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Introduction
Andrej Pejic has had a busy year, and it’s only just past half way. Walking the catwalk for both Gaultier and Marc Jacobs, he has also bagged an advertising campaign from both and netted the front cover of three major magazines in three different countries. The unusual thing about this 19 year old model is that he is grabbing jobs as a woman. Having walked the Gaultier couture show in Paris wearing a revealing, frilly wedding dress, has the gender-bending and androgyny of fashion gone too far?
Burberry Boy?
Talking to a friend of mine, we started to browse Burberry.com. It was the time of the A/W 2010 campaign, and as we gawped open mouthed at the flowing trench coats and the inviting shearling, my finger tapped the computer screen over the face of Douglas Booth, Burberry boy, actor of Boy George and owner of glass cutting cheek bones [see our break down of the actors style here].
“Doesn’t he look fantastic” was my comment; however my un-fashion conscious friend (by ‘browsing’ Burberry.com I did mean ‘educating in’) blurted;
“He? That’s not a man!”
Androgyny In Fashion
As a writer, enthusiast and indulger in male fashion, I hadn’t heard this viewpoint before. Androgyny is rife in male fashion, on the catwalks of Burberry, J.W Anderson, E. Tautz, Yves Saint Laurent, Topman Design, the majority of other labels too. However to this sweet, fashion naïve creature, the concept of androgyny remained as incongruous as, well, androgyny.
Literally meaning a male with female features or aspects and vice versa, androgyny has always been present on the catwalk, but is only now becoming part of the fashion. Pejic is both the poster boy and girl for this trend, he having been a major talking point after the Gaultier couture catwalk. Gaultier’s A/W Menswear was just as contentious; Pejic making an appearance in a deconstructed blazer and a gold and fur number, brandishing golden heels.
Not every designer is as blunt as Gaultier in their pursuit of this trend, however androgyny has been cemented on the catwalk for years. There are designers like Dolce & Gabbana that do not indulge in the trend, with the likes of muscle abundant David Gandy modelling skimpy underwear and little else. This year in Milan, Vivienne Westwood put her satirical view on the trend [below left], putting voluptuous red lipstick onto her models (and didn’t they pull it off well?).
Androgyny goes both ways. Burberry have recently been flaunting the more chiselled masculine look of Nina Porter on the runway and in the Burberry Beauty campaign alongside the feminine goddess Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Lily Donaldson [below right].
High street brand H&M have even launched a unisex clothing line for the Fashion Against AIDS campaign – showing the disease can affect both the male and female.
Another brand that prides itself on androgyny is The Kooples (read our guide to the brand here). The brand is all about couples and how their individual style complements each other. Girls throwing on their boyfriend’s blazer or t-shirts is what The Kooples is all about, the brand making it clear in their catalogue;
Do you lend each other clothes?
“Yeah, I love stealing his clothes, it makes me feel like he’s with me at all times.”
Anna
David Gandy has talked of how he was ‘laughed off for the first couple of years’ as he searched for a modelling job, simply due to his muscle. The trend was ‘skinny guys who look unwell’ and it still is, but is that a problem? It’s a difficult dilemma; it would be odd to see the Burberry boy being anything but slim and just as strange seeing the D&G man without his 6 pack – maybe that’s what it’s all about.
The models complement the brand and clothes; if androgyny works for one brand and not the other then that’s fine, it’s all about the clothing designers vision and identity. I cannot see a negative for androgyny as much as I can’t see a negative for muscular models. Fashion is Art, and how it is expressed is always going to be unique, and thank God for that.
The Debate
But what do you think? We want your opinion on:
- Has androgyny gone too far?
- Would you rather see catwalk models looking like typical men? Would they be easier to relate to? Or is it all part of the show?
- Have you ever shopped in the girls section (or a girls shop) for clothing/accessories?
- Does your girlfriend/partner/wife ever borrow your clothes?
- Have the lines blurred nowadays in regards to true male and female items?
- Has your partner ever stolen any of your personal looks or outfit combinations?
Let us know in the comments below…
The Androgyny Test
So now a bit of fun on a Friday. We have explored the whole concept of androgyny within fashion today, but could you tell the difference between men and women’s clothes? Below there are a selection of very similar pieces of clothing and accessories. Could you tell which ones are male and which ones are female just by looking?
This is only a bit of fun, but just goes to show how many styles are crossing the gender boundaries these days. You have women wearing on trend brogues and boyfriend blazers, men wearing skinny or spray on jeans, both genders rocking Breton tees, pastel coloured chinos and the like. Even our own Matt Allinson encouraged you all to look in the women’s section for bags this week in his what to pack for the beach article, as they are “genderless”.
So try not to cheat, and see if you can spot the difference - just click the product to see if you were right. It is amazing the sheer number of items that are on trend for both sexes this year:
Men’s SS13 Fashion Trend: Safari
Men’s SS13 Fashion Trend: Ethnic Inspired
Men’s SS13 Fashion Trend: Denim
Men’s SS13 Fashion Trend: Statement Tailoring
Back To Top
I don’t think clothes should be gender assigned. If you look good in something wear it! I got nearly all of those pictures wrong which just proves everyone must be dabbling in androgyny or there wouldn’t be so many clothes experimenting with it. Plus its a great way for designers to maximise sales if both men and women can work the same garment. Great article :)
A very interesting article! Thankfully I only managed to get 3 of those items wrong (2 of which where bags), thankfully the cut of the item still gives something away. In all honesty I’m a little bit intimidated by the androgynous looks that appear on the catwalks, with regards to both the models and the outfits, my fear is that by blurring the lines between two distinct fashion groups you risk loosing some of the traditional imagery and purpose of clothes.
However, I would also be inclined to say that androgyny is something more suited to women and high fashion, in much the same way as sheer and over-sized clothes seem to work better for women.
If you take androgynous style out of the realms of the people that understand and appreciate it though you are sure to experience a great deal of negativity; A lot of girls like Manly men and a lot of men like to BE manly men (I was called a girl by one of my friends because I told him to moisturise.) It just wouldn’t suit the mainstream fashion consciousness.
But it is still an interesting idea and as I have very much enjoyed reading about it. I’m actually very shocked by the transformation Douglas Booth has undergone and thankfully, whilst my girlfriends style is a little androgynous, she hasn’t resorted to stealing large amounts of my clothes, so far its only a jumper that she now claims as her own and a few t-shirts for sleeping in.
I am very fond of the Kooples though, I really like some of their pieces.
I agree that if the clothes look good when they’re on then why not? but I think the modelling aspect puts me off a bit, I don’t want to look like a women when I’m wearing men’s clothes so seeing a model with such attributes makes me a little unsure about the clothes that they’re modelling.
In the same way that successful women’s fashion should – and more oftan not does – emphasise femininity, a man’s attire should ideally highlight masculinity. By all means, borrow certain quirks from the other gender but there needs to be a line.
I don’t know – IIRC the first great Chanel collection for women was revolutionary, and brilliant, in its vague boyishness or masculinity.
And I’d not like not to be able to wear pink, or skinnies!
I applaud Gaultier for hiring Andrej. It really speaks to being open and accepting of all types of genders, sexualities and appearances and points us towards being a society that accepts everyone.
Another androgynous styling (by Ciro Midena) was Isn’t He Lovely?
http://thefashionisto.com/reinaldo-berthoti-by-felipe-barbosa-in-isnt-he-lovely/
There’s a couple pieces I’d wear.
My issue is not the androgyny, I’d like to see more models that look like real people. Not all of us are 18-year old looking twinks or David Gandy muscle studs, but somewhere in the middle without a perfect sculpted 6-pack. I’m no longer 20, but haven’t reached silver-daddy status either, and would like to see my demographic depicted.
im glad androgynous fashion is coming into more high street hence more popular style…i’m a 15 year old boy and I’m often bullied for shopping in womens stores for my clothes but i definitely agree with dalton…if you look good in it then rock it.
I detest androgyny I’m sick of seeing skin and bone female models who look like teenage boys and male models who look like these female models it’s awful. I don’t wish to spark an argument but I think the sexuality of the designer’s lends a lot to their collections. Not all men are camp skirt wearing creatures Marc Jacobs. Ghastly.
The girl’s shorts are genius for tanning! But that does mean I only wear them to the beach, and at under £40 it is far better than starting prices at £160 from Acne.
Other than that, the cut is often a little different as pointed out by Will above, but if you are a skinny man then and a feminine shape is not obvious then why not?
i got 4 wrong by the time i finished the fourth row.
my view is simple, if its labeled as mens clothing then wear it, but if you have doubts if something looks too feminine then dont wear it!
not only will you preserve your dignity but you will also feel more comfortable because you have no doubts about the clothes your wearing.
if you dress like a man you will feel like a man. cross dressing for me is unacceptable.
So if you saw a jacket that you loved, It looked like a mans jacket, it looked great on but it displayed womens sizing on the inside label, what are the rules then? Or is that a completely undignified question?
Androgyny on the catwalks/in campaigns is often greatly exaggerated, as are most trends, and wouldn’t advise anyone to attempt to imitate such looks unless they feel truly comfortable doing so. However, when it comes down to such items as a pair of trousers or a bag, if it fits the bill, please ignore the gender label. Last winter when I was searching for a faux fur coat, I had no choice but to turn to womenswear as their high-street collections tend to be seasons ahead of mens. Don’t allow your wardrobes to be dictated by a label.
Great article Evan.
it is dignified to be learned, so question freely
correct me if im wrong but i think military boots were originally worn by men (because i think women soldiers came after men) so when my bro said that military boots were feminine i said WTF?! they just used mens clothing so how can you say that just because a woman has worn it its now a womans piece of clothing?
so its the little details that make the difference between womens and mens clothes, so if you look carefully you will realise why the detail of ‘womens’ is also stitched on this jacket you love.
If this was intended as a reply to my question, unfortunately it made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. If not, apologies.
have you ever seen pictures of yourself from years ago and thought “why the hell was i wearing that!” and then you remember the silly fashions of that time. so if your unsure now about what you wear and whether its feminine or not, think of how stupid you will feel ten years from now after seeing pictures of yourself posing in feminine clothing.
theres enough choice in menswear to cloth yourself so dont be too disheartened
Absolutely. I sometimes look at pictures of myself from only 6 months ago and wonder why the hell I wore that particular outfit, and guess what, I’m wearing men’s clothing! If I look back at an outfit and think it’s silly, I’m not going to think it is any more silly because I was wearing a womens belt. Fashions change and evolve, it’s inevitable.
My original point was to say that sometimes it doesn’t matter what is on the label, there are some womens pieces that can be incorporated in to a mans outfit just as well as a menswear piece and could only ever be told apart by checking the sizing label. There’s absolutely nothing to feel disheartened about.
I’m glad the article has prompted such a response, it is a topic that really does vary opinion. Browsing Vogue recently I found the women’s A/W 2011-12 trends and number one was Androgyny so it goes both ways.
Read it here: http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/trends/2011-12-autumn-winter/a—z-trend-report-autumnwinter-2011—12/gallery#/image/1
As an androgynous male myself, I personally think that if a certain item of clothing compliments yourself, then wear it regardless of the gender.
i’m glad that this debate has stayed level headed as it is controversial. now that i believe it to be the case that androgyny is acceptable amongst some males including Ashley Cover, i would like to ask these questions:
How far will you go into the pursuit of androgyny, would you wear a skirt and makeup? and what is the difference between being androgynous and being a transvestite?
i cant tell the difference so please educate me.
let me give you the definition of a transvestite:
A person, typically a man, who derives pleasure from dressing in clothes appropriate to the opposite sex (dictionary.com)
to make it more confusing, in the synonyms section of word, one synonym for androgynous is hermaphrodite.
I’m not really sure if you’re just desperately trying to prove a point here or you genuinely are completely baffled by this subject, but comparing the androgynous trend to a transvestite is basically like asking what the difference is between the military trend and a United States Navy Seal. Pretty ridiculous. However, to avoid further confusion this is how they differ in my eyes;
A transvestite: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dosepocas/1893926316/lightbox/
The androgyny trend: http://lookbook.nu/look/1118291-Shaking-Through-My-skull
Personally, I would never go as far as to wear a skirt or a boob tube because that isn’t me, but I will wear womens belts, knitwear, scarves etc because I am confident that I can style them in a way that won’t leave me looking overly feminine. Like I said, don’t go all out trying to copy the catwalks, wearing lipstick and hair extensions, but there genuinely are womenswear options out there that I know could be respectfully incorporated into a number of menswear outfits. However, if there are men out there who feel comfortable wearing a skirt, if he feels that it suits his body and most importantly, it makes him happy, then he automatically has my respect.
Just remember, there are absolutely no laws of the universe to dictate how anyone should dress, purely loose guidelines created by society and the media.
okay so the difference between military trends and a navy seal is that one is the real deal and the other is dressing like one. But the reason your comparison is nonsensical is because being a transvesite by definition as proven before is synonymus with being androgynous.
furthermore the pictures given can just as easily be taken as women, i saw an androgynous man the other day with a similar look and still cant tell whether it was a woman i saw even thinking about it today.
why are we fashionable? ultimately its for the opposite sex (in some cases males) to recognize us over other males. so what would be the target if one was to dress like a transvestite? there would be no advantage to it. as dressing like a transvestite or in an androgynous fashion would not be attractive to anyone it can therefore be assumed as not fashionable.
so lets agree to disagree but think on what i have said.
I really don’t understand why you keep talking to me about full on androgynous transvestites. My original point was never to try and prove the androgyny trend as a good one nor promote dressing as a woman, I’ve quite clearly stated that I would never dress in that way. My point was to state that there are SOME womenswear pieces that can work well in menswear outfits, androgynous or not! It might only be so much as a belt or a scarf, but they can, FACT!
But to be honest I think you’ve just hit the nail on the head as to why our opinions differ so much; I dress for myself and only myself. I do agree that a great number of people will dress with the thoughts of the opposite sex in mind, but that has never been my way (mostly because I’m pretty confident that I know more about menswear than 99.9% of the women I know). I treat my personal style as an extension of myself, not as a method of seduction.
Your final comment which goes something along the lines of “an outfit in which no one is attracted to could never be assumed fashionable” is without a doubt one of the most ridiculous things I have heard for a while. You have to realise that most people who love fashion (myself included) appreciate fashion as a form of art, I have watched catwalk shows that haven’t contained a single garment that I would personally wear but have still been left in complete awe. I also love how you’ve spoken for the entire human race by stating that “an androgynous fashion would not be attractive to ANYONE’. As hard as it may be for you to believe, there will ALWAYS be someone in this world who is attracted to someone else, that was an insanely narrow minded comment.
Anyhow, I have thoroughly enjoyed this little debate with you Adil, unfortunately though, you haven’t really left me with a great deal to think about.