Genderless fashion, often known as unisex fashion, has a much longer history in fashion than many believe. Unisex fashion’s first modern appearance was in the 1960s and 1970s, when gender and fashion lines were blurred. Even with the blurring of these lines, the unisex fashion produced was more of a nod to military style and men’s wear. For example, women shifted to wearing pants and trousers much more often and not just in casual settings.

Jo B. Paolette comments that despite this move to more unisex fashion, it was hit with a “stylistic whiplash” to clearly gendered clothing/fashion in the 1980s. In 1999, Rudi Gernreich, inventor of the monokini, “envisioned 1999 as a gender-neutral utopia of jumpsuits, turtlenecks, and tunics. While technically unisex, these tight-fitting costumes made the wearer’s sex glaringly obvious, and they retained traditional gender markers such as bras, makeup, and jewelry for women.” Fast forward to the mid-2010s, “Genderless" (ジェンダーレス, Jendāresu) became a fashion subculture that emerged in Japan. Aiming to break societal gender norms in fashion, the genderless subculture is centered on gender non-conforming, androgynous fashion. Since then, genderless fashion has skyrocketed. As social norms, gender, and sexual orientations expand, and as the acceptance for new norms progresses, so does the fashion industry.

The Why

Genderless fashion is not a “new youngin way of life.” High heel shoes were seen as a sign of status for men starting in the 10^th century with Persian warriors and evolving from there. The idea became that practically and financially only those of great wealth who did not work could afford such a luxurious shoe. Besides social norms progressing, another reason for the recent push for genderless fashion is the comfortability factor. Historically, women being uncomfortable was deemed necessary for women’s clothing. It was a right of passage to have pockets that couldn’t hold anything, corset and waist trainers so tight that ribs and organs ultimately shifted, and shoes that pinched toes and created blisters.

In the past decade, women realized that his battle with fashion was not worth it, especially when their work performance didn’t change based on how they dressed. The pantsuit was much more comfortable and held the same level of professionalism for women in the workplace, shifting into the new norm for women’s workwear. It was also the rise of athleisure and streetwear that helped push the genderless fashion movement, once again putting comfortability at the forefront of fashion decisions. In the past few years these reasons have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Pajama sales increased by 143% and bra sales decreased by 13%. In March of 2020, Women became more aware than ever that their productivity levels and sacrifices for workwear had no correlation.

Sustainability

Another great push for unisex fashion is the ethical and sustainable aspect. When only one style of clothing is being produced, the number of emissions being used/released into the atmosphere drops significantly. Fast fashion has been slowly moving out of favorability. Between the environmental factors and the lack of child labor laws in certain countries, people who have the ability to consume fast fashion have been slowly making the conscious effort to switch to a slower style of living. This is also matched with the rise of clothing rental companies like Rent the Runway, Fashion Pass and Vivrelle. Further, small businesses have excelled at unisex clothing lines and meeting the style wants and needs of their consumers. Despite higher costs, people are willing to spend extra money to know their clothing is ethically sourced and made, while small businesses don’t need to keep up with big brands that have tons of different styles and options based on gender.

Changing of the Guard

There are big changes coming for traditional men’s clothing, with one being the normalization of men in all styles of garments. When genderless fashion is brought up, it is often assumed that it is the assimilation of traditionally “women’s” clothing into a more masculine design space. With the recent influx of traditionally masculine men showing up to events and red carpets in skirts and dresses, this generation has made sure to point out that genderless means genderless.

There are examples of this transition everywhere. Harry Styles shot his vogue shoot in a dress, which made a huge statement to the cis male community that wearing a dress or skirt does not take away from their “masculinity” or success. Most famously, Billy Porter is known for his expression on the red carpet in elaborate gowns. Further, designer Marc Jacobs stated that he “discovered how nice [skirts] felt to wear. They’re comfortable, and wearing them makes me happy, so I bought more. And now I just can’t stop wearing them,” highlighting the comfortability at the forefront of the movement. As the lines of gendered clothing aisles blur, so will the shopping sections.

Where to Start

Family Industries has a great breakdown on designing unisex clothing. In the case of promotional products, it’s a great guide for where to start with clients who want to approach unisex/genderless fashion. For the most part, it boils down to how the clothing is labeled. When it comes to proportions, having a variety of style and sizes is important. Avoid specifically labeling clothing as a “men’s” or “women’s” style, and rather use the terms “fitted” or “loose.” Colors are endless, with any gender identity open to wearing any color – that’s the point! As far as fabrics are concerned, Family Industries recommends an “adaptable-type style” that downplays certain parts of the body and can be worn in varying ways.

Examples

There are tons of options for genderless clothing and also for inspiration on where to begin with genderless clothing options. Getting started can feel confusing or overwhelming, so having visuals to see and understand how you can integrate these styles into branding is a great first step.

Here are some options:

Telfar – This brand was created by Liberian American designer Telfar Clemens. He creates pieces meant for everyone and is most famously known for his bags. He stands by the idea that fashion is for everyone and cannot be categorized by gender.

Wild Fang – This brand was created specifically with genderless fashion in mind. The creators were looking for button-downs that didn’t have a gap in the breast area, and why didn’t they have pants with pockets? So, they created their own line with a particular focus on workwear.

Riley Studio – This brand creates a genderless adult line and is focused on sustainability. To make sure their customers know that they value transparency and ethical work, they detail every product with the entire supply chain that it went through, from suppliers to shippers.

TomboyX – This B-Corp certified brand produces unisex undergarments and hopes to help people feel more comfortable on the inside. They’re known for their unisex swimwear, and they recycle water from their water methods.

Older Brother – This is a sustainable brand that focuses on all-natural creation of their clothing. This includes the use of organic fabrics, as well as natural plants and colors for dying pieces. They also believe in “self-definition” and producing clothing with the intention that anyone can wear it.