Social Construct

Fashion and identity aren’t to be placed in boxes but open for everyone to discover one's true self in. What box did you find yourself in?

The infamous year that was 2020 will forever leave us with remnants of PTSD that we will only reveal in dramatic cutaways in our weekly therapy sessions. Incredibly exhausting at best, the iconic moments of this past year are what will guide us, hopefully, into a future we can only dream will be better. Although there are far too many moments of racial injustice, political unrest, and complete shock, the lesser of these was when Harry Styles graced the cover of Vogue in *hold for suspense* a dress.

The look itself was chic and sophisticated. Styles was styled in 9+ outfits including a gridded overcoat, pussy-bow shirt, and checkered pants, as well as a Wales Bonner, knitted sweater vest, and kilted skirt, and one of my personal favorites being a trench coat by Maison Margiela configured to sit off the shoulders.

As amazing as Styles looked, the release of this December issue came with backlash from some more conservative readers; one, in particular, being an ignorant Tweet from Candace Owens stating, “There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back, manly men.”

Fun fact: clothes don’t make the man. Clothes don’t even make the woman. Confidence and wholeness of self make the person. The genitals you are born with are just that; genitals. However, an individual's style is up to the individual human to decide based on what is most comfortable and expressive for them. Throughout history and time styles within various societies have evolved in so many ways. Either way, style has always been subjective based on many reasons including individual responsibility, socioeconomic class, religion, career, an expression of individual freedom, and outright personal preference. So when did a definitive standard of what makes one more manly or more feminine find its way into defining who the human is and will become from the time of birth? Let's dive into history.

HISTORY LESSON

Femininity and Masculinity:

Let us begin real quick with the fact, as defined in every encyclopedia, that femininity and masculinity are rooted in the social rather than the biological. This means that society itself classifies what makes certain traits, colors (blue/pink), toys, jobs, and fashion to be strictly for women and others to be for a man. It is (as titled) a social construct.

Height Was Aristocracy:

Men were first to wear heels. In the 15th century Persia, soldiers wore a heeled bootie to help secure their foot in stirrups. When Persian migrants traveled to Europe the shoe was adapted by male aristocrats who wore them to appear taller and more powerful. The most famous of these aristocratic heel wearers was King Louis XIV who introduced the original red heels to the French court, only allowing the luxurious look for his circle of nobles. Savage.

Garments Are Gendered:

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London addressed the fashion evolution by stating:

"It was with the evolution of tailoring from the 14th century that bifurcated garments gradually became associated with men’s dress and masculinity. Previously, both men and women wore draped or unshaped garments and tunics.” From there, the tunic became shorter and tighter, and as an attempt to show off the calf muscle, fashionable men wore pantyhose or stockings for emphasis.

Coming into the 19th century, men ditched skirts and tunics. A practice referred to as breeching became the norm in which young boys were given their first pair of breeches or trousers to signify their transition out of infancy to begin the journey into “manhood”.

Fashion Used To Conform:

The development of societal “norms” is what has continually shamed and othered people who didn’t follow these unstated, yet understood guidelines for dress. Revealing itself in the 1950’s McCarthy era with propaganda flyers and articles reading "Dress Right - you can't afford not to" and "Men Advised to Dress Carefully for Boss". America was on a witch hunt and the irony in fighting against communism we pressed for society to conform, thus demonizing anyone who didn't look the same as the majority to mitigate the fear of being labeled as unAmerican or different. We created cookie-cutter houses and in turn, also created cookie-cutter people. We are in a McCarthy-era continuum that aspires to punish those who stray from the “norm” and run away from society’s demands to conform.

Fashion In Art:

Individual style has evolved from a need for survival to an expression of life. We saw this throughout teen culture with the emergence of exposed midriffs with the bikini, the 60s/70s freedom in hippie culture, and 90s grunge rock. In the CNN original series, American Style, Dr. Todd Boyd described this fashion as, “Going against the grain had become its own unique style.” That I will say is a concept that has not been lost. It’s living without question and fear of judgment, hell, living without care of judgment. So, let the people live. Let them outwardly express their souls and quite literally wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Needless to say, the revolution didn’t start with Harry Styles and frankly, it’s not going to end with him either. Styles has since stepped out wearing two boas to the 2021 Grammy’s, and most recently rapper, Kid Cudi, as a tribute to rocker and legend Kurt Cobain, wore a floral Off-White dress in his SNL debut. However, stars past and present like Billy Porter, Jaden Smith, Jared Leto, Keiynan Lonsdale, Marc Jacobs, Jonathan Van Ness, Boy George, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, and Prince - just to name a few; have all knocked down the wall of gender boundaries to express their own style that is true to the artists and humans that they are.

This isn't new.

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TIME FOR CHANGE

My cousin is everything I want to be when I grow up. They are brave, they are exuberantly confident, they have a banging body (seriously, what’s your secret because killing it), and they have the world’s biggest heart that is not only accepting of others around them but radiates energy that just lights up the room. Truly, they are the life of every party and the person you would migrant towards for a solid night.

Suit or dress, black or pink, heels or sneakers,

the significant moments you’ll remember are their iconic jokes and an amazing encyclopedia of Spongebob quotes. If you ask me, that stands out above any outfit that conservatives would find “shocking”. Although, truthfully, as a lover of all things fashion, chic, and fabulous, I’m pretty damn excited for the outfit as well. But that’s neither here nor there, just my own joy thriving in the creativity found in someone else’s personal style.

The point being, let your individuality shine in all the best ways. Although gender fluidity in fashion isn’t an entirely new concept, the media is zeroing in on this subject, and designers like Chanel, Ferragamo, and Francesco Russo are channeling their vision to open up the industry to gender-neutral fashion lines. As well as Marc Jacobs, who has created a polysexual line that is allowing for a new age of creative fashion by foregoing gender norms while also maintaining the aesthetic of the Marc Jacobs brand we all know and love. We’re blurring the lines on what is considered standard apparel for men and what is appropriate apparel for women. I personally can show my belly button now without being deemed a heathen and burned at the stake.

Fashion wasn’t meant to hold its wearers in a box just as art wasn’t meant to be left as a blank canvas on the wall. Art happens when we allow for beauty to emerge when the artists have a chance to play.

So please, avert your eyes from the past of pleated skirts and collared shirts, and peer into the NOW of the beautiful, talented, and creative beings out in this world who may not “have your style”, but are gracefully and powerfully OWNING their own. I am truly thrilled to watch the beauty our world will become when bigotry and outright hate ceases to hold a place at this table. Because if you bring that hatred into this house, respectfully starve. You’re not invited.

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Credits

Creative Director/

Stylist/Makeup Artist/

Model: Rebekah Cherniss

Photographer: Josh Cook

Model: Cody Garcia