Genderless: clothing for people with their own indentity

enderless fashion is a trend that seeks to remove barriers and labels determined by a society in which culture imposes a heterosexual vision as the best option if not the only one.

Por: Jorge Sierra García

In the book Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, published in 1999, the American philosopher Judith Butler postulates a theory in which the individual does not necessarily have to identify themselves as a man or as a woman, since gender is nothing more than a social construction.

History shows how the wardrobe of both men and women changes over the years and events to establish the stereotypes seen today.

According to theorist Howard Becker in his text Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, published in 1971, gender is established as a technology, a complex process typical of modernity, which is oriented towards the Foto: Jorge Sierra García making of “normal” subjects, taking heterosexuality as a sexes except when such classimain and obligatory norm, fication is useful for the econoand homosexuality as a taboo mic needs of heterosexuality.” or deviation. By speaking of the economic

Judith Butler´s queer theory needs of heterosexuality, Butproposes that people’s sexual ler refers to how the economic orientation and identity are system differentiates the sexes the results of social construc- only for an economic purpose. tion. For which reason gender This trend is not new. In the is not a natural fact, but socia- 1920s, Coco Chanel introduced lly variable ways of playing one pants into women’s clothing, or more sexual roles; thus, the liberalized the silhouette, and human being is not obliged to adapted this male garment to identify themselves as a man the female body. In 1970, Yves or as a woman. This theory re- Saint Laurent created the tujects the classification of indivi- xedo for women, and in 1980 duals in universal and fixed ca- Jean-Paul Gautier and Vivientegories. The queer movement ne Westwood dressed their is not typical of homosexuals, male models in skirts. but of gender dissidents who Unlike these historical events resist the norms imposed changed fashion and the way by a heteronormative and of seeing masculine and fedominant society. minine garments, Genderless

In Butler’s words: “There is no fashion does not seek to fereason to classify human bo- minize masculine clothes or dies into the male and female masculinize feminine ones. This trend is based on the idea that clothing should not be defined by gender, instead, people should dress according to their identity and style, regardless of whether they are men or women.

The 21st century seems to be the right time to abandon the old and repressive stereotypes of a society that does not represent all the options. Due to the sexual liberation of the 1960s, which reached its peak in the 1980s and 1990s, the new generations have increasingly opened their minds. Today they try to end the stereotypes and weak masculinities that repressed many people for a long time. This is a time of change and revolution so that no one ever feels discriminated against for being who they are and for dressing the way they like.