I support equality of all types. Based on history however, creating equality in the communities of the world seems an almost impossible task. So what if we tried a new approach? I wonder if we created equality in everyday mundane things, could we then apply it to the more important issues? For instance, clothing. How we clothe ourselves is a very visible way we show the world who we are but so many people are not free to dress as they wish. They are limited by the labeling of men’s versus women’s. And what about people who identify as non-binary? What category are they supposed to choose from? Most of us do not fit neatly into one or the other of these two limiting categories. If we could stop forcing gender labels on clothes and let people wear whatever they want, could this be a step towards seeing and treating people with equality in other ways as well?
There is so much categorizing and conforming forced on us by outdated rules dictating clothing expectations and what is considered acceptable. So many colors or patterns are acceptable based on gender as well. Why is there a lack of vibrant colors on boy clothes? The basic colors for men are black, grey, brown, tan, dark green with occasional accent colors usually of yellow and red. Why are the girl clothes dominated by colors of pink, rainbow, coral, fuchsia, white, yellow, pastels and everything bright? Women get all types of patterns versus the men’s clothes that seem to stay with food, sports, company logos or nothing. Why do we need to dictate what is made for men or for women? The two terms are not inclusive and very limiting. If we just removed the men’s and women’s label, then everything from the simplest basic tee shirt to a flamboyant elegant evening dress would be available for all to wear. No more labels, just personal style selections.
If we got rid of men’s versus women’s clothes we could classify by type, pants, shorts, sweaters, shirts, skirts, dresses, shoes, socks etc. and make clothes in all styles, colors, patterns, sizes etc. Let people wear whatever they want and be accepted. An argument one might make is that men and women have different shaped bodies, and this is true but really on a much larger scale. Everyone has different shaped bodies. Many people need to alter the clothes they buy to fit their shape and size. To buy clothes off the rack that fit perfectly is more of a luxury than an expectation.
Let’s dig a little deeper into a specific category, pants versus skirts. And by skirts, I mean all garments that do not have a seam sewn in the material between the legs. Examples include skirts, dresses, saris, kimonos, kebayas, hanboks, shukas, kilts, agbadas and the list goes on and on. What the garment is called and when it is worn will change the acceptability of who is wearing it. If a man is wearing a skirt or dress that is designed for battle, ceremony, religion, or theatre it seems to be pretty much universally accepted. But if he chooses to wear the exact same garment but in a different fabric or print for comfort, style, or ease then those same people may very well shame him for wearing “women’s” clothing. How does this make sense?
Maybe if we could ditch the preconceived notions of what is a proper way for a man versus a woman to dress, we would start to drop other preconceived notions as well. Instead of determining the worth of people on how well they dress to conform to what society says, they could be assessed on their character. Consider; we see people who are dressed in a style we would not choose for ourselves, (and at times for them as well) but we don’t judge their character on this. We don’t dismiss them as credible because we don’t like their style, as long as they are still within the clothing boundaries set by society. But if they are outside the norms forced on us by society, they run the risk of their character being negatively judged. They could have excellent taste and be trend setting in their style but that is not even being considered if someone feels uncomfortable when dealing with something different than the label they think is to be expected and acceptable.
Women have pioneered this idea for the men. Demanding to wear pants. Demanding to be accepted whether wearing a skirt or a pair of pants. Women have made more progress towards neutralizing the gender of clothes. Now it is time the men demand the same for themselves. Men should be allowed to wear a dress to work and not have it reflect on anything more than their chosen style for the day. If a man wants to wear spaghetti straps, then why not? Historically, skirts, hosiery and heels were the garb of men. Let them wear it again without ridicule or judgement. Add some lace or ribbon to clothes labeled as men’s and add some nice deep pockets to traditional female gender clothes. Let’s get rid of all gender assignment to all clothes. Let everything be for everyone.
And why do some people care so much about what other people are wearing? How does it affect them? I don’t understand how someone justifies feeling they know best how someone else should dress. It seems wrong and insecure to need to control behavior in others to reflect a personal belief.
Why do we continue to promote these tired images in our society? Why do we continue to force our children into certain clothing styles and colors based on their gender? Why must women have to choose from clothes that put them on display versus provide desired coverage, function, and comfort? Why can’t men keep all the coverage, function, and comfort they currently enjoy but in a wide range of colors, materials, and patterns? Another growing option that breaks free from outdated gender notion; the world of fashion design is starting to offer "genderless" clothes. The style is not traditionally masculine or feminine, and the styles can fit all body types
But to make this work, everyone would need to back off the people who are willing to give this a try. And if we could create equality with our clothes, could we create equality in other ways? I don’t know but I would love to give it a try. If nothing else, I bet we would see some excellent new ways to wear all types of clothes. Think how wonderful it would be to go out in the world and see everyone dressed exactly as they want.