This coming season, retailers and designers alike are pushing boundaries with styles and garments that provides scope to move flexibly between both the genders, as a new trend of gender neutral fashion blurs the lines between menswear and womenswear. Today, fashion is more interchangeable than ever, with men dressing in womenswear and vice versa. As such, a new category has emerged as many designers and retailers are building entire collections based around the concept of gender neutral fashion or unisex garments.
In the first decade of the millennium, girls dressing like boys became a recurring fashion trend, as women continued to ‘borrow’ items from men’s wardrobes, lending to the popularity of items such as ‘boyfriend jeans’ and ‘boyfriend jackets’. But going forward, a new category of unisex fashion or dressing which does not discriminate and eliminate gender norms, takes over the androgynous look, which sees both sexes mix and match popular items from each other’s wardrobes. “Fashion should be assigned by size and not by gender. And I think that a lot of people don’t really assign themselves to a specific gender (for clothing) even if they are heterosexual. It really has to do with the way that the store is arranged and the way that clothes are assigned, because it’s assumed that that’s masculine or feminine,” reveals Ashe Bowen, Owner of {A•(s)Hē}, a new gender neutral clothing store that has just opened in Broadway, Ohio, USA.
This new concept is being given a push because of the re-emergence of minimalism in the fashion scene as unisex brands appeal to the younger generation looking for a fresh approach. “This generation is more open-minded and not concerned so much about traditional gender roles. Today, both sexes will buy items they like, regardless of whether they are categorized as men’s or women’s,” informs Danny Chow, Divisional Merchandise Manager for menswear at Joyce. This is evident from Dior Homme’s new collection of silhouettes for men consisting of slim-cut blazers and skinny trousers, which surprisingly became a cult favourite among women especially the jackets, who claimed that they fitted better.
With retailers and designers such as M&S, Uniqlo, Giordano, Zara, Kenneth Cole, Next, Céline, Dries Van Noten, Abercrombie & Fitch, GAP, American Eagle, Brook Brothers’ Thom Browne, Loewe, YSL, Paul Smith, Miu Miu, Hermes, Rick Owens, Rad Hourani, J.W. Anderson, to name a few introducing gender neutral collection, the trend is expanding from mere fragrances, accessories and kidswear collection to proper clothing lines. Also, American Apparel has depicted unisex fashions in their ads, with men and women wearing the same plaid shirts.
Through avant-garde pieces that can be worn both by men and women, such as over-sized draped tops, long tunics, cuffed trousers, scarf tops, skinny jeans, embellished ponchos, capes, etc, gender neutral fashion is all set to grow.
Apart from this, many more retailers are planning to expand into unisex wear, one such being Selfridges which is ready to launch a new collection in 2015. “Women buying into menswear is a growing trend, as women are looking to de-gender their style. There is also a female customer interested in a more masculine aesthetic and seeking out for a true menswear fit – such as a real ‘boyfriend’ jean, shirt or sweater. We have also seen an emerging male customer profile that is extremely fashion-literate, shopping womenswear and women’s accessories,” states Eleanor Robinson, Menswear Buying Manager, Selfridges.
What makes unisex fashion so appealing and relevant today is that it eschews trends completely and is being used as a means of self-expression, which encourages the wearer to experiment with their personal style without being bound by the constraints of gender. The biggest proponent of unisex fashion in the apparel industry is Paris-based Canadian designer Rad Hourani, who founded the first unisex brand back in 2007. According to Rad Hourani, “it doesn’t make sense to limit things, which is why I studied male and female bodies to create a canvas that can fit both. It has always been relevant for me as it is about the yin and yang in all of us. I’m not interested in trends, as they fade.” His latest autumn-winter collection features his signature sculptural shapes, including kimono-wrap jackets and multi-collared trenches made from black fabric infused with silver threads and sequins.
Through avant-garde pieces that can be worn both by men and women, such as over-sized draped tops, long tunics, cuffed trousers, scarf tops, skinny jeans, embellished ponchos, capes, etc, unisex collection are all set to grow. Often involving basic, boxy and conceptual pieces in a wider range of sizes to canvas a larger number of bodies, the gender neutral fashion movement signals easier dressing for all and more room for self-expression, where wearers are not bound by gender constraints. Then there’s the other, perhaps more obvious, pro of gender non-conforming fashion that if you live with someone of the opposite sex, embracing it essentially means doubling your wardrobe. As Vivienne Westwood, English fashion designer and businesswoman rightly puts it, “Take beautiful pieces from your wardrobe or from that of your friend or partner and style together with your old favourites.”
These days, women dressing like men or ‘borrowing from the boys’ has become a commonplace, while on the flip side, more fashion-literate men are shopping in the women’s department. Though with the shaking up of traditional notions of masculinity with dresses, skirts and shoulder baring tops, the future of menswear is looking more towards the feminine side. As men and women continue to share their clothes, still, one acknowledges unisex as more of a ‘boyfriend fit’ trend, but the acceptance of men borrowing their partner’s clothes or the ‘girlfriend fit’ trend is probably a long way to go.
