Gender Bending | A Brief History of Unisex Fashion

Androgynous fashion lines have been crossing for decades and while we will probably never see a man going to the office in a floral skirt, we have seen even the manliest man arrive in a floral print shirt or tie. But if history has taught us anything, nothing is out of the realm of possibility.

While the trend wasn’t predominant in the 1990s, it slowly crept back into vogue with the new millennium and this season is no exception. “The strongest and most versatile application of androgyny in fashion still lies in the suit or suit separates,” said Palacios, independent fashion stylist in Seattle, WA. Burberry, Marni, and Gucci showed strong unisex tuxedos and suits on the catwalks for Fall 2009. Comme des Garcons, Dior, and Armand Basi One use strong leather bomber jackets, billowy drop crotch pants, and oversized garments cinched with a polished belt to create the look. Helmut Lang has shown us great application of the t-silhouette with blazers and waistcoats having exaggerated shoulders in both height and width.

Unisex fashion or androgyny [in Greek ‘andr’ referring to man, and ‘gyn’ referring to woman] is simply a merging of both feminine and masculine characteristics. Neither men dressing like women, women dressing like men, but rather both at once; a blending of what may be commonly known as menswear and women’s wear.

Fashion changed dramatically during the 1920s and carried over into the 190s. Women felt more liberated in the 20s and began to experiment with their wardrobe as women began to alter men’s for a more unisex look. “Katharine Hepburn was frequently photographed during the 30’s in pants and oxfords while Marlene Dietrich ushered in unisex with her suits, ties, and bowties,” said Palacios. French fashion designer, Coco Chanel, introduced the Chanel suit in 1923 which featured a knee high skirt and boxy wool-woven jacket with gold buttons and black trim. The look suit look was slightly androgynous, but retained a strong sense of femininity. In reality, the modern woman was born during this decade and the styles from this period have never completely been discarded.

With the Great Depression, fashion once again changed in the 1940s and the boyish flapper girl look gave way to a softer silhouette and a more glamorous overall look. However, The 40’s and World War II had women wearing their husband's pants while working in the yard and amidst leisurely activities.

While the next decade didn’t start out atypically from the previous one, by the end of it, it was difficult to distinguish the boys from the girls. In the mid-1950s rock and roll was born and fashion would never be the same. Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis all had a slightly androgynous appeal which teens aspired to. The one-time worker jean, Levi, became a fashion staple for both sexes’ thanks in part to movie icons Marlin Brando and James Dean. The Beatniks were kids were pseudo-intellectuals with a affinity for jazz, art, poetry and an anti-materialistic lifestyle. The look was extremely androgynous. More often than not, they had a uniform; black turtleneck, black skinny trousers and sometimes a beret covered their cropped hair. The beat generation had one of the most profound effects on the fashion world as it was their influence which shaped the Beatles’ look and, as we all know, their affect influenced a generation.

Those swinging 1960’s when all the rules went out the door a new generation was dictating trends that were once set by the fashion designer. “Up until the 60s, designers generally produced articles that fell in line with gender roles; women wore skirts and men wore suits. The niceties of the previous eras were coming to an abrupt end as baby boomers pushed social norms,” said Palacios. “Models like Twiggy began wearing boyish haircuts while men participating in the hippie idealization grew their hair past their shoulders.” Rock stars were seen in feather boas, embroidered jackets, beaded necklaces, vibrant colors and hip-hugging jeans. Designers were quick to jump on this trend and began producing lines for men and women that were androgynous hippie influenced.

The following decade, we saw even more gender bending fashion thanks to British music icons such as David Bowie and Roxy Music who spearheaded the glam movement. “While a greater America steered towards more conventional bell-bottoms and peasant tops, mainstream UK didn’t spare a second to add gold lame, glitter, and feathers to existing garments and collections,” said Palacios. “Both men and women adorned themselves in boas as headpieces and scarves, and Victorian style shirts.” While this over-the-top trend was not wide-spread, it did seep into mainstream fashion by way of platform shoes and wide-leg, flared trousers which both became a staple in both sex’s closet. These fashion essentials carried over into the Disco look of 1977. That same year, the Woody Allen classic film, Annie Hall was released. Annie (Diane Keaton) arrived on screen wearing a men’s button down shirt, vest and tie. Paired with a long skirt, this was unisex fashion at its finest as Hall successfully blended the masculine with the feminine in such a way as to not allow one element overbear the other.

In the 1980s women began to move from the secretarial pool into high-power management positions and unisex fashion once again reflected the changing mood of society. Power Dressing included elements of menswear with traditional women’s wear. Perhaps the most prominent example of this trend was the women’s power suit. With broad shoulder pads, these tailored jackets were paired with matching knee length skirts or slacks and a buttoned up to the neck blouse. There were usually accented with a broach or kerchief to give the look which was definitely feminine, but had a masculine influence. While the power suit died by the end of the decade, the basic concept of pairing a tailored jacket with a pair of trousers has remained a popular trend for office and casual wear. We also saw a shift in fashion with the introduction of MTV, “Who better than “the material girl” - Madonna - to completely shake the fashion industry; bringing a mixture of extreme femininity and also suspenders and boys shirts,” said Palacios. “Madonna and New Wave Music brought punk the forefront of fashion, art, and music.”

The art to unisex dressing is to take elements from the opposite sexes wardrobe and integrate them into a single. It’s a slippery slope, but if done correctly, this is one way to make a bold statement and set yourself apart from the masses, “A safe start is to wear a men’s suit with vest and all, then pair it with a chiffon blouse and thin belt over top. Or, pair a voluminous gown with black leggings, combat boots and a men’s t-shirt,” suggests Palacios. “Bring focus to one or two areas of differentiation – too many competing layers can quickly become tragic.”

Androgynous fashion is liberating for it simply gives one more choices. Besides being liberating, it is also extremely fun to experiment with different combinations. And that is what fashion should be, fun.

As appeared on divisble magazine