The gender debate has changed a lot over the last 200 years. Initially, it was about women not having rights and almost being their husbands’ slaves. Before the 1930’s women were harassed or sometimes attracted if they wore pants in public; women had to look feminine and wear the correct skirt length. Since then, a lot has changed and today women choose what they want to wear.
The gender debate has become more diverse to also in include LGBTQIA2S+. We live in an inclusive world where everyone regardless of gender, skin color, age and sexuality should be allowed to have equal rights; but the fight for these equal rights is far from over. People are still getting harassed and attacked for being their true self.
In 2017, the focus was placed on equal rights as Prabal Gurung created feminist t-shirts with phrases such as 'THE FUTURE IS FEMALE', 'LOVE IS LOVE' and 'BREAK DOWN WALLS'. This went viral and suddenly this kind of t-shirts appeared all over the world. A t-shirt is good for spreading a message as it is a garment everyone owns. As a result, the group supporting this debate grew faster than it did 200 years ago. Things are moving very fast today because of our globalized world and social media.
Press photo for source
In 2019 a more playful approach towards gender fluent fashion was visible. For the past 200 years the dress has, in the western world, been a female garment. At Craig Green's S/S 2020 collection he included looks to provoke this very limited point of view on the dress. Traditionally men have worn a hat, jacket, shirt and pants; but in today’s society women also wear that, so why don’t we see men in dresses and skirts? Craig Green made a lot of looks that featured long dress-like silhouettes, details with skin showing and lots of colors.
Press photo for source
Also, at the 2019 Met Gala there was a fluent and playful approach to gender. The theme was Camp and the boundaries between traditional men and feminine garments were up for experimentation. Michael Urie arrived in half dress/half suit, heeled shoes and makeup, Jared Leto was in a dress with body jewelry outside and Ezra Miller wore a suit with a train, corset on the outside and experimental makeup.
Unisex clothing is considered to include only masculine garments. With the move last year toward more gender fluent fashion, when will we see more of the 'considered' feminine garments in unisex brands? Butler argues, that we are born genderless and though our upbringing, cultural norms, role models etc. we evolve into a gender. Also, we live in a society where we use clothing as pointers for navigation in terms of gender e.g. a human wearing a dress must be a woman; which ultimately results in keeping people in boxes and therefore retaining the performativity of the gender.
Butler's performance term is a freedom of expression e.g. for rock starts and celebrities e.g. at The Met Gala, but when it comes to 'normal' people who don't stick to codes for clothing in other contexts like at a private gatherings or at work; we are much quicker to judge them for stepping outside the norm. The performativity as mentioned, is one's acting consistent within the gender you identify with and in a way there is safety in conforming with dressing codes, because you don't have to explain or justify our clothing choices to other people - but should we conforme for the sake of safety instead of staying true to how we see ourself?
As a society, we need to change the terms of ‘his’ and ‘her’ garments to become more inclusive and break with the conforming for men's and women's garments. The prejudice that 'real' men do not wear dresses must be altered; because we claim to live in an age, where there is room for everyone yet clothing conforms to the norms of the performativity.
Why is it still so difficult for society to accept men in dresses?
Sources:
Bygbjerg, S. (11. juli 2012). DR1: dreng i kjole. Hentet fra Mandeforsker: Derfor er det så provokerende at se en dreng i kjole: https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/mandeforsker-derfor-er-det-saa-provokerende-se-en-dreng-i-kjole
Elizabeth Wissinger, “Judith Butler: Fashion and Performativity” Thinking Through Fashion (2016) pp.285-297
Pieri, K. (13. februar 2017). Harpers bazaar: Prabal Gurung. Hentet fra See Prabal Gurung's Emotional Finale: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-week/g8505/prabal-gurung-fall-2017-finale/
Photo credit for the last picture:
Jared Letohttps://hollywoodlife.com/2019/05/06/jared-leto-outfit-met-gala-2019-photos/ Michael Urie https://time.com/5581638/best-dressed-met-gala-2019/
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