Gender Fluidity

Gender Fluidity

Genders within marketing have always been shown as very distinctive characters with vast differences. Commonly showcasing men as strong, dashing beings whereas women were seen as more innocent or sexualized. However, particularly in very recent years the definition of genders are being less stereotyped and the lines between them are crossing and blurring in a number of ways which is having a huge impact within fashion marketing. Key drivers have been within music, fashion and beauty but has been pushed through social media, with the help of a number of public figures, to begin a phenomenal cultural shift, particularly with the younger generation, changing people’s mentalities towards gender and what defines them.

Health& Beauty

Personal Care

Women have always been eminently dominant in the markets for personal care and beauty however men have had an increasing interest in their health and appearance. In fact, the men’s personal care market was expected to reach $4.4bn in 2016 (Mintel, 2016). Prior to this, online men’s retailer, MrPorter.com reported a 300% increase in men’s beauty and grooming in 2015 (Beauty Buzz, 2016). Years ago males may have been mocked for taking such pride or going to such lengths to maintain or improve their appearance yet it is now something which is considered fairly normal. Due to this, within fashion campaigns, men can be presented with a very clean cut look without it being such a statement but highly relatable to the average man.

Hair

“It is difficult to define gender by body language, by hair style or by attitude... Long hair? Cropped hair? Who can tell? Who cares?” (Vogue Italia, January 2016)

(Beauty Buzz, 2016)

Stereotypes among hair are still present yet much less significant to the younger generations. Older generations may maintain common styles between genders however with more young males adopting longer hair it’s gradually being seen less as an act of rebellion but rather fashionable. Similarly the buzz cut among women has a changing perception from a punk look to somewhat chic and elegant. Agyness Deyn [Fig.3] is a classic example of a women rocking a ‘male’ hair style who’s been used countless times within fashion marketing for a number of years.

Music

Celebrities are seen as aspirational figures to many and are therefore commonly seen as style icons. The younger generation are especially influenced by them due to their high presence on social media. This allows celebrities to make quite a statement with their clothing choices and possibly encourage change. Young Thug has been described as ‘not just talented, he stands for something fresh’.

His style spanning completely across the typical men’s to women’s clothing; leopard dresses and miniskirts to pleather baby tees and hoodies (Beauty Buzz, 2016).

Similarly, Louis Vuitton have used Jaden Smith within their advertising [Fig.7], placing him in a women’s skirt next to three females. This advert does not demasculinize the young male in any sense, he appears very comfortable and confident wearing these clothes, not at all out of place. The use of monotone clothing helps give this impression as it offers a sense of consistency throughout the models. In the image the women also strike rather unfeminine poses; spreading their legs apart and either sprawling their arms around or seemingly giving a powerful punch.

This creates a visual array of mixing gender stereotypes in different ways both empowering women, by portraying that they can be just as strong as men, and making it acceptable for males to wear typically feminine clothing.

Fashion

“No-gender has been simmering along the sidelines of mainstream for decades...recently fortified reality – both high street and high end.” (Beauty Buzz, 2016)

Agender / Unisex / Gender Neural

In terms of product; agender, gender neutral and unisex lines have been emerging more frequently. In many ways brands are now unafraid to think outside the box in designing outfits that bring a whole new style to consumers who desire to try something different however many of these unisex lines still only provide very minimalistic, baggy clothing to which many argue isn’t new at all. Zara is considered ‘the most influential affordable fashion brand in the world’

(Sowray, 2016). As of March 2016, their ungendered range became available both online and in 29 stores. Moving away from restrictive clothing categories, the range includes many basic pieces modelled by a male and female to show the different fit. Zara is not the only brand currently offering such a range however it’s considered that with them taking this action they will have a heavy influence on other brands who will soon follow suit.

‘Agender is not a trend but a changing mindset responding to a cultural shift.’ (Beauty Buzz, 2016)

In- Store

Agender concepts are now additionally being translated into in store experiences. As of 2015 Selfridges placed men’s and women’s wear alongside each other as to present ‘a celebration of fashion without definition’ (Mintel, 2016). The idea being that individuals could easily merge and combine pieces from both men’s and women’s collections or continue to select from gender specifics, Selfridges has aimed to appeal to all individuals based on their personal preferences without any judgement.

Fashion Shows

‘Over the last year at least 12 important brands have announced to combine their men’s and women’s shows.’ (Beauty Buzz, 2016) What have always been very separate events are now being merged together to one phenomenal show appealing to both the public, following the social move towards gender fluidity, but also to the brands on a financial level.

Childrenswear

Childrenswear is an area which has particularly been under scrutiny for gender biased designs; M&S and Gap being just two that have faced ridicule. This stems from a change in the demand from parents, 23% female shoppers would like to see more gender neutral clothing sold at their preferred childrenswear retailer, the demand of which peaks among parents of under 6’s (Mintel, 2016). Target has addressed this by completely axing their gender-specific labels for children’s clothing giving children the feeling that they can wear whatever they like without feeling judged or out of place. Gardner and the Gang is a new childrenswear brand who heavily use cool prints in their clothing. They recently collaborated with, actress and model, Jaime King to create a gender neutral line [Fig.21]. They feel individuals should wear what they please in order to feel comfortable. The clothing shown here is stereotypically very girly yet is advertised on two young boys both who still appear genuinely elated. The message presented, as printed on the sweater and represented by the embrace, is ‘love’; regardless of looks or clothing choices.