Pushing the boundaries of change
Genders have been explained in very defined ways In the history of mankind . Certain pronouncements have been implied in the societies regarding the genders, distinctly. “Pink is not for boys” is something that goes down the line of history of stereotyping men. These statements do move us into the direction of the boundaries and what the genders are slender to.
The History of De-Gendering
Needless to say, there have been some extremely celebrated people in the history who have broken the rules. People like Ru Paul, Prince, Freddie Mercury, Grace Jones have lived lives on their own terms by de-gendering fashion. While that period was historically iconic, it would be inequitable if we do not accept that their lives and efforts are recognizable in the 21st century.
Might as well add that this discussion is not just based on fashion. In an article published on November 25th, 2019 by ALOK, It states the following statement.
“often people mistake our calls for “de-gendering” to be equivalent to erasing their right to be men + women. Gender neutrality is not the same thing as requiring everyone to be non-binary. Gender neutrality is an inclusive frame for all genders. “
Why so? Pretty strong conversations are being held about De-gendering. The community is pushing the boundaries and bringing change. Certain events and threads on the social media platforms display that it is pleasing to see colorful nails on a man’s fingers to women being androgynous and still stunning.
The transpose in the freedom of expression through fashion has been happening for a good span of years. Social Media is playing, somewhat a diplomatic role in bringing this cultural reset into light. Applications like Tik-Tok, twitter and Instagram succor into getting to know more and more about De-gendering. They also come with a lot of hate too. It is, indeed a task to bring awareness and change in the mindset of the masses who have a little to almost zero information about this content.
The Growth of De-Gendering Fashion
The term, ‘Fashion Influencer’ is a hot topic for our generation. While you get to see what an influencer is wearing, you also get to be a part of the discussion about playing with fashion and somewhat revolves around the alterations, if used correctly and wisely. Normalizing people’s choices to wear whatever they want is what we need to realize, because it is not just clothes or makeup. It is much more than that. Self love, self reflection, the journey, self realizations, the bullies, the harassments, the stories that no one heard, the paths that were chosen with no direction, the fierceness, the fearlessness, and the list goes on.
It may also interest you: Fashion and colonialism
“FASHION IS THE ARMOUR TO SURVIVE THE REALITY OF EVERYDAY LIFE.”
