Gene or Jeans?

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Genes or Jeans?

At home for the weekend and catching up on laundry, I grabbed a pair of jeans and put them on only to realize to my dismay, that they were my brother’s. Granted, I am a tall woman, but how is that I can mistake a pair of men’s jeans as my own? It’s because I thought they were my boyfriend jeans, a relaxed, low slung pair of denim jeans with a rip in the knee. My brother has an almost identical pair, both made by Levi’s. Jeans styles are increasingly morphing into unisex styles. Skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans, ripped knees, and boot cut jeans were all once names one could WVTa ÅVL QV\PM_WUMV¼[ [MK\QWV 6W_\PM[M [\aTM[ can be found in the men’s section as well. With changes like this, the denim industry continues to conform to society’s evolving views on gender norms and roles. It is becoming more and more common to see unisex denim collections, and many big name retailers are getting in on the action. Last March, for example, H&M made major waves and released a 19-piece line entitled “Denim United.” Exclusively sold online, the collection featured everything from denim shorts to chambray shift dresses all made from sustainable materials such as organic and recycled cotton. In the promotional photos that showcase the collection, H&M featured a man and woman standing next to each other, modeling the same pieces. The pieces aim to be wearable, while IT[W XZWXMZTa Å\\QVOIVL ÆI\\MZQVOITT JWLQM[5IVa people praised the brand for taking the plunge into the realm of gender-neutral clothing. “It’s very natural for [H&M] to launch a unisex collection as fashion is constantly evolving and intersecting,” said H&M spokesperson Marybeth Schmitt. “Today we see there are no boundaries in democratic style. Fashion should always be inclusive.” While it is evident that unisex denim is in style, this Q[VW\\PMÅZ[\\QUMQVPQ[\WZa\PI\LMVQU_I[LMMUML gender-neutral. Around the 1950s, society began \W ZMITQbM \PI\ \PMZM Q[ I LQٺMZMVKM JM\_MMV WVM¼[ biological sex and one’s gender identity. This decade IT[WUIZSML I [QOVQÅKIV\\]ZVQVO XWQV\QV_WUMV¼[ fashion, as wearing pants, such as jeans, instead of skirts or dresses, started to be considered more socially acceptable. Major celebrities of the time, such as James Dean and Marilyn Monroe, helped XWX]TIZQbMLMVQU\PZW]OPÅTUIVLW\PMZUMLQI ¹*IKS_PMVRMIV[ÅZ[\JMKIUMXWX]TIZQV\PM¼[ they were unisex,” said Kim Kaeding of Mother Denim. “James Dean wore the same ones as Marilyn 5WVZWM¸\PMaR][\[\aTML\PMULQٺMZMV\Taº Some designers have even taken unisex denim trend even further. Kaeding and Lela Becker of Mother Denim teamed up with transgender activist and photographer IO Tillet to create a campaign called Love Your Other. Mother stated that the collection is “dedicated to the freedom of being _PWaW]IZMIVL\PM[XQZQ\WN KMTMJZI\QVOLQٺMZMVKM[ without judgement or labels.” To emphasize their stance on equal rights, Mother even removed all labels from their Love Your Other campaign. With [M^MZIT LQٺMZMV\ RMIV [\aTM[ IVL XW[Q\Q^M <[PQZ\[ NMI\]ZQVO OMVLMZXW[Q\Q^M XPZI[M[ TQSM ¹6W\  º and “Labeless,” Mother continues to follow along with the industry’s trend of moving away from conventional gender norms. Another plus of the TQVMQ[\PI\IXWZ\QWVWN \PMXZWKMML[JMVMÅ\<QTTM\¼[ gender-positive art project, Self Evident Truths, in which he has already photographed over 10,000 LGBTQ people. Similar to Love Your Other, Self Evident Truths works to promote the beauty of diversity through gender expression.    *ZIVL[ TQSM 5W\PMZ _PW []XXWZ\ Æ]QLQ\a QV gender expression lead the way in revolutionizing the fashion industry’s stance on femininity and masculinity. This inclusiveness in clothing is vital, no matter where you fall on the gender identity spectrum. Moreover, the return of unisex denim in our current culture symbolizes an important social change and represents how the dominant viewpoint of how men and women should behave and appear is continuously evolving. The possibilities of genderneutral clothing are endless, and, most importantly, there’s something for everyone.

*a*ZQLOM\\M+WVVQٺ Layout by Julia Margalit