According to PWC,(PricewaterhouseCoopers, which is a multinational professional services network of firms), 43% of global consumers expect businesses to be accountable for their environmental impact. The British Fashion Council (BFC) is also attempting to keep up with the rapidly changing fashion landscape. So much so that on April 21st, they issued a statement announcing that for the next twelve months, London Fashion Weeks would combine womenswear and menswear into a single gender-neutral platform, allowing designers more versatility.
With everyone becoming a little environment conscious, thanks to social media, the retail industry is currently seeing rapid growth in the popularity of eco-friendly shopping, and the demand for sustainable fashion. Being able to share clothes with the opposite sex, directly makes it more sustainable, if a man and a woman can share clothes, we automatically keep more clothes out of the landfills.
According to Lyst, there was a 52% increase in searches for the terms “genderless” and “gender-neutral” with fashion. Founded by Isha Ahluwalia, Moral Sciences is a slow fashion brand. Fascinated by sustainability and what happens to leftover fabrics, Ahluwalia got all her fabrics from forgotten textiles like bed linens, tapestries, tablecloths, and much more. With these fabrics, they make one-of-a-kind androgynous pieces, that often have interesting yet bold silhouettes.
People seem to be willing to break away from gender stereotypes and conventions, and this mindset is influencing the contemporary fashion scene, which is becoming increasingly gender-neutral. It refers to clothing that isn’t designed with a particular gender in mind. They are suitable for both men and women.
Another brand talking about gender equality through their fashion is MIXX which is here to start a conversation around gender equality in an urban setting. Their clothes are just not clothes, they’re an experience. They try to incorporate art, design, film, and even food in the clothes they make.
Men’s clothing has always been known to be more comfortable to women and they are often seen wearing t-shirts, shirts, or even hoodies from the Men’s section.
Who says streetwear is something only men can wear? Six5Six makes streetwear comfortable and accessible for all. Every clothing item of theirs comes with the same logo in various earth tones and subtle colours. No matter who wears it, it’s the same pattern, style, and design. They give you the clothing item and it’s up to you on how you want to take it forward.
But men on the other hand have not been able to do the same because of the sizes available and sometimes even because of the mere mindset of not wanting to “look like a girl or dress like one”.
The line between menswear and womenswear, however, seems to be blurring as recognition of gender equality grows. It is often believed that we should be judgment-free, and that fashion, is merely a means of self-expression. Many designers and celebrities have understood the need to remove the fashion gender bias and also moved a step closer to sustainable fashion by launching gender-fluid collections. Gucci’s Gender is fluid’ Collection is a prime example of this.
Unisex clothing is being created by fast fashion brands such as Selfridges, Zara, and H&M to slow down the adverse effects of fast fashion on the environment. It’s also gaining momentum into high-street styles. It may not be something new but it’s something that’s gaining attention. Traditionally, there’s a perception of how a man or woman should dress.
In fact, unisex clothing usually takes a more relaxed fit to compensate for the difference in shape between men’s and woman’s bodies. And the trend of oversized clothing has helped.
Moreover, you will find unisex clothing more popular among eco brands. These brands try to stay sustainable and encourage consumers to adapt to slow fashion. Unisex clothing has the advantage of bringing fewer variations in products. And in terms of production, less variation means less waste.
More and more people seem to want to free themselves from gender roles and norms, and this attitude influences the current fashion scene, which is becoming increasingly more gender-neutral. Of course, fashion houses have been blurring the line between menswear and womenswear for decades now, but nothing quite like what we are witnessing now, as society’s perception of gender is visibly shifting.
Since his affinity for pearl necklaces hasn’t gone ignored, Harry Styles is no stranger to the trend. As a result, according to Stylight, Google Trends shows a +317 percent increase in search interest for “pearl necklace for guys” from December 2020 to December 2021.
Styles for Spring 2021 saw a growing number of major brands champion gender-fluid, unisex, or polysexual fashions with Marc Jacob’s “Heaven” capsule and fluid collections from designers Balenciaga and Stella McCartney.
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