Gender(less) Apparel
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While I was recently trekking down Mass Ave in Cambridge, I noticed something that initially gave me pause. Why was the man in front of me wearing a skirt? For a split second this seemed out of place, as it wasn’t something that I see every day. It took me a moment to realize that this was not a completely rare occurrence. The current convergence of masculine and feminine clothing reveals the increasing popularity of this trend, highlighted by Odell Beckham Jr. wearing a Thom Browne kilt to the MET Gala. In my everyday life, it has become increasingly obvious that individuals aren’t sticking to garments that are traditionally male or female. Instead, we are gravitating towards buying from brands that offer non-gendered apparel, like Uniqlo or Supreme. Grey tees, chunky white sneakers, oversized trench coats, overalls, pantsuits, and blazers have become essential items with all genders in our collective Gen Z wardrobe.
Our ability to surpass gender expectations and create our own identities in this moment could be due to values that are especially important to Gen Z. Initially, our perceptions of gender and unisex clothing as a generation might seem more progressive as compared to the past. However, gender-fluid clothing is not a new concept. From 20th century Japan, to 17th century Scottish War garb, to the transformative ‘60s, unisex clothing has fluctuated in mainstream popularity. In 2019, we are entering a moment where classically gendered items are traversing across the aisle, which is an imperative characteristic of Gen Z. We can especially see this in the surge of streetwear, pop stars like Billie Ellish, and the creation of unisex and non-binary fashion shows at NY fashion week. The values that have come to define who we are as a generation are part of the reason why unisex clothing today is not just a fleeting trend. Gen Z style has come to be defined by expressing what we find to be authentic: that gender is fluid.
It’s possible that humans will never be able to fully depart from our unconscious, established perceptions of what clothing looks like for each gender. Certain prominent aspects of unisex clothing will continue to sway the item towards one side of the gender spectrum, such as boxier cuts or soft pinks. Common sense might dictate that identifiers such as color dominate our association of clothing with gender. After speaking with shoppers in New York City, this is apparently only true largely among men. The majority of men that I spoke to were unsure of what types of clothing classified as unisex, or were reluctant to mention that they wore unisex clothing. However, many more women knew what was meant by unisex clothing, and categorized these items based on the general fit rather than color. It is important to realize that for most people genderless clothing does not fall perfectly in the middle, nor completely overcome the gender spectrum. Although unisex clothing might attempt to abandon all aspects of gender, it rather embraces and reinvents traditional elements of both masculinity and femininity.
As individuals we may desire to push against this, to overcome the gender binary as it exists in fashion, but it is hard to say whether society at large mirrors this eagerness. The societal acceptance of gender fluidity is a necessary starting point to make a safe space for unisex clothing, which Gen Z has uniquely captured in contemporary fashion. The shifting social and political perceptions among Gen Z is that gender is not black and white. When polled, 78% of Gen Z agreed that gender no longer defines a person, which has spilled over into the consumption of genderless fashion. In adopting unisex clothing in our everyday style, we can physically manifest our support of this social movement. Embodying social causes via clothing means that we are upfront advocates of the ethical ideals that define our generation. Still, the misalignment between genderless fashion and our generation’s ideal concept of gender might not be a problem. We can show our understanding of gender by intertwining fashion with our identities. Without perfectly manifesting our urge to overcome the gender binary in clothing, the rising consumption of unisex apparel is a step towards this ultimate goal.
What message are we trying to send to the world when we dress in gender neutral apparel? Recently, I’ve been asking myself what I’m trying to communicate when sliding into my Doc Marten boots. These sturdy combat boots were historically a more masculine product, but today are worn by plenty of women. Personally, I wear the boots to convey to both the world and myself that I am a free thinker who is unwilling to conform to expected female traits. I feel like I’m actively rejecting traditional definitions of femininity that I don’t want to be boxed into. Instead, I can create my own interpretation based on strength, simplicity, and adaptability to any situation with undertones of elegance. I’m able to invent my version of femininity. For me, these boots portray an, “I’m not even trying, but my style is naturally savage,” vibe. Maybe, the same goes for the other women I see wearing the boots. Perhaps the initial uptake of Doc Martens wasn’t about an association with masculine traits or the traditional male silhouette at all. Possibly, it was just about humans wanting to communicate to the universe a, “don’t fuck with me while I’m trying to take over the world,” attitude.
Our clothing not only dictates to the world how we feel but also alters our own feelings about ourselves. During exam weeks at school, I try to actively create an outfit that makes me feel like a beast in order to perform like one, whether it’s in sturdy boots or camo. I’ve found that when I fall into the typical exam uniform of t-shirts and sweats, I become a scrub who is unable to tackle what the week will throw at me. I can alter my entire mood, performance, and perception of myself simply by changing my clothing. In what we wear, we are telling the world how we feel and how we perceive ourselves in that moment. This effect of clothing is especially prevalent in wearing unisex apparel — we are too complicated and too unique as humans to be tied down to basic, outdated gender traits. Instead, we can reform what gender used to mean, and rearrange these expectations into what we want our identities to be. Today, deciding to wear certain types of clothing seems to have little to do with the clothing item and more about who we are as people. We repurpose existing societal perceptions of each piece to tell a story about who we are striving to be.
The grey space that unisex clothing exists in allows us to bypass the initial judgment of others. Unisex items are almost mundane, as they must be, to encompass all humans. The malleability of these items means we are able to mold how others see ourselves while wearing the clothing. Unisex items allow us to be who we are in a way that allows us to simultaneously blend in. We can wear items that give us a sense of power over our identity that goes unquestioned by the initial opinions of others, such as a grey t-shirt or sneakers. These items let us speak for ourselves without forcing an automatic assessment about who we are. We have less control over how others perceive our persona in clothing that falls too far to one side of the gender spectrum because they initiate an instinctive judgment about our personality. For example, if I walked down the street in nine-inch heeled, hot pink combat boots, I would stand out to such a great extent that would somewhat force an immediate expectation about who I am. The chance to create my own identity would be eliminated. Items that are on the extreme outskirts of style become more about the fashion item itself, instead of our capabilities and our persona. Because of the all-encompassing nature of unisex clothing, we can exist beyond both gender and the clothing to truly embody for ourselves, and project to the world, who we want to be. Maybe the trend for gender fluid clothing is not exclusively about gender fluidity, but rather its ability to subtly transform universal expectations for humanity.
