Gender fluidity has become a megatrend in recent years, but has it been like that or has it been made us see it that way? The fluidity of gender that comes from not identifying with a specific gender when dressing, that is, there are no men’s or women’s clothes, there are simply clothes with which to express oneself (Hickman et al, 2019). It is not about the masculinization of women’s clothing or the feminization of men’s clothing, but the enactment of individual freedoms in order for anyone to dress as they prefer, showing their own identity regardless of the gender with which they identify (Crane, 2012). Although the deconstruction of the stereotypes that have been created as a society takes part here, the relationship of colors with the biological structures that is taught since childhood, such as pink for girls and blue for boys, has influenced when selecting the garments that already represent us, that we explore previous experiences for future elections (Hickman et al, 2019). For this reason, we have to thank the brands that have dared and have been pioneers in giving visibility to this aspect of fashion and that allows people to express themselves without coinciding with the expectations of society. (Akdemir, 2018). Despite the fact that it is currently where this mega-trend exists, there are great brands that began the fight in favor of this concept for a long time. The first brand to design a product for women that had previously only been listed for men was Yves Saint Laurent creating tuxedos in the 1970s (Runsdorf, 2016). Now that fashion is undergoing an evolution in terms of the inclusion of different identities, fashion brands are undergoing this change and adapting so that everyone can express themselves freely, it is also the goal of great designers to make toxic masculinity disappear that encompasses this sector (Gosling, 2018). Jaden Smith has also contributed to breaking these stereotypes with his appearance in 2016 with a garment that has always been found in the women’s section, a skirt, from the Louis Vuitton firm, the young man assured to do so because he knows that it is influential and for what the new generations were not afraid of criticism if they wanted to wear this type of garment (Vogue, 2019). From there, the son of celebrity Will Smith has not stopped making public appearances with skirts or dresses ensuring that they are garments for people, not for men or women (Hello, 2018).Which has continued to contribute to the evolution of the visibility of gender fluidity, as he himself has stated on his Twitter account, ‘In five years, when a child wants to go to school wearing a skirt, no one will be angry with him or her. It will seem out of place, I do this for my children and for future generations (Griffiths, 2018).
REFERENCES
Akdemir, N. (2018). Deconstruction of Gender Stereotypes Through Fashion. European Journal of Social Science Education and Research, 5(2), 259-264.
Crane, D. (2012). Fashion and its social agendas: Class, gender, and identity in clothing. University of Chicago Press.
Gosling, J. (2018). Gender fluidity reflected in contemporary society. Jung Journal, 12(3), 75-79.
Griffiths, E., 2018. Jaden Smith defends decision to wear dresses. [online] HELLO!. Available at: <https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2018032847374/jaden-smith-decision-wear-dresses/> [Accessed 29 January 2021].
Hickman, M. K., Ozuem, W., & Okoya, J. (2019). Gender fluidity in the age of technologically mediated environments: implications for fashion industry. In Gender Economics: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice (pp. 135-174). IGI Global.
Runsdorf, A. S. (2016). Recognizing the Parallels Between Fashion and Art: The Designs of Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo
Sanders, W., 2019. There’s More At Stake With Fashion’s Gender-Fluid Movement Than You Realise. [online] British Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/the-meaning-of-gender-fluid-fashion> [Accessed 20 January 2021].