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Writer's pictureAndra Popteanu
Dec 13, 20212 min read

Gender Norms in Fashion

By Andra Popteanu Featuring thoughts From Rebecca Kaufman




The message we've all been indoctrinated with since birth. Girls wear pink. Boys blue. Girls wear skirts. Boys pants. As Alison Lurie states it the best in The Language of clothes,“A basic purpose of costume is to distinguish men from women.” The concept of clothing should be a fairly simple one, we wear it for our comfort and warmth. However, throughout history it has been highly debated and controversial, especially when it comes to what is deemed acceptable women’s wear. Historically, men have always had a say in everything regarding women’s lives, including education, pregnancy, and even something as simple as fabric. Because of that reason, boys’ clothes were made with the intention of exhibiting strength in order to make them appear influential and exude authority. While women's clothing was meant to both disguise and accentuate their figures, since it was made by men keeping in mind men's interests. Growing up in a society that had its starting point in that era, we’ve all been fed the idea that men are forbidden from expressing themselves and must suppress their feelings. Ideas that we more or less try to unlearn as a society, however we must acknowledge the truth. Fashion is a means of self-expression and on top of that men have always had the urge to identify themselves in relation to women. Thus where the scandal with Harry Styles wearing a dress in the Vogue photoshoot came from. People who highly value gender norms have seen it as a personal attack on their beliefs, when in reality self expression has nothing to do with the intention of provoking other’s views. By definition it’s “the expression of one's own personality, feelings.” It is, however, supposed to make you think about our own values. It makes you question what you should learn about yourself if you get triggered by someone harmlessly being themselves.


What was however an attack on bigoted people’s beliefs is the Stonewall riots, where people like Marsha P. Johnson, gay liberation activist and drag queen, faught for LGBTQ+ rights. Even the concept of a gender binary leaves people like her out. It’s cruel and inhumane to force individuals who don’t identify with the gender they were assigned to at birth or who don’t identify with the gender binary to fit in. It causes body dysphoria, which can lead to severe anxiety, severe depression, and in worse cases even suicidal thoughts and behavior. If you experience any of these symptoms, don’t be afraid to reach out to the sucide hotline, 800-273-8255.


Going back to the main idea, gender bending fashion is a type of activism on it’s own, as it challenges the gender binary. I’m going to leave it off with a piece of advice from Rebecca, and what it’s the part you need to take away the most from this interview, “fashion is the intersection between beauty and art. It's all subjective. So, what you might think is beautiful, somebody else might think is ugly. What you find unconventional, somebody else might think is completely normal.”






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