SAY HELLO TO THE PIONEERS OF GENDER NEUTRAL FASHION

Say Hello to The Pioneers of 2010’s

Gender-Neutral

Fashion As a result of the fashion industry now learning to adopt more inclusively diverse traits, gender-neutral clothing is undoubtedly on the rise. Urged with support from Millennials and Gen Z, the big fashion powerhouses, such as Stella McCartney, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, alongside Marc Jacobs, and Tommy Hilfiger are now beginning to offer genderless clothing. That’s without forgetting the independent brands born out of the surge for gender-breaking clothing collections. December 2020 saw British singer, Harry Styles become the first-ever solo male cover star of Vogue. This monumental issue saw Styles dressed in a baby blue lacy, tulle dress and black blazer – both by Gucci – reflecting on changing fashion norms and his career in the music industry. This photoshoot faced backlash from the public, and also a number of high-profile names including Conservative commentator Candace Owens who tweeted, “Bring back manly men” in response to the cover. Despite the progress made, breaking gender boundaries in fashion still has a long journey to go.

On a mission to change mindsets and make conscious consumerism the norm, sustainable fashion brand Riley Studio create a wardrobe of gender-neutral staples that are kind to the planet. Putting eco-innovation, sustainability and individuality at their core, the fashion label design without gender in mind, helping to reduce waste and increase the lifespan of their garments.

‘Style knows no boundaries, and neither should we.’

- Riley Studio

Set up with the aim of tackling overproduction and over consumption, the brand sources recycled materials and working with ethical partners. Founder and Creative Director, Riley Uggla said: "I wanted to build a fashion brand that changes consumer mindsets and shows you that you don’t have to sacrifice style to be sustainable, the two can be synonymous." The current midst of the climate crisis is proving the topic is more prevalent than ever before, Riley Studio’s Co-Founder, Olivia Dowie said: "The spotlight is on the fashion industry and the relentless over-production that comes from it.” Dowie continued: “Gender neutral clothing allows us to minimise our binary gender collections and reduce the production of unnecessary garments, rather focusing on timeless pieces that can be styled by people of all genders and ages.” LGBTQ+ women-founded apparel brand, TomboyX, launched in 2012 designing products for all bodies and needs, of all sizes across the gender spectrum. Founders, Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez made it their goal to craft the perfect gender-neutral boxer brief, and were flooded by overwhelming, positive responses. Since then, the brand’s expansion has seen them create a full range of underwear styles, bras, loungewear, sleepwear, activewear and swimwear – all whilst keeping a focus inclusivity and sustainability. Offering styles in sizes XS-6XL, TomboyX also has celebrity fans including American singer, Lizzo. Dedicated to empowering the LGBTQ+ community all year-round, the underwear brand also advocates for equal representation and celebration of all people.

Co-Founder, Naomi Gonzalez said: “As queer women we know what it’s like to not see ourselves represented in fashion, it’s with this lens that we founded TomboyX in 2013,” Gonzalez continued: “We believed that if we created a sustainable product that focused on fit and quality and offered a broad range of sizes, we would fill a white space that desperately needed visibility.”

However, many are concerned that gender-neutral clothing often leans towards the masculine body type, typically offering loose-fitting sweatshirts and t-shirts, and disregarding items such as dresses and skirts. One Twitter user (@maya_pharaoh) said: “My major issue has always been that “gender neutral clothing” always looks like boxy traditionally masculine clothes, which implies that masculine is neutral?” Another user (@ItsEstaFiesta) commented “There’s no such thing as “gender neutral” pieces. It’s men’s clothing that has been deemed appropriate for women to wear.”

‘We are committing to continuous improvement in our mission of radical inclusivity using sustainable practices and transparency within our organisation for the benefit of our community, workers and customers.’

- Naomi Gonzalez, Co-Founder of TomboyX

With innovative pioneers setting the tone for the fashion industry, it seems there’s still room to welcome in gender-neutral clothing collections offering a wider range of choice.