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Styled Out: Gender-free dressing

Sociological Images posted a blog a couple of weeks ago (discovered by way of Jezebel) on a subject that I sort of graze over but don’t often directly address: gender-neutral clothing. My thoughts on the matter of gender separation in the clothing department often have to do with the fact that, no matter how P.C. you want to get about it, women and men’s bodies are shaped entirely differently. The real solution would be to have androgynous specific labels for each sex so that they could find clothing they like in the fit that they need.

To tell you the truth, the thing that’s making me really sick is that seemingly every gossip magazine on the racks right now can’t get enough of trying to categorize and determine the sexuality of poor little Shiloh Jolie Pitt. I’m super on board with gender neutralization in clothing, toys and activities for little ones so that they have a better opportunity to make their own choices in their developing interests, but basing their potential future identities via their current 4-year-old clothing choices is ultra messed up. Is every grown woman with a short haircut assumed to be a lesbian? I didn’t think so.

The only thing that we can do is dress how we feel most comfortable and stay true to our own personal style. If the clothes fit, wear them. We’re so lucky to be in 2010, land of options and fluidity in identity. If you take a hard look and branch out of the department stores and into the boutiques, I imagine you’ll find a lot of options for whatever floats your boat.

We’re extra lucky in the way that there are a plethora of cuts and sizes available for many body types, giving you the option to be as loose or as tight as you like up top. Truly, the biggest problem for adults is the pants crisis, but a good (and cheap) solution is the vintage men’s pants from days of old (i.e. the 1960s and ’70s), reason being that the fashion was higher waists and slimmer leg design, making them a more streamlined fit for a lady with an androgynous palette. If you alter or cut off the legs to fit more like an “ankle grazer” it’s pretty much the most awesome look of all time. Paired with cool sneakers it’s an instantly fashion forward marriage.

Do you feel cramped by a lack of andro-options? How do you deal?

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