Boyfriend Jeans

Have you ever thought about where the idea of the boyfriend jeans came from? Well first lets talk about what are boyfriend jeans. Boyfriend jeans are jeans that are designed to fit the body very loosely (doesn’t show any shape of the women’s lower body) and make it seem as if they are borrowed from a women’s boyfriend. The idea evolved out of the practice of women wearing their actual boyfriend’s jeans after they spent the night at his house and needing clean, fresh clothing for the next morning. They are also not only identified as a man’s jeans but also categorized as lesbian fashion. Whenever clothing is used to identify and define gender it has the power to empower and to undermine the wearer. Now a days woman wear the boyfriend jeans as a fashion statement about sleeping over at their boy friend’s place but it’s actually down playing their sex with a masculine jeans, with a pair of jeans. We can also take a look at the 1980’s when women were encourage to dress in the power suit in order for them to become successful in the work force. This idea sent a meaning to all women that they had to be something they are not in order to be able to be part of the work force.

Clothing we wear represent to society what we want it to view us as. They can present us as sexy, feminine, masculine, or reflect an attitude or identity we want to represent. Clothes are not only seen as a fashion choice that a person makes everyday but it also includes personal representation; that could be identity any gender identity or a sexual identity that’s all up to the individual. Feminists have been debating the concept of the fashion and the gender puzzle and what does it mean to dress out of societies expected gender ideals. In how one Article of Clothing Empower India’s Third Gender video called styles out there, an Indian group called Hijra, which is an ageless transgender community that neither represents males or females. One of the transgender women was explaining how wearing a sari made her feel like a women. To committee to being a woman Tasleen wore a sari. She already identified her self as a women but she didn’t feel that her process was complete until she put on a sari.

The book by Judith butler called gender trouble explains the idea of through what is gender represented (https://autof.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/butler-judith-gender-trouble-feminism-and-the-subversion-of-identity-1990.pdf). She states that, is there a gender that a person are said to have, or is an essential attribute that a person said to be. In my opinion to say to have is not permanent, It can be altered or changed and it must have been earned. An individual isn’t born as a female or a male but he/ she become it. So there is no reason why men would be empowered in our society. Fashion is making a huge statement when it produced the boyfriend jeans. It creates a power structure or a hegemonic society because it shows that women live in the shadow of men.

Why is it adequate for women to wear men’s clothing but not for men to wear women’s clothing? There is a lot expectation for men to act manly within society and it is seen as being gay to do other wise. It is seen as more acceptable for a woman to embrace men’s clothes because men hold power. Society tries to appeal this idea by creating power suits and jeans that are inspired from men’s fashion industry. But a man wishing to wear women’s clothing is automatically looked down upon because women are considered the less dominate sex since they are see as powerless. The male character is constructed by society to be the opposite of anything that has to do with femininity. So for a man to adapt to women’s clothing means that he takes on a less powerful role and also he is considered to be opposing his man hood. This then reflects the idea behind some of the disapproval against transgender / homosexuals because they are willing to leave their masculinity behind and embrace more of the feminine characteristics through the representation of their clothing type. Clothing shouldn’t be restricted because there isn’t law that regulates purchases that are only intended for men or women. The issue is men are still being pressured into remaining in their gender roles or else they will be looked down upon by society.