FASHION Crushing
CO-EDITOR ELISE DIXON
Gendered Clothes BY LAUREN
We really need to stop the notion that clothes belong to certain genders. It’s mind blowing when we realise how many items and activities are placed on genders such as ‘girls dance, and boys play football’. I think we have reached a point in society to understand that people shouldn’t be placed in boxes due to their gender. Not all boys have to like playing sports or wanting to be confrontational. Likewise, not all girls have to be ‘soft and angelic’, girls have every right to be just as assertive as boys are allowed to be, without being told they are bossy and being called some offensive terminology beginning with ‘b’ if you get the drift… So, when loads of people are moving away from this narrative, so why can’t we do the same with clothing and fashion. Clothes are just fabric used to cover our bodies… Clothing and fashion is for artistic expression and to show personality… why do some pieces of clothing ‘have’ to be exclusive for one gender. Why not all genders? Whether you identify as a boy or girl or anything in between, you should be
able to just wear whatever you wish. Fashion is self-expression, and it’s for you. Not anyone else’s self-expression. Boys can wear dresses, skirts, and heels. Especially when heels in the 17th century used to be exclusively for men… Dresses used to be unisex for children as they were easier for parents to remove to clean their children and get them dressed. So why has it become so controversial? Now to the girls… wear what you want! Do it shamelessly and without fear of judgement. I hate hearing how girls have been shamed into not wearing what makes them confident. Girls are not dolls to be dressed up and to please or make others comfortable for just existing as their gender. Girls are not objects, and sadly some people still need to hear this. Boys can be just as feminine as girls if they wish and wear whatever they want because it makes them confident. All and every gender should feel confident. Regardless of what you identify as, wear what you want without shame and fear!
27 • FASH I ON • S TUDENT LIFE
