Although androgynous fashion is constantly reaching new heights, the relationship between the two has been around for much longer than is typically thought. In order to discuss current trends in androgynous fashion, we must go back and briefly review the history of gender bending in fashion. While men had been wearing feminine wigs since as early as the Victorian era, one of the most influential advancements in genderless fashion came in the 1920s. In the midst of World War I, women were taking on more responsibilities than ever in society, filling roles that men traditionally acted in. Coco Chanel, a name now synonymous with classy women’s designs, dove head first into this new era. She began designing trousers for women because of their day-to-day practicality. Up until this point, trousers were only worn by men. Made popular by famous actress Marlene Dietrich, trousers blurred the lines of what was considered typical feminine vs. masculine clothing. Further in the 1920s, women began to dress in what was known as “flapper style”, which included traditionally-male trousers and a chic bob, both of which made them look very androgynous. This flapper style and the rise of female trousers revealed women, and the public’s, desire for more fluidity in terms of fashion and wearing what makes one feel the best. However, this style of androgynous fashion was still on the outskirts of society and culture. The history of androgynous fashion continues to rapidly propell forwards, eventually landing in the 1960s. While the 1950s is often considered as a period consisting of suburban mothers and hyperfeminine housewives, Yves St. Laurent changed the fashion fate of the following decade. In 1966, St. Laurent, an avant-garde, cutting edge fashion designer, released his “Le Smoking Suit”. The design was a tuxedo for women that eroticized androgynous fashion on women, and liberated them from their traditional code of dress. The tuxedo was aggressively black and extremely masculine, yet women loved it and its ability to express their inner, more masculine sides. Laurent’s design not only allowed women to borrow from men’s closets, but also served as a way to liberate both gender’s from having to fit into a rigid, gendered fashion dichotomy. In the 1980s, androgyny in fashion continued to liberate women through their fashion choices, allowing them to represent themselves to society and men as they pleased. Heavily influenced by the aforementioned history of women in traditionally masculine clothing, “power dressing” became very popular. Often wearing blazers, leather, black, and suits, women who engaged in power dressing were using the fashion style to gain respect in the workforce. Typically, women were forced to wear tight, feminine dresses in the office, Thus, power dressing became a way for women to demand respect in the workforce not based on their external appearances, but rather on their internal abilities. Apart from women dressing as men, the 1980s was influential in androgynous fashion through the work of Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, Japanese fashion designers. The two designers brought distinctly androgynous elements of Japanese style to their clothing, allowing garments to be shapeless and thus, more genderless. Social media is a huge catalyst for self expression within the fashion industry. Not only has it opened up a space for big brands to connect with their audiences, but it’s created a place where individual content creators can express their unique sense of self and style. Recently, there has been a rise in the idea of androgyny shown through popular people, modern style and content that has stormed the internet. The lines of gender have completely blurred and a spectrum of expression both in general but more specifically, in social media, has emerged. Prior to this revolution, social media was very separated in terms of content. There was masculine content which may have constituted rappers and cars while the more feminine side was stereotypically make up and clothing. Now, it’s impossible to miss these lines beginning to melt together and blend into a spectrum that is housed under the umbrella of androgyny. The days of being policed by a persistent and restrictive two-gender system are over while a new wave of virtual liberty aids the young people of today. Social media allows for the reimagination of feminine and masculine expression, offering a way in which audiences can share their take on androgyny in a creative space. Social media is a place where ideas, whether social, political, or otherwise can be represented and gain widespread recognition. Androgynous fashion has always been circulating throughout culture when looking at figures such as Prince, David Bowie, Boy George, Grace Jones, Marilyn Manson, Pete Burns, and so many others. Now with the rise of social media, the fashion revolution these iconic people started has carried on into the mainstream atmosphere, gathering strong traction. It’s important to recognize these past androgynous revolutionaries as today’s versions are celebrated. Jaden Smith, Gwendoline Christie, P!nk, Ruby Rose, Tilda Swinton, and so many more have aided in the creation of a more accepting virtual space through media. While social media today has allowed androgynous fashion to be reimagined in hundreds of different ways, it hasn’t always been this way. Online hate has always existed, but with this movement gaining more and more popularity, those ‘trolls’ are dwindling. Today social media offers a place for people within the global community to learn from each other and realize that there are more avenues of expression than those that both masculinization and feminization provide. While critics can argue that social media has its downfalls, it's aspects of community and representation make it such an important, useful device today. As gender expands, new understandings of self identity have also taken shape. There are more terms and subgenres than ever to describe or categorize one's place in the discussion. A term that has often been mistaken for the concept of androgyny is the identity non-binary. Due to a lack of proper understanding, sometimes people can become confused on the difference between androgynous and non-binary. Meriam-Webster defines androgynous as “having the characteristics or nature of both male and female”, while it defines non-binary as “relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely male nor entirely female”. Androgynous fashion or someone who wants to come off as androgynous include aspects of both male and female int their style. Non-binary on the otherhand is much more than simply an appearance. Non-binary is a gender identity that exists on a spectrum. If someone identifies as non-binary, it does not mean that they have to be both masculine and feminine. A non-binary person could be very feminine but may not feel like a female. They could be very masculine but not feel like a male. They could feel like they do not feel like a male or a female but somewhere in the middle. If you imagined a line and on the left was female and on the right was male, an non-binary person would fall anywhere on that line. A non-binary person could also be gender fluid, which would mean that they could fall on a different place on the spectrum every day. One day, they could feel more masculine and show that in the way they present themselves. One day they could feel more feminine. It is important to distinguish the difference between non-binary and androgynous, but they also have some similarities. Non-binary is more than simply putting a man in a dress, as is androgynous fashion. Non-binary could be a feminine appearing person in a masculine suit. It could be a feminine appearing person in a dress. It could be the opposite as well. Non-binary fashion could be anything a person wants it to be. It is about being able to identify in any way a person wants. Androgyny is also more complex. It is about erasing the lines between male and female. When you look at an androgynous person, you should not perceive them as a male or a female, rather, you should be confused. Androgyny is about challenging the social construct of gender, and so is non-binary fashion. In short, androgyny combines the appearance of both male and female. Non-binary could be that, but it also could be anywhere on the spectrum from male to female. Androgyny relates to an appearance of characteristics while non-binary is a gender identity and relates to how someone feels emotionally and physically as a human being. The fashion that relates to non-binary could be anything a person wants, so long as they feel confident and secure in how they appear. As social media is used now as a main outlet for the self expression of all types of people, the future of androgyny lies in how users decide to express themselves. Social media enables more methods of self expression, but also has seemed to enable people to present more individually in their everyday lives. This has led to a rise of new identities and new terms circulating attempting to define them. Androgyny, in particular, is a type of fashion that has a somewhat defined make-up. It involves a balance in relation to current masculine/feminine gender binary. But, it transcends masculine and feminine, and can be balanced in whatever way the individual sees fit. We revere the figures of the past who have initiated the effort of presenting beyond one gender presentation, we regard them as the pioneers for the effort that is in full effect today. The history of androgynous fashion has led fashion to this place and has helped so many people be able to confidently express themselves. Going forward, andogynous fashion will continue to aid in the expansion of the limits one places on themselves within a societal structure, which is something that all progressive identities have in common.
Sources: Coco Chanel in Trousers Image: Ten Ways Coco Chanel Changed Fashion | HUNGER TV Tuxedo Image: First Tuxedo