The Growing Acceptance of Men in Women’s Clothing
Most would expect that one of the few remaining bastions of gender segregation, i.e fashion, would be safe from being infiltrated by the opposite gender. However, times are changing, and with it, so are the boundaries of fashion and what is ‘acceptable’. The result, quite interestingly, has been socially accepted men wearing women’s clothing.
How it Came About
To understand why a man wearing woman’s clothing is more accepted today than, even a decade ago, we need to analyze current social and cultural thought and how it differs historically.
Gender and sexual liberation are two of the most dominant ideas of our modern era, wherein the presence and widespread acceptance of LGBTQ communities has resulted in an ever widening and more liberal attitude towards fashion. No longer is it looked upon as something strange or wrong to don the clothing of one’s opposite gender, and gradually it is becoming the accepted norm.
Contemporary Examples
The changes have been mainly driven by acceptance and proliferation of:
- Celebrity Culture – There are many male celebrities like BTS, KJ Apa and Harry Styles who have openly challenged traditional stereotypes about fashion and dress style. They have been unapologetic in breaking definitions and showing that clothing does not have a gender.
- Art of Fashion Experimentation – Fashion experimentation has slowly become an art form, wherein budding fashion designers are focused creating stylish designs that appeal to all genders, thereby removing gender-specific clothing.
- The Internet – The internet too has played an important part, as it gave male fashion enthusiasts around the world an equal platform to showcase, share and be inspired by outfits irrespective of their gender.
Moving Forward
Today, the idea of a man wearing women’s clothing is no longer looked upon with shock or confusion. Men in women’s clothing are often praised for their courage and willingness to break gender roles and stereotypes. They have embraced their freedom from an era of conformity and have embraced the freedom of expression to wear what they like.
This growing acceptance of men wearing women’s clothing demonstrates just how fluid fashion, gender, and clothing identity have become in this modern age, where neither gender is afraid to step outside the bounds of social conformity, and into a much more liberated world.