Gender blurring, inside and outside of fashion

It’s often been said that fashion is cyclical, but the newest trend on runways is both recurrent and revolutionary. Reminiscent of the masculine silhouettes popular in the 70’s and the androgynous aesthetic of the 90’s, “gender blurring” is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with on modern day runways. Historically, fashion has always played with the line between genders, but today’s trend is different in that it is more accessible than previous incarnations. Instead of a stray skirt or a sarong on men’s runways, entire collections are being devoted to genderless dressing.

Although agender-friendly designers like Duckie Brown have been around since the 1960’s, the trend gained steam this year when major designers like Givenchy, Prada, Hedi Slimane and J.W. Anderson debuted overtly traditionally feminine menswear collections or failed to distinguish a target gender as they sent models down the runway. From Alessandro Michele of Givenchy’s chiffon and lace menswear to designers like Craig Green actually putting women on menswear runways, this trend is not only turning the world of fashion on its head, but it is also eroding the once rigid line of demarcation between traditionally feminine and masculine clothes.

Instead of discrete men’s and women’s clothing, designers are focusing more on style “without boundaries” and are advertising identical pieces of clothing to both genders. These trends aren’t only being seen in the upper echelons of fashion. Selfridges, a chain of high-end department stores in the UK, announced earlier this year that it was getting rid of gender assignments by floor, allowing its customers to shop not based on their assigned sex, but rather based on their sense of self.

This trend is even being translated into what men and women are wearing on a day-to-day basis. Traditionally feminine patterns, colors and silhouettes are becoming more and more popular with well-dressed men, and it’s not uncommon to see women wearing tailored suits to formal gatherings in lieu of a bedazzled cocktail dress.

This new emphasis on unisex and agender couture is not just the result of the whims of a few designers. In a way, it reflects a rising public sensitivity to issues of gender and gender identity that were once considered off-limits. Increased awareness of gender issues caused by the visibility of atypical gender identities has caused consumers, especially young people, to start to resist traditional stereotypes associated with one’s assigned sex.

Women like Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox have brought transgender issues to the forefront of mainstream media and have increased recognition and dialogue about non-binary gender identities. Some implications of this movement can be seen nationwide—for example, starting in February, Facebook gave its users the option of entering in a gender identity beyond “male” or “female” to display on their profiles, and at least 30 states have addressed the issue of using gender-neutral language in legislation. Even on Duke’s campus some changes have been made, as with the implementation of gender-neutral housing on West Campus in 2013 and the addition of gender-neutral housing in Wilson Residence Hall on East Campus in 2014.

Although gender blurring might just be a passing trend in fashion, the movement causing it certainly is not. Gender non-conforming pieces on haute couture runways represent a movement away from the oppressive confines of what is traditionally considered masculine and feminine—a movement into the oft-misunderstood shades of gray in between.