Why Clothing Actually Has No Gender

A little different than my usual article, but something that needs to be said!

Skirts and dresses have happily co-existed in the world for much of history including both ancient and prehistoric cultures, but when did this clothing staple for men become a sign of weakness or strip a person of manhood? When did our society force gender normative dressing on men and limit their freedom and creativity in menswear? This social and cultural gender divisiveness is a result of toxic masculinity and the negative connotation that surrounds femininity in our society today. This way of life has been established over long periods of time and has shaped our mindset as a society today of what is “acceptable” and what is not. Today’s gender normative clothing and sex divide has been culturally fabricated over decades. Historically, skirts and dresses were entirely normal for men. Whether you were fighting, building, farming, or engaging in some kind of religious ritual, skirts provided cheap and efficient use. Modern gender roles have deemed historically traditional garments feminine or unfit for a man. This is a result of negative stigmatism that surrounds being considered feminine, gay, or a crossdresser. Because of the negative connotation that surrounds femininity, men who choose a more feminine approach to appearance are looked down upon and discriminated against. This cultural demonetization is a result of toxic masculinity and suffocating gender norms placed on the men in our society. As a society, we must reform our dangerous way of thinking and realize that femininity is powerful.

Skirts and dresses are traditionally standard for men in many cultures. From toga-wearing Greek royals to Scottish warriors in kilts, men in history were far from detested for their clothing. Skirts and dresses were considered gender-neutral clothing that was ultimately a more effective garment for day to day use. Dating back to ancient times, skirts were worn by Roman horseback riders and soldiers because of the freedom of movement they created. On the opposite side of the world, the Japanese thrived in textile production by creating the Kimono. This floor-length robe adorned the body of each man and woman in the country The cultural reset that sparked the beginning of the end to men wearing dresses came about in the 14th century with the introduction of trousers. Trousers quickly became associated with men’s dress and masculinity, causing non-bifurcated garments to gradually slip away. However, it wasn’t till the 19th century that gender assigned clothing was set in stone. Breeching was a tradition in the 19th century in which young boys were given their first set of trousers at age 4. This process conditions young minds to associate masculinity with a pair of pants, creating a large gender gap in clothing.\

The negative stigma that surrounds men wearing “feminine” clothing was once similarly reciprocated to women wearing “masculine” clothes. In the mid-1900s, women began the fight to wear pants. Similar to the response for men in dresses, people did not take well to women in pants. The controversy raged on as women fought social norms by wearing clothes considered to be “masculine”. Now women wear pants regularly and are never considered masculine for it. Instead of having an intolerance for neutral clothing, we should celebrate unashamedly the open possibilities of non-gendered clothing. In the 1960s, unisex clothes emerged again as an attempt to eliminate the sartorial differences between men and women. This typically meant women wearing men’s clothes such as pants and shirts rather than men in skirts. A decade later Stanford researchers advocated for men to wear a skirt in a warmer climate since it was more practical than pants. The media met this advocacy with harsh responses shutting it down as cross-dressing. This negative response to men and women dressing outside of gender norms shows the large gender gap between clothing and the negative connotation that surrounds femininity. Women adopted ‘man’s” clothing and now wear it casually, as where men still face inappropriate contempt for wearing feminine clothing.

Some may argue that, despite the history of masculine symbolism, skirts are presently associated with women and femininity. This feminine garment strips a man of his masculinity. In order to be a “manly” man, one must wear pants and steer away from skirts or dresses. One can certainly have their preference in a man when seeking a relationship or kinship, but preferences do not define a man. Skirts can represent culture like the kilt. A kilt is a rectangular cloth tied at the waist, is worn by both sexes in parts of West Africa. The Scottish kilt, still worn at many social gatherings to establish a social and cultural identity, represents the height of masculinity. The clothes a person puts on their body does not define manhood. This goes both ways in which femininity is not defined with dresses or skirts. Many people label men by a strict list of rules that include both appearance and behaviors deemed acceptable and manly. Women have fought for gender equality and the removal of limiting societal norms, but men still are fighting this battle. Men should not be defined by the clothes they wear but rather who they are and how they choose to act

Clothing has had and should have no gender assignments. Both men and women should be able to dress freely in what makes them feel comfortable and confident. Society has widened the sex divide in clothing over a long period of time, placing men in women in a box of what they can and cannot do. History proves that men’s dresses and skirts were far from abnormal. From ancient Greek philosophers to Japanese soldiers, garments were all unisex. Over time, however, society began to connect masculinity with an article of clothing. This ideology was ingrained in the minds of young children. Because society views skirts and dresses as feminine clothing, men who wear them are stripped of their manhood. This is similar to society’s response to women in pants. Women wear pants casually now, yet men are continually looked down upon for a more feminine approach to dressing. As a society, we must change our way of thinking to break the gender normative stereotypes that surround clothing. A garment does not encapsulate gender, thus clothing cannot strip a man of his manhood. Men and women should be able to dress freely and creatively without judgment or hate.

xoxo,

Amelia's Closet