Girls wear pink and boys wear blue, don't they? What is genderless fashion?

• The fashion revolution of generation Z is unleashed: young Spaniards now dress international celebrities
• Jared Leto's incredible transformations: from 'just' dyeing his hair crazy colors to being the king of makeup
• The feminist and rented costume worn by Irene Montero on Women's Day

Mecano already said it: "I am neither a man nor a woman. I'm just one person." And fashion matches, at least that which advocates the 'agender' movement. Neutral fashion, 'genderless' or 'unisex', as it was called years ago, in the end it does not matter what name it receives as long as its objective is clear: to put aside the stereotypes and labels that define the 'masculine' and 'feminine' and invite to dress freely, depending on the personality and individual preferences. In short, be free and feel good about yourself.

As a result of this movement we have been able to see men wearing spectacular dresses and skirts, or women in suits and ties, garments that have traditionally materialized a certain gender role. Also, there are many personalities who have taken advantage of this freedom to give free rein to their imagination and create unforgettable looks. One of them is Jaden Smith, the son of the famous actor Will Smith, who on more than one occasion has shown off his androgynous outfits that earned him to capture the attention of the creative director of Louis Vuitton's women's collections, Nicolas Ghesquière, and star in the spring-summer 2016 campaign of the French firm's women's line.

Jaden Smith Paris Fashion Week 2023Gtres

There is no doubt that fashion is a reflection of society and, in this case, shows a new way of thinking and living. This is how clothing is defined as a key piece in the formation of identity, as well as as a powerful way of self-expression. Flügel was one of those who conceptualized clothing as a form of communication and already in 'Psychology of a dress', the British psychoanalyst delved into the nature of dress, as well as its individual and social implications.

Throughout history the way of dressing has been closely linked to gender and over the years has led to the creation of two distinct figures. Víctor Bustamante, CEO and Creative Director of ALTERNATIVX, believes that "the main problem is to expose fashion under the prism of two silhouettes framed solely by gender. While it is true that there are percentages of the most common morphology, I believe that it is an approach that can be improved. There are multiple types of bodies by which we could govern fashion, much more accurate and flattering from the point of view of the consumer, such as: triangle, inverted triangle, hourglass, square or column, or even by heights and proportions. "

How did 'genderless' fashion come about?

This change in the patterns that govern aesthetics is not as novel as it may seem 'a priori'; The Greeks already made their first steps in this fashion without gender because both men and women wore similar clothes, specifically, a tunic and a mantle. However, it was not until the early twentieth century, with the revolution that Chanel initiated in women's fashion, when the timid beginning of the 'agender' movement began to be appreciated. Coco Chanel frequently wore men's clothes that she borrowed from her lovers' closet, such as trousers and ties, although always in a leisure context (to go to the beach or to ride a horse). In this way, with the mixture of typically masculine and feminine elements, the dressmaker reinvented the silhouette of women and the limits began to blur.

However, Chanel was not the only one to challenge the aesthetic conventions of the time because in the 30s, a young Marlene Dietrich revolutionized stereotypes by appearing dressed in a tuxedo, in a display of female dandyism, in the film 'Morocco'. In this way, women began to be interested in pants and much more 'unisex' dress codes began to emerge. Later, Yves Saint Laurent picked up the baton and took it upon himself to empower women by introducing a women's tuxedo into his 1966 collection.

Women's tuxedo by Yves Saint Laurent, Helmut NewtonINSTAGRAM

It should be noted that this is not only a process in which women adopted typically masculine clothing in search of equality, but also some men, such as David Bowie, opted for feminine garments or exaggerated makeup in search of androgyny.

Goodbye to gender labels on the catwalk

It's been more than 40 years since Rei Kawakubo (Comme des garçons), Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto transcended genre barriers through broad silhouettes of minimalist and monochromatic style. "I think my men's clothes fit women as well as my women's clothes," Mr. Yamamoto told The New York Times in 1983. "I always wonder who decided there should be a difference in men's and women's clothing. Maybe the men decided this," the Japanese designer added.

Thierry Mugler, the fashion showman par excellence, was another of the pioneers in promoting freedom of expression and a daring and brave style, always with glamour. Since the birth of the firm, in 1973, the French designer has been ahead of issues so present today in the sector, such as gender fluidity and body positive.

Nor can we forget the trajectory of Alessandro Michele in Gucci because it perfectly reflected the changes that were taking place in the industry in response to the new concerns and codes of a more open-minded generation. In their collections, women's and men's fashion intermingled and coexisted in harmony (women with men's tailoring and men with skirts and dresses). Harry Styles, brand ambassador, perfectly embodied this new trend and offered some of Gucci's most iconic looks.

Alessandro Michele and Harry Styles at the 2019 Met GalaGetty

Raf Simons, creative director of Prada, also opted for 'no gender' for his spring-summer 2022 collection by showing male figures with knitted sweaters and skirts. And more recently Valentino, with Pierpaolo Piccioli at the helm, opted for the tie for both men and women in his autumn-winter show at the last Paris Fashion Week.

Spring-Summer 2022 Collection Raf SimonsLaunchmetrics Spotlight

Where to buy neutral or 'genderless' fashion?

In accordance with increasingly diluted constructions of femininity and masculinity, fashion brands incorporate collections that present a series of creations that can be worn by all types of people regardless of their sex and gender identity. Bustamante explains that "the 'genderless' is no longer a future panorama, but rather something of the present that demands the 'street style' and is evident on the catwalks. Fashion is a firm reflection of the society in which we live and, in that sense, in Spain we are more restrained to experiment with garments compared to other large capitals such as Paris or Milan. However, consumers dictate sentence, and on the streets we see more and more girls with garments from male sections and vice versa, so I think it is a matter of time and freedom from strong stigmas." That is why he created ALTERNATIVX, a brand 'made in Spain' that seeks to break the canons of gender, in addition to bringing art to the streets through fashion, so it bets on emerging artists.

View this post on Instagram

Others have chosen to incorporate 'genderless' lines to their collections, such as the one Ecoalf has developed with Jon Kortajarena; in the same way, Maison Mesa, has presented a capsule collection of 'unisex' t-shirts with EltioClaus, an animated character and at the same time a clothing brand.

According to The Trust Project criteria

Learn more

• Fashion trends