Understanding Genderless Fashion and How To Be More Inclusive
As our society became more open to non binary expressions, it is natural and almost impossible for the fashion industry to not follow suit.
The non-binary term dates back to the 1990s but the younger generations of today are breaking down traditional gender norms within the fashion industry. As a result, it came to no surprise that gender neutral fashion trends have been on a rise for the past years. While many brands have already tackled this trend, today the push for non-binary representation should be implemented everywhere.
WHAT IS GENDERLESS FASHION?
The term genderless fashion refers to clothing that is not labeled to a certain gender, in other words, they are designed without keeping any specific gender in mind. Much like unisex fashion, it gives people the freedom to wear whatever they want regardless of their sex.
Just like certain colours are no longer designed for a gender, non-binary fashion is designed keeping in mind no styles, textures or colours, not inherently masculine or feminine. The fashion rules are bending giving total freedom to the wearer.
Photo: Burberry
While genderless fashion is designed without keeping any gender in mind, unisex clothing is instead introduced to accommodate both masculine and feminine styles.
THE POPULARITY OF NOT ONLY A TREND BUT A SOCIAL REFORM
Gender norms and stereotypes are becoming increasingly rejected by society, brands and even countries. People have the complete liberty in their clothing choice with new generations showing growing interest in genderless clothing. By some this could appear as a trend, but it has been there since the 1960s and will only continue to grow to become a norm.
The appearance of celebrities, like Harry Styles, Jaden Smith or Timothée Chalamet, on red carpets banishing notions of gender from their wardrobes gave society a bigger push towards genderless fashion and their fans a lot more confidence to embrace their individuality.
Gender neutral clothing is also considered a step towards a sustainable fashion when it’s seen as a way to swap and exchange clothing on a larger scale and keeping our wardrobes gender fluid.
HOW TO MAKE GENDERLESS COLLECTIONS?
Fashion has always been a way for people to express their individuality and their true self. Now more than ever fashion is inclusive to all genders, sizes, races, religions, etc.
To start a genderless fashion brand or collection, you need to first throw all the old rules, you are not targeting genders but you are creating clothing for everyone. Keep in mind that your collection will be a space for people to understand who they are and showcase it to the world. They need to feel represented and be able to express themselves.
An easy way to start is by staying away from colours, patterns or motifs that were once associated with a certain gender. Instead, start experimenting with gender neutral hues, especially for kids clothing, mixing different styles, trying gender neutral prints, or using fabrics like satin or crepe in a different way to turn them into gender neutral fabrics.
Lastly, you need to also re-design your campaigns to show that your clothing can be worn in different ways by anyone. Blouses, maxi cardigans, printed coats, and jewelleries such as pearl necklaces are examples of genderless or unisex garments that are rising in fashion today.
GET INSPIRED BY FORWARD THINKING BRANDS
Off-White
In 2018, the brand was one of the first big names in fashion to change the rules with a gender neutral capsule collection ”For All”. Since then, the late creative director Virgil Abloh always tried to bring masculine codes closer to feminine ones and vice versa, blurring the lines between the two genders.
Photo: Off-White, 2018 capsule collection “For All”
Photo: Thom Browne, FW 2020
Thom Browne
In his FW20 collection, you can clearly see that there are no signs of gender in all the garments but instead a mixture of feminine and masculine styles. Both men and women wore skirts, dresses or heels and women declaring an equal level of femininity or masculinity.
Furthermore, Thom Browne also launched a gender neutral fragrance collection with smoky vetiver.
Harris Reed
Harris Reed is contributing to gender neutral fashion by helping celebrities like Harry Styles or Solange to play with stereotypes of masculinity and femininity. His clothing collections with drapes, ruffs, trains and lace tailoring are now associated with non binary garments. The designer was also recently appointed as creative director to French fashion house Nina Ricci to help bring his romantic and gender fluid approach to the brand.
Photo: Harris Reed, Fall 2022
Photo: Collina Strada, Spring 2022
Collina Strada
Collina Strada regularly showcases not only sustainability but also genderless garments in her collections, from the selection of models in runways and campaigns to their styling in skirts, embroidered body suits, voluminous dresses, provocative pants and more. She encourages others to act and move in the right direction by finding their self reflection through clothing.
A GENDERLESS BRAND WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY
Daniela Uribe
Since 2020, Daniela has been working with Fabiola, a selected manufacturer from our community, to support a more #inclusive fashion scene. Her shoes have one mission: to deliver comfort, glamour, and a perfect fit to everyone and anyone.
“The Italian-made heels are designed for anyone ready to rock lavish and prominent shoes that re-establish the paradigms of absolute beauty and comfort.”
Daniela Uribe is deeply rooted in inclusivity. She believes that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and creates lasts that are designed and measured specifically to accommodate gender-inclusive feet and sizing. All shoes have been designed to fit every foot and to deliver the same chic look along with exceptional comfort.
Photo: Daniela Uribe
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