Fashion goes gender-neutral
Blending menswear and womens wear is not just a new trend, it's just the new normal.
Say hello to gender-neutral clothing! The idea that men should wear suits and only women can dress in skirts and gowns is changing world over. Just a couple of days ago, actress Megan Fox and her husband, actor Brian Austin Green, were spotted enjoying a family outing with their three sons. What caught everyone’s attention was that their five-year-old son Noah was dressed in his favourite Disney character, Frozen’s Queen Elsa’s gown. Megan and Brian have made it clear in the past that they do not care if their son wears dresses as it’s his own choice and it’s a time when he should be having fun.
At the MTV Video Music Awards’ red carpet in August, singer Pink, her husband and their six-year-old daughter Willow were spotted wearing matching three-piece suits! Actress Charlize Theron’s son was also spotted in a dress and a wig in the past. We have also had the likes of Jaden Smith, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s son, wearing skirts to fight gender stereotypes. And, who can forget Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt? She is always spotted sporting boys’ clothing and hairdos!
Bollywood fashion stylist Sanjay Kumar Dauhaliya, who has styled the likes of Kangana Ranaut, also likes dressing up in skirts and t-shirt dresses. He says, “In India, though you are allowed to dress the way you want to, people will make fun of you. So if you decide to cross-dress, you need to be ready to listen to all the taunts. I like wearing shorts and I even bought a skirt from Bangkok recently. However, I am still thinking about wearing it. People here think that you are dressing up like a girl, but that’s not the case. The clothes that one wears do not tell anything about their gender. Someone like Ranveer Singh is accepted when he wears skirts in public, but it will take time for people to accept common people wearing them too.”
Celebs are, commendably, even launching gender-neutral fashion lines. Take for instance Zendaya. The actress’ line Daya has gender-neutral clothes.
It’s not just clothes. On Friday, Apple announced that iPhone will have androgynous emojis too! Designer Archana Kochhar says, “It’s a welcome trend. Everyone should be liked and, most importantly, be accepted for how they dress up.” On the other hand, Alia Bhatt’s stylist Ami Patel makes an interesting point. “Women cross-dressing and wearing suits or pants will be accepted in the country. However, people here will have a problem if men wear skirts or gowns,” she says.
Contributing to this growing trend, the company Mothercare just launched a unisex clothing collection for young boys and girls. John Lewis, too, had announced that they will no longer have labels such as ‘boys’ and ‘girls’. Eshan Hilal, a belly dancer, has similar views. He says that clothes do not define one’s gender and has even walked the ramp wearing gender-neutral clothes. “A piece of clothing or accessory doesn’t have to define someone’s gender. If I wear a skirt, I am not a girl. In fact, male emperors used to wear skirts long ago. It’s just history repeating itself. High heels were also worn by men before women started wearing it,” he shares.
A number of schools in the West are introducing gender-neutral clothes too. Is this trend the way forward in India too? Several parents have raised concerns regarding the same. Experts say that the trend will not affect children in a negative way. “For so long, we have had gender stereotypes. We are finally breaking them. Kids should be allowed to explore what they like. There’s nothing wrong if a boy wants to wear a gown or if a girl wants to wear a suit,” says Dr Diana Monteiro, counselling psychologist.