Dressed for Change by Bennett Hill

dressed for change

Fashion editors and influencers have embraced genderless fashion, but everyday shoppers not so much. What will it take for this fashion movement to go mainstream?

by Bennett Hill

British stylist Suzanne Bernie, who has worked with celebrities such as Paul McCartney and Elizabeth Hurley, says that when it comes to what’s happening on the London fashion scene, the ruling genre is genderless. Among luxury designers and streetwear brands alike, she says, fashion brands that offer genderless fashion are seen by consumers as “catering to all and being all-inclusive, which is very important for their ethos and brand.”

But despite that inclusivity, consumers often struggle to embrace the trend. Praised and embraced on red carpets, magazine covers and high-fashion runways, genderless fashion is reaching mainstream consumers in a glorified and often unrelatable way. People see it through photoshoots and red carpet looks worn by celebrities like pop stars Harry Styles and Billy Porter, but it can be a challenge to the everyday consumer who is not used to seeing men or women dressed in garments designed for both genders.

Genderless fashion is easy to understand when the garment is inherently unisex, such as an oversized hoodie or sweatpants. But unisex designs require gender-bending imagination. “What makes people most uncomfortable is when a male or masculine-presenting person wears clothing that is deemed hyper-feminine — a dress for example,” says Katharine Boswell, a women and gender studies professor at SMU.

What will it take for consumers to realize genderless fashion is for everyone – them included? Experts and industry watchers say the concept of genderless fashion needs to be better defined, and that it may take a societal movement to prompt widespread acceptance. For genderless fashion to gain mainstream acceptance, consumers must understand that genderless fashion simply means that garments aren’t gendered through size or style. Fashionnovation, a platform for innovators in the fashion industry to connect, provides a clear definition on its website: “Genderless fashion is nothing more than the freedom of people to choose how they want to dress.” Whether that clothing item is tuxedo blazer from genderless brand Wild Fang or a skirt from Raf Simons, genderless fashion can be any type of garment that’s intended for anyone to be able to wear it.

Blurring the line between gender identities and breaking down the gendering of clothing are essential elements of genderless fashion. Designing basic, baggy garments and labeling them as genderless misses this point, writer Mercedes Viera explained in a 2022 Refinery 29 article on the topic. “Creating ‘genderless’ collections that cater to a limited image of what a non-binary shopper looks like and wears overlooks the multi-dimensional community they claim to want to serve,” she writes.

Bolton, a Dallas-based stylist and adjunct professor of fashion at Dallas College. Bolton has worked with brands such as Neiman Marcus, Fossil and JCPenny, and he believes that retailers can have “a narrow scope for attracting consumers based on genderless clothing.” He believes brands that have ventured into the genderless apparel market have “misunderstood the need.”

As a stylist and LGBTQ+ advocate, Bernie agrees. She believes that if retailers embrace the true meaning of genderless fashion and offered these styles for sale in a way that welcomed all consumers, it would foster a greater consumer understanding and acceptance.

For mainstream consumers to truly accept genderless fashion, however, they must be ready to change how they think about gender and clothing. While it seems significant, such mindset shifts have happened before when the timing has been right, such as women wearing pants and men wearing makeup. Research suggests this might be the right time for a shift to a non-binary approach to fashion.

Recent studies suggest that people are open to less-defined gender categories. According to a May 2022 survey on gender identity from the Pew Research Center, half of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 say someone can be considered a man or a woman, “even if that differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.”

This could explain why a 2020 Vogue cover featuring pop musician Harry Styles wearing a Gucci ball gown was so widely celebrated, Boswell suggests. Although she points out that Styles is wealthy, white, popular and straight, “when he wears a dress, it doesn’t cancel out his popularity or his normal gender presentation.”

Ultimately, the more people wear genderless fashion, celebrities included, the more accepted genderless fashion will be. “The more people in the public eye who express their individuality,” says Bernie, “the quicker it will get to changing people’s attitudes.” Bennett Hill is a senior majoring in fashion media and marketing.

5 genderless fashion brands to shop

APOTTS

After stints with Marc Jacobs, Emanuel Ungaro and Badgley Mischka, veteran New York City designer Aaron Potts launched his own line to bring the materials and fabrication of high fashion to everyone. APOTTS shows its collections at New York Fashion Week, where they’re critically acclaimed for their artistry and celebration of diversity. www.apottscollection.com

HUMAN NATION

When power couple Ciara and Russel Wilson came together to build the brand Human Nation, they were motivated by three core values: love, respect and care. Their quilted overcoat is sure to be a staple in all wardrobes this coming fall. www.thehouseoflrc.com ONE DNA

Based in Ann Arbor, this genderless line has been featured in WWD and HighSnobiety. Select pieces are ethically produced in the United States under safe and fair working conditions, and the growing brand is Black and queer owned. www.onedna.earth

IJJI

With an emphasis on the use of clean and natural fibers, this brand is committed to growing responsibly. The brand manufactures its clothes in California, close to its design studio so it can stay involved throughout the process. www.ijji.co

ALTU

Imagined by French designer Joseph Altuzarra, Altu examines traditional notions of dress through “the lens of adolescent curiosity and uninhibited gender expression.” The line is inspired by the time in childhood when identity is fluctuating, allowing for experimentation in the quest for personal style. www.altu.world