apply to women?
On looking up androgynous fashion on Pinterest, you will find images like that above. You’d come across hundreds of women in tuxedos or pants suits. In order to achieve “androgynous-ity” then it’s the women’s job to dress in men apparel and the men have to do nothing in order for the world to reach the perfect androgynous status. The definition of androgyny according tomerriam-webster it means “1. having both male and female characteristics or qualities and 2. suitable for both men and women.” But the way that things are currently going it seems that women are the only ones trying to adapt androgynous style.
High-end designers like Gucci are now designing men clothing to have be more androgynous. Although it isn’t as widely used and common, men are slowly adapting a more feminine style. Celebrities like Kanye West and Jaden Smith are taking heed in this new fashion trend. Although it is a trend, I personally hope it doesn’t just come and go.
But still nonetheless there is a binary that people have to cross in order to be androgynous. The word itself says that it takes both characteristics from females and males. For men to be androgynous they will be dressing with skirts and for women it would be pants (even though in this era it’s natural). Maybe that’s where this men wearing skirts trend will take us, to where it’s just as natural to see a man in a skirt as it is to see a woman in pants. But it starts with us. It starts with us making a statement as to what androgynous clothing is and accept it when we see others taking this action. It’s going to take more than just Kanye wearing a skirt to make the world more androgynous but we surely are getting there.
