Impact of Fashion on Gender and Sexual Identity

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Fashion has long been used to communicate gender and sexuality. From corsets to contemporary streetwear, clothing is a powerful way of expressing identity and communicating with the outside world. It can express edginess, femininity, masculinity, or any combination. By adopting certain styles, people can show others how they want to be perceived or challenge traditional ideas about gender roles or stereotypes. At its core, fashion has always been about individual expression; it allows the communication of personal beliefs, values, and preferences. Today, there is an ever-greater variety of clothing styles available to express gender and sexuality than in the past; it is no longer limited to traditional male or female roles. As fashion continues to evolve, it plays a critical role in shifting attitudes around gender and sexuality by creating new ways of self-expression. Through clothing choices, people can signal their social status, beliefs, and valueswhether they are expressing their individuality or fitting into a particular group or community. While exploring different fashion styles allows identity communication without saying a word, it also problematizes gender and sexuality identity.

Examples of Ways that Fashion Has Been Used as a Self-Expression Tool

There are several examples where fashion has long been used as a self-expression tool to communicate ones gender and sexuality. Some examples can be seen in The Politics of Dress: Understanding Identity and Representation Through Clothing by Jennifer Craik (2020, p. 28). In this book, the author discusses how fashion traditionally connotes femininity and masculinity with certain styles, such as tight-fitting clothing being associated with female beauty or baggy trousers being associated with male toughness. Fashion has been used as an incredibly powerful tool that can be used to communicate different gender and sexual identities, as well as challenge traditional norms. Over the years, gender stereotypes have become increasingly fluid in how clothing is seen, with men and women wearing items traditionally associated with the opposite gender. The book Crossing Gender Norms Through Fashion (Slade et al., 2020, p. 30) also explored how fashion can challenge and disrupt gender norms. The authors found that by wearing clothing items traditionally associated with the opposite gender, individuals could use fashion to break down traditional gender roles and express their own unique identity.

For example, female consumers may wear trousers or t-shirts, typically seen as masculine, while male consumers may choose to wear skirts or dresses, typically seen as feminine. Fashion can also be used to communicate different types of sexualities. For example, individuals may choose to dress in a way that reflects their identity or experiences (Ma, 2022, p. 9). This could include using fashion to express non-binary identities and queering style trends. Accessories such as pins, badges, and slogans often express messages about sex or politics. People can express themselves uniquely and empower themselves by incorporating various styles, colors, and textures into their wardrobes. Fashion can also be used to challenge the traditional gender binary. To challenge this binary, people might experiment with clothing traditionally associated with different genders (Ma, 2022, p. 10). This could include wearing more androgynous styles or playing with gender-neutral colors such as black and white. Additionally, some people may wear clothes not typically considered appropriate for their gender identity or expression to create a unique style statement.

Moreover, fashion is used by many individuals to establish their identity. Craik (2020, p. 21) argues that through colors and detailing on garments, individuals can create an identity that reflects their beliefs about gender and sexual orientation. She states that fashions have always been powerful tools in constructing identities based around gender, class, and sexual orientation (Craik, 2020, p. 21). Another article explored how consumers use fashion to construct a gendered self-image, with clothes being used as a type of communication that send out signals about the wearers identity, age, class, ethnicity, wealth and sexuality (Stübel and Goswami, 2020, p. 389). The research found that fashion was often used to express ideas of femininity, masculinity, and sexuality (Strübel and Goswami, 2022, p. 392). For example, female consumers were likelier to buy clothing items associated with traditional femininity, such as dresses and skirts. In contrast, male consumers would dress in a style that is considered masculine such as jeans and t-shirts. Strübel and Goswamis (2022, p. 404) research also found that certain clothing items were used to signal sexuality, such as short skirts or tight-fitting clothes for women and ripped jeans or tight clothing for men. By using colors, cuts, and detailing on clothing, individuals can express their gender, class, sexuality, and personal beliefs.

Another example of how fashion communicates gender and sexuality can be found in The Fashion: New Feminist Essay by Parkins and Dever. In this book, the authors discuss how the dress has been used to conceal and reveal identity aspects to conform to or resist societal conventions. For example, the authors mention how early female feminists adopted wearing masculine clothing as a means of resisting traditional gender roles and asserting their independence (Parkins and Dever, 2020, p. 60). Similarly, they also highlight how fashion has been used to express homosexuality, with colorful and vivid costumes being a way of challenging dominant heterosexual identities.

The examples above show how certain styles have become associated with different genders or sexual orientations and how individuals use clothing to conform to or resist societal expectations. Certain styles, fabrics, colors, cuts, and silhouettes can help send non-verbal messages about someones identity. One can show that they belong to a certain group or express individuality by wearing a certain outfit or style. These examples demonstrate how fashion plays an important role in communicating gender and sexuality.

Ways Fashion Creates Space for People to Perform their Gender and Sexuality

Fashion is an influential tool for creating and performing gender and sexual identities.

Fashion has long been used to express identity, with people drawn to particular styles and trends based on their conceptions of themselves and the identities they wish to inhabit (Boomsma, 2020). In this regard, fashion can create a space for people to perform their genders and sexualities. People can communicate how they want to be seen through clothing choices, enabling them to construct and present gender-based identities. For example, items such as skirts or high heels may be used to create a feminine look that signifies a female identity. Similarly, the wearing of suits and ties may be used to signify a masculine identity. This way, fashion can be used as a medium for self-expression and to communicate gender identity. Furthermore, fashion is often used to express sexual identities. For example, people may use clothing styles associated with certain subcultures, such as punk or goth, to indicate their sexual orientation (Adomaitis et al., 2021). In this way, fashion can be seen as a way to create and perform gender and sexual identities.

Concerns on the Ways Fashion Communicates Gender and Sexuality

The emergence of fashion has been a long-standing reflection of culture and identity. Over time, fashion has been increasingly associated with gender and sexuality, raising important questions about how fashion perpetuates existing gender and sexual norms or even challenges them. For example, Negotiating Gendered Identities Through Dress: Kimono at the Coming-of-age Day in Contemporary Japan (Becke, 2022) is a fascinating thesis that explores how fashion communicates gender and sexuality in Japanese society. This thesis examines the significance of the kimono as a key element of the Coming-of-Age Day ritual and how this ritual is used to communicate gender and sexuality through dress (Becke 2022, p. 186). Becke also examines the role of technology and media in influencing young peoples perception of gender and its potential to challenge rigidly gendered conventions. She argues that the kimono symbolizes a kind of symbolic uniform for young people, representing their transition into adulthood (Becke 2022, p. 14). Becke also explores how young people use different interpretations of the kimono to express their identity in different ways, often subverting traditional gender roles. This thesis contends that by negotiating their identity through dress, young women can redefine power structures in contemporary Japan and create new ways of understanding gender and sexuality.

The fashion industry has the potential to become more inclusive and accessible to all gender and sexual identities, but this requires a shift away from rigid and damaging stereotypes. For the industry to become more inclusive, there must be greater representation of non-binary people in mainstream fashion media and more diverse clothing choices. However, to truly effect change, there must be a shift in how gender and sexuality are framed within the industry, which moves away from rigid and damaging stereotypes. Stereotyping genders and sexualities can often lead to marginalization and discrimination of certain groups, damaging and unacceptable. Instead, fashion should be used to create a more tolerant and inclusive society. By presenting different gender and sexual expressions in a positive light, people can move away from rigid expectations of who people are supposed to be and allow everyone to express themselves without fear of judgment or discrimination. With this shift, the fashion industry can become more inclusive and accessible to people of all gender and sexual identities. The industry should celebrate societys diversity of identities and expressions. Only then will fashion be truly inclusive and accessible to all.

Ways Fashion Can Be Used to Challenge Traditional Understanding of Gender and Sexuality

Fashion provides an avenue to explore individual identities and foster community. Fashion creates an environment open to different definitions of gender identity and expression. Additionally, fashion can be used to express pride in ones sexual orientation. According to the LGBT History Project, for example, many members of the lesbian and gay community have adopted uniforms of sorts for special occasions that feature specific colors and styles (Adomaitis et al., 2021). This type of dress helps to create a sense of community and belonging.

Moreover, fashion can be used to challenge the traditional notion that clothing is gendered. For example, a growing trend in recent years is to buy childrens clothes without labels such as boys or girls (Murto, 2020, p. 239). This type of move challenges the idea that certain types of clothing or style are inherently masculine or feminine. As such, fashion can challenge traditional understandings of gender and sexuality by encouraging inclusivity and acceptance. Fashion is an important tool for creating a more inclusive and accepting society. By encouraging people to express their gender and sexuality through clothing, fashion can be used to challenge traditional notions of gender roles and beauty standards. Fashion can create a sense of community among many diverse groups by allowing individuals to showcase their identity and individuality.

Fashion can also be used to push back against traditional understandings of beauty standards. For example, the body positivity movement encourages people to look at their bodies differently and challenge traditional beauty ideas (Johnson, 2019). This type of fashion is designed to celebrate various body types and sizes. Furthermore, recent trends have seen the emergence of gender non-conforming styles designed to challenge traditional gender stereotypes and celebrate individuals who identify outside the gender binary (Johnson, 2019). This fashion encourages people to express themselves in ways that challenge traditional gender roles and expectations. This way, fashion can be an empowering tool for creating a more inclusive society that celebrates diversity.

Conclusion

Fashion is integral to how we communicate and understand ourselves. It can be seen as a form of self-expression that has the power to challenge existing expectations around gender and sexuality. Through fashion, people can create identities and express themselves in ways that challenge dominant narratives. Fashion can catalyze positive change, allowing marginalized groups to reclaim their identities and allow them to exist outside traditional gender roles. Furthermore, it offers an opportunity for self-exploration and expression that can simultaneously publicize messages about social justice. Fashion provides an incredibly powerful platform for engaging with gender and sexuality in ways that challenge traditional power structures. By using fashion to communicate diverse representations of gender and sexuality, people can disrupt stereotypes and reclaim their identities. In doing so, people can work towards a more inclusive society that celebrates all forms of identity. Ultimately, it allows us to redefine our understanding of gender and sexuality in a way that celebrates individuality, diversity, and inclusion.

Reference List

Adomaitis, A.D. et al. (2021) Relationships between dress and gender identity: LGBTQIA +, Clothing and Textiles Research Journal. Web.

Becke, C. (2022) Negotiating Gendered Identities Through Dress: Kimono at the Coming-of-age Day in Contemporary Japan. Thesis. The University of Sheffield School of East Asian Studies.

Boomsma, Y. (2020) The fabricated self: The role of clothing in identity development, The Fabricated Self: role of clothing in identity development. Web.

Craik, J. (2020) The political culture of non-western fashion identities1, Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, 7(1), pp. 928. Web.

Johnson, M. (2019) If you ever felt like body positivity wasnt for you, heres why, Healthline. Healthline Media. Web.

Ma, H. (2022) Inner and outer beauty: Exploring female beauty in contemporary China, Journal of Gender Studies, pp. 113. Web.

Murto, R. (2020) Gender categorization in representational market practice, Journal of Marketing Management, 37(3-4), pp. 238265. Web.

Parkins, I. and Dever, M. (2020) Fashion: New feminist essays. 1st edn. London; New York: Routledge, Taylor et Francis Group. pp.30-150.

Slade, T. (2020) Cute Men in Contemporary Japan, in R. Andrew and B. Ben (eds) Crossing Gender Boundaries. Intellect, pp. 189.

Strübel, J. and Goswami, S. (2022) Clothing and self-concept in cisgender and transgender individuals, Gender Issues, 39(4), pp. 387408. Web.

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Impact of Fashion on Gender and Sexual Identity

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