THE FLUID HISTORY OF ANDROGYNOUS FASHION
DENIZ AKKAYA
Androgynous styles are currently the industry’s favorite trend. If you’re not familiar with the term, you might think androgynous fashion is a new concept. However, the origin of androgynous fashion goes all the way back to the 17th century!
Androgynous is a form of gender representation that combines masculinity and femininity. The word itself combines the two concepts and means that the individual has both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny has a long history, though not always with this name. The term gained more prominence in the 1970s when Bem, a gender scientist, introduced the concept of the psychological androgen. Psychological androgyny has floated the idea that an individual can have both masculine and feminine qualities. More importantly, it reflected the idea that having that mix of qualities could be a good thing!
Androgynous fashion styles are actually a long-standing trend in Asia. Japanese, Korean and Chinese media have an incredibly positive attitude about individuals with androgynous styles that have long been seen in anime, manga, K-pop and J-pop cultures for years. While Western countries have grappled with toxic masculinity in the last few years, androgynous style is still seen as a radical concept!
Throughout history, dressing styles have been pushed into narrow gender patterns by societal prejudices. Only men could wear pants, and it was unthinkable for a woman to wear pants. The earliest forms of’ rebellious ‘ androgynous fashion styles appeared in the UK and France. Originally thought of as a special form of dressing, androgynous fashion was the preferred way to visually bring the aristocratic class to prominence. In the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution and the uniforms it brought with it began to form the basis of style integrity between men and women. The change was further accelerated after the British and American armies, which recruited female spies, made it mandatory to wear special uniforms consisting of jackets and dresses over trousers. With the emergence of female activists and the introduction of men’s clothing, the androgynous fashion movement became even more popular. Gradually, women began to find the clothes worn by men more comfortable. Compared to women’s dresses, men’s pants were excellent in terms of physical activity and comfort!
Elizabeth Smith Miller became one of the first designers to be thrown into the androgynous fashion movement by inventing a unique style of trousers, later called “bloomer”. Elizabeth first showed this “unique style” to her cousin Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an American suffrage advocate, social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure in the early women’s rights movement. Cady was very impressed by the experience of wearing pants.
Beginning in the 1900s, Around World War I, traditional gender roles quickly began to blur, making a noticeable impact on fashion. Couture pioneers such as Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret began popularizing the “Flapper style.” The flapper style, consisting of high-waisted draped trousers and a “chic bob” hairstyle, gained great popularity among celebrities. The 60s and 70s were deeply influenced by the women’s suffrage movement.
Also, the emergence of the media, especially cinema and music, played a critical role in the adoption of androgynous couture. Yves Saint Laurent’s ‘Le Smoking’ suit, which they describe as an interpretation of femininity that revolutionized the fashion industry, is one of the most androgynous example to be given!
In the 1970s, Jimi Hendrix became famous not only for his music, but also for his choice to wear ‘women’s’ blouses and high heels. Nor can we forget David Bowie’s alter ego Ziggy Stardust. “Persona” was introduced to the public when David released “the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders From Mars”. When asked about the details of the personality, David described it as a reflection of his sexual ambiguity. Influenced by pop culture and movie stars, androgynous fashion became mainstream in the 1970s. Apart from David Bowie, the counterculture “androgynous disco Times” brought us Boy George, Prince and even John Travolta.
In 1968, the New York Times coined the term “unisex.” Then, genderless fashion, genderless styles, genderless clothing and androgynous fashion merged under a single term called unisex.
By the turn of the 21st century, we see a new generation of designers trying to make androgynous fashion the foundation of the industry. These designers come together with icons that have an incredible impact on the Y and Z generations; completely changed the new generation’s perspective on the concept of gender!
Cover photo: Ryker Allen
