Feminine or masculine? Girly or boyish? Pink or blue? Say goodbye to these binaries if you need to stay abreast with modern sensibilities in the fashion world. The boundaries blur as designers resort to gender neutrality to make a style statement. But, didn’t we all see it coming when Bollywood star Ranveer Singh pulled off the look with ease at the promotion of Bajirao Mastani , when he sported a long, flowing skirt? And, Akshara Haasan too gave us a hint of this trend in the film Shamitabh with her cool hairdo and hats.
Hats and jackets, sweat shirts and boots have seeped into women’s closets. And, skirts, tunics and bling tops have occupied space in men’s wardrobes as well. What do our designers think about this trend? According to Nikhil Sharma, New Delhi-based designer of Lacquer Embassy, androgyny is about letting go of gender biases. “There is gender fluidity in the sartorial world at present. The new generation is losing labels and is more free and relaxed. Leisure is a strong component and sportswear has made unisex popular.”
Comfort is a huge factor in determining the popularity of androgynous fashion. For instance, women are increasingly seen preferring a free-flowing kind of dressing style rather than a figure-hugging one. Sonal Verma, creator of the brand Rara Avis, says there has indeed been a swap between the defined levels of comfort between the two sexes. Women can now shed the tight body-hugging sexual image and dress more comfortably. Men can dress up to flaunt their body shape and express the desire of feeling and looking fit.”
Boyfriend jeans, dropped shoulders, shift dress, over-sized shirts and shirt dresses are wonderful additions to the female wardrobe, according to Sonal. And, skinny jeans, kurtas with tight pants and pastel colours are her choice of dressing for men.
Nikhil’s fashion code includes black free-flowing clothing, which has now been adopted by the male blogger community and high-street brands. Capes and hoods, boyfriend cardigans, power suits worn by women make the rest.
“In our flagship store, a lot of girls pick up shirts (bigger than their usual sizes) and wear them in interesting ways. Also, our silk pocket squares, which are typically for a man’s suit, have been worn and tied as neckerchiefs by women. We also design unisex-oriented prints and graphics.”
Androgyny is more about the attitude than about the style, and maybe, that’s what makes it so popular among the youth, who are always looking for ways to assert their identity.
Sonal feels it is a matter of “self expression”. For Dhruv Kapoor, New Delhi-based designer, it might be staple garments like men’s coats paired with pussy-bow blouses as seen at Gucci. “It can also be the attitude, which, I feel, makes a stronger statement. The ensemble might be overtly feminine, but the woman pulls it off in the most masculine way possible.” He goes on to say androgyny is overrated. And, that it is a bolder approach, where everyone is willing to experiment and go beyond the basics.
“People are now using clothes to express individuality rather than just pure aesthetic, and power dressing synonymous with androgyny is taking over.”
The fashion wave goes beyond just being a sartorial trend and is about a larger socio-aesthetic philosophy for Purushu Arie, fashion designer, illustrator, stylist and fashion blogger, based out of Chennai. Why should one attribute a gender tag to clothing, he asks.
“Why is a skirt or colour pink labelled feminine or why are leather jackets and jeans associated with macho adjectives? The sexist society of the past has gendered our clothing, which was then dictated by social roles of men and women.” Purushu looks back at Indian history to derive inspiration for his creations. And, there is nothing more perfect than the lungi or the sarong. “It is nothing but a wrap skirt worn by both men and women of different cultures across the world. These kind of costumes have existed in our society for centuries.”
Dhruv Kapoor says the Indian market is growing at a pace he did not expect it to. “Our men are now more excited about shopping and customising women’s wear for themselves. And, women are more relaxed and experimental. The trend has already been Indianised. From Sabyasachi and Anamika Khanna to Rajesh Pratap Singh, looks like they are all nailing it.”
