Binary opposites have existed within human societies for decades. These opposites range from the divide between oppressor vs oppressed, for example colonisers and the colonised, black and white, as well as women and men. Simultaneously, there is a deeply ingrained split between nature and culture. This split acts as a way to explain how certain phenomena are natural and some are social constructs. Sex have often throughout different discourses been defined as the natural aspect of the distinction between man and woman. Based on genitalia it determines whether a baby is a boy or a girl when born. Gender, on the other hand, has been described as the social construct of sex. It is the performance and deeply ingrained social and cultural norms we carry in understanding what makes a man a man, and a woman a woman. We see this through how people dress their children from the moment they are born, throughout adolescence and in adulthood. Then we take these ingrained notions and create our own style within its framework.
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This has been and continues to be, greatly discussed and debated throughout various academic realms. However, there has been a shift in discourse where scholars and academics argue both sex and gender are equally constructed by society. Gender has not only influenced the fashion industry but it plays a foundational part. Contemporary society sees fashion as a split between womenswear and menswear. This aspect of fashion stems from a culture and society which has set certain expectations to people depending on their sex. In turn, this is what certain academics are now contesting by saying such a divide is arbitrary. It is simply based on genitalia rather than a natural truth. However, pop culture and fashion, equally influential to each other, has shifted the narrative around womenswear and menswear.
In the discussion regarding sex, it is inevitable and unjust to neglect the individuals who find themselves outside the binary. As sex is based on genitalia the people born as intersex are excluded due to being a minority. Similarly, people who do not fit the gender binary are also excluded from the narrative. In fashion, if one does not wish to express the sense of dress society has created for the assigned sex and performative gender, it becomes challenging to navigate the landscape. Because clothes are used to express and portray something it comes with a lot of judgement. This judgment often rests in integrated interpretations and narratives surrounding gender roles, which in turn depends on sex. Interpreting these two, gender and sex, as a social construct and natural truth essentially create a state of rigidity. People who do not wish to conform to these norms are seen as deviants.
By creating a space in the fashion industry where the lines between women and men are blurred and clothes are simply made to fit different body shapes one creates inclusivity and acceptance. A great example showcasing how gender should not determine the clothes you buy is when parents walk into a clothing store, pick up an item, and proceed to ask whether it is for a boy or a girl. Speaking from experience, this happens a lot. The answer is always: “do you think your child would like that item, is that the right size, then that is for your child”. Sex and gender should never create barriers for children. What this does is reinforce gender norms and indirectly make children internalise these. Girls should not only be offered pink and floral, and boys blue stripes with dinosaurs.
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Pop culture has seen a rise in people engaging with fashion in different ways, which in turn provides the fashion industry with a greater platform. Similarly, the fashion industry has created a space for not only “unisex” but fashion design for people rather than men and women. Pop-culture and fashion are equally reliant on the influence and power of the other. Together they are creating a market and a cultural space where people can exist outside a binary framework. This is not saying men have not been wearing women’s clothes, and vice versa, for ages. Or that going back centuries there is a different notion of “women’s” and “men’s” clothing. Rather, it is saying that by creating a fashion industry where the lines are blurred one is not only creating space for the people already living outside the gender/sex binary, it is supporting the idea that there should not be arbitrary expectations linked to men, women, or non-binary individuals based on the way they dress.
Lastly, and just as importantly, there are sustainable ways to shop genderless. Vintage and thrifting become easier when there are fewer “rules” to follow. Borrowing clothes and sharing items with your partner might also become more inspiring once you realise that items can be transformed depending on an outfit, body shape, styling etc. rather than viewing it through a gendered lens. Fashion and the way one dresses should never reflect society's expectations. The industry and pop culture are therefore crucial factors when it comes to understanding people outside the binary norm. Not only is it important to understand where the gender divide stems from, but it is important to contest what we truly believe these norms represent. When fashion erases the divide between women and men from its foundation, and replace it with size and style inclusivity, a creative space for individuals is born. This is not to undermine the importance of acceptance if a man chooses to shop in the women's section and a woman chooses to shop menswear. Rather it is highlighting the importance of accepting individual style free from preconceived notions based on societal and cultural expectations.
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