Diversity Now / Boxed

issue one

Breaking out of gender stereotypes

“People are always obsessed with putting people into boxes, but I think today people are starting to accept that it’s a social construction rather than set in stone.”

FIONA KIRKUP

BOXED

TEXT BY NATALIE NEWTON

Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water, Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after!

We, as a society are obsessed with change, constantly not satisfied. So why, as a society, can we not abolish gender stereotypes within fashion?

The fashion industry is obsessed with turning back to the stereotypical ways and wonders of fairy tales and nursery rhymes. “Fairy tales are a child’s world of imagination and pleasure, but they also provide a source of inspiration” Samara Green wrote in a blog reflecting on stereotypes within Fairy tales. These roles provide designers with rich visual narratives to stimulate their designs, however they all subconsciously stitch in clichéd characteristics.

This grey area within fashion hasn’t yet been targeted but no doubt is responsible for the stereotypical gender roles, we think are correct. Claire Nally, a literature lecture for

Northumbria University who specialises in gender said, “Some subcultures seek to challenge stereotypes via dress or behaviour, whereas the mainstream often just goes along with stereotypes”.

Nursery rhymes have graced all of our childhoods, but have you ever thought about the real story behind the traditional family rhymes? Remember Jack and Jill, this was one of the most common nursery rhymes taught. Kilmersdon, Somerset, is where the story began in 1697, where Jack and Jill, an unmarried couple, lived. The couple often used to sneak up to the top of the hill to ‘make love’. Francesco Marciuliano, an American writer wrote “making ‘fetch a pail of water’ one of the most disturbing euphemisms for ‘sex’” when exploring the true meaning behind classic nursery

rhymes. The unhidden story portrays Jill fell pregnant, Jack died from being hit with a boulder from the near by quarry and Jill, then died within childbirth. This now turns the nursery rhyme into a horrible stereotypical tragedy.

“They’d be dressed in similar patterned outfits but she’d obviously be wearing a dress or skirt and he would definitely be in shorts!” Hannah Littler, a fashion student, pointed out when discussing how the characters would look. Fashion is obsessed with boxing in stereotypes to form an idealistic character, why if gender lines have blurred, are people still associating women with dresses and men with shorts? This is because people are too afraid of stepping outside their box.

The FIT Museum, New York, presented an exhibition that examined fairy tales through the lens of fashion. “There was this mood in fashion for these fairy tale themes,” said the associate curator, Colleen Hill. Designers such as Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens and Prada created costumes to symbolise the characters look. “They tend to reinforce “dominant” ideals of femininity, such as princesses always needing to look pretty and that they are submissive and weak” Sarah Boesveld concluded in a study about children buying into gender stereotypical roles of fairy tales. This obsession has trapped many designers as they have already placed people within this box and are too scared to move outside the norm.

“Runway creations are often described as magical, fantastical or like something out of a fairy tale” journalist Chantal Fernandez wrote describing fashion’s history. Spring/ Summer 17 collections, again, showed this obsession. Frills, ruffles and floral patterns flooded the catwalks, creating a trend of reflection to your childhood outfits. “This season looks set to embrace a more playful, feminine way of dressing” Lulu Cooper wrote when reporting on fashion week. The young childish identities are still shining through, leaving only a small margin for change when it comes to altering the norm. This leaves us all wondering what will appear in the up coming fashion week… especially with the Disney release of Beauty and the Beast.

What is male? What is female? And where do the lines cross? “It seems young women are breaking the gender roles more by wearing men’s or unisex clothes but I think the stereotypical gender roles are still very much there” suggests Ellen Cochee, a fashion student. A major hype has arrived with the outbreak of the androgynous look, making it a trend to wear unisex clothing.

Jaden Smith has become the face of gender fluidity, after admitting he identifies with neither gender. “Yes, a boy in women’s clothes in a Womenswear campaign,” wrote Steff Yotka in Vogue when reporting on the release of Louis Vuitton’s SS16 advertisements. Shocking? Not in this day and age as the small outbreaks are easing society into the new norm of fashion. Eloise Hall another fashion student comments “In today’s society the androgynous look is filtered into high street brands and is a lot more accepting”.

But not accepting enough, as individuals are nervous to express themselves due to the judgmental minority. “We only need to look at the election of Donald Trump, whose opinions on women’s bodies, consent, and abortion are retrogressive to say the least, to see there is much work to be done”, Claire Nally expressed her views about the current draw backs on gender equality.

This in turn enforces gender stereotypes in our everyday life; we are brainwashed with what we perceive is right or wrong, good or bad and what is stereotypically male and female. Fiona Kirkup, a young feminist justified: “People are always obsessed with putting people into boxes, but I think today people are starting to accept that it’s a social construction rather than set in stone”.

It does not matter about fashion, the designer or who you are; we are caged within this problem. No matter how hard fashion tries to break away from gender stereotypes, subconsciously designers are boxing in individuals based upon childish identities formed by Nursery Rhymes and Fairy tales. Are we really still teaching young children that women are love driven and weak and can only succeed when a man takes over? Fashion needs new inspiration as we are on track to achieve gender equality or the stories need tweaking…

Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water They both ran down into town And lived happily ever after!