Articles tagged with "Gender Norms"

Jharna Pariani writes for Fashion Psychology (@fashionispsychology) website to explore how fashion's influence can be used to dismantle gender stereotypes.

From the article:

"Before the 20th century, women were shamed for cross-dressing in men’s outfits. It wasn’t until the 1920s that women’s clothing finally gained liberation and did away with tightly laced corsets, bustled skirts and puffy sleeves. Women began embracing the androgynous look, also known as ‘La garçonne’, revolutionised by Coco Chanel who paved the way for women’s trousers through her masculine-feminine aesthetic. In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent furthered the cause by introducing ‘Le Smoking’, a tuxedo look for women that became an embodiment of sexual empowerment."

"Women are now revered as ‘power dressers’ for donning sharp suits and enjoy the freedom of easily switching between both masculine and feminine styles. However, men haven’t enjoyed the same level of acceptance and freedom for embracing femininity."

"Gender is no longer just limited to male and female — or pink and blue — but is now a spectrum of non-conforming identities and fashion is beginning to reflect that."

Original URL: https://fashionispsychology.com/dismantling-gender-stereotypes-through-fashion/

A gender stereotype is defined as an overgeneralisation of characteristics, differences and attributes of a certain group based on their gender. Typically this is most widely understood in the context of the gender binary of men and women. For example, women are often portrayed as being emotional, caring, nurturing and in need of protection. Men are often characterised as being leaders, rational, career driven and strong. However, a gender stereotype is harmful when it limits the group’s capacity to develop their personal abilities, pursue professional careers and/or make choices about their lives.

Other examples are where assertive women are called “bitches” and “whores”, while men who don’t appear or act masculine are called “sissies” or “wimps” or assumed to be gay, which is a very offensive stereotype in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Gender stereotypes are complex and originate from local culture and traditions. Children learn what constitutes female and male behaviour from their family and friends, the media and institutions including schools and religious bodies. Gender stereotypes can have an adverse effect on all genders, as young people find themselves regularly exposed to messages about how boys and girls should look, behave and play. These socially accepted and often unconscious ideas start to form in infancy.

Gender stereotyping results from unconscious biases held by all of us. Unconscious bias happens when our subconscious makes assumptions about people based on their background or perceived background.

Everyone has unconscious biases. An individual can be unconsciously influenced by a stereotype even if they do not rationally subscribe to it. Becoming aware of our biases and working to counter them is an important way to combat the negative effects of gender stereotypes.

Unconscious bias arises because we have to process vast amounts of information every second. In order to avoid being overwhelmed, our brains have to make assumptions based on previous experience and find patterns to speed up decision making.

However, these assumptions tend to be based on simple characterisations of people such as their age, race or gender. They are communicated through micro-messages such as body language and choice of words. This is more likely to happen when we are stressed or tired, and can cause problems by affecting our beliefs and treatment of others.

As our society moves to a broader construct of what “gender” means, individuals who are stuck in this binary idea of gender have a difficult time wrapping their brains around individuals who do not fit into a strict gender dichotomy, or do not identify with any gender at all.

We are easily thrown in terms of our interactions with others for whom our brain has not been programmed to stereotype to some degree. This is because stereotyping enables us to make sense of the world – at least sometimes. Someone who considers themselves “Gender Fluid,” or “Gender non-conforming,” threatens the stereotypes we are familiar with and for that reason can seem is weird and/or threatening because we can’t even stereotype them.

Mainstream media & advertising have a powerful role to play in defining the gender stereotypes that we perceive, so much so that in June 2019 the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK banned "gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence" following a review.

The ASA said the review had found evidence suggesting that harmful stereotypes could "restrict the choices, aspirations and opportunities of children, young people and adults and these stereotypes can be reinforced by some advertising, which plays a part in unequal gender outcomes".

"Our evidence shows how harmful gender stereotypes in ads can contribute to inequality in society, with costs for all of us. Put simply, we found that some portrayals in ads can, over time, play a part in limiting people's potential," said ASA chief executive Guy Parker.

Media defines culture, and culture defines change. Individuals may see thousands of advertising messages a day in social media, TV, movies, newspapers or magazines. Those messages matter, because they influence our perceptions of gender.

When it comes to the portrayal of men in media, the fact is that harmful stereotypes do exist about what it means to be masculine, focusing on power dynamics, domination of other men, subjugation of women, violence and aggression. When this gender inequality occurs in the background of gender stereotyping, this is in the most basic sense sexism.

We’ve written new scripts for our daughters about strength and leadership, which are slowly starting to gain representation in media, but what about our sons? What do we want to redefine about their future manhood? New definitions can emerge, though they are often in conflict of our understanding of the world through existing stereotypes. The quantity and quality of advertising messages will largely determine how quickly and how well new roles are defined and adopted by men.

We need to stop seeing challenges to rigid gender roles as a threat, and instead question what’s working for us now and what’s no longer working. The truth is that some gender stereotypes can hold both men and women back from being the best that they can be - and impact our mental health.

Take some time to evaluate the gender stereotypes you frequently encounter and ask yourself whether they truly work to elevate your potential equally alongside others or at their expense because of their gender. Are they genuinely a threat to you or are you simply unconsciously obeying gender stereotype programming which you’ve received since you were born?

When we see a gender non-conforming person in our daily life experience, men in heels being only one example, we should recognise not only the privileges we have in our own position, but the background of inequality within which they have risen through with the mental strength and courage to step outside in the face of gender stereotyping. We may judge them for being "weird", within our own limited experience, or we can regard them as a strong, courageous and individual blueprint for new and positive role models.

The TheIndusty.fashion website explores the reasons why more men are shopping in the women's department.

From the article:

"This increasing band of fashion-forward men are purchasing larger sizes in feminine womenswear and thanks to celebrities like Harry Styles and Lil Nas X, and designers like Marc Jacobs, men now have the “permission” to buy and wear womenswear as their own. From clothing to accessorises, these men are buying what they like, regardless of where is comes from, just as long as it fits."

“Where I’d like to see it trickle down more is the high street. I think certain brands are afraid of looking too feminine which could potentially ward off their key shopper, but I think that’s the beauty of online shopping there’s a space for everyone,” says Hobbs.

“THIS IS NOT A TREND. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A TREND,” says Glazin. “It's not something I just jumped on the bandwagon with, it's really because I want more out of my wardrobe. And I think I speak for every man who does the same. I truly think brands need to have more unisex sections in stores, there doesn't need to be segregated sections!” he says.

“As there’s a wave of more gender fluidity, there’s also less pressure to stick to clothing made for your gender. Womenswear has always had a lot more styles, shapes, fabrics, colours etc. so when considering the options it makes sense that some men are opting for more expressive pieces,”

"Clothing doesn’t reflect people’s sexuality anymore. The vast range of new role models has promoted an attitude of inclusivity."

Original URL: https://www.theindustry.fashion/crossing-the-floor-why-more-men-are-gravitating-towards-the-glamour-of-the-womenswear-department/

Very Well Mind website explores the term "gender expansiveness", looking at its origins, what it means and how it's being used to classify people who cross normal lines of gender expression.

From the article:

"Gender expansiveness is an umbrella term for any expression of gender that falls outside of society's current gender binary standards."

"One person who has made a name for himself just by wearing clothing meant for the opposite gender is Eli Cohen, an author, speaker, fashion advocate, and "self-expression facilitator." He founded an organization called Spacious Human, with the tagline "Experiencing Expansiveness." Cohen is a cisgender man who began wearing dresses and skirts after the age of 50. He now teaches others how to explore their gender and their expressions of it."

"It can be challenging to put yourself out there in a way that makes you appear different than others, and you're opening yourself to judgment just by looking different or noticeable. However, some people feel that it's more important that society sees more than one version of humanity and expression, so they take on that potential judgment."

"Consider doing your research before asking anyone in your life about their gender expression. This saves others from having to perform emotional labor for you. It is considered polite to not ask people questions you could easily find the answers to yourself."

Original URL: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gender-expansiveness-6362960

While many curious men explore their gender identity at home, often with items of clothing they've acquired by mail order services, they may consider showing up at their workplace in those items as an unattainable dream. There is however some serious research being done in this area by many people to determine the sociological effect of workplace attire and how people who are gender nonconforming, non-binary, genderqueer and so forth are challenging the norm in the workplace.

From the Gender Sexuality at Work Conference 2022, Dr Briony Lipton gives this compelling presentation of her work on "Men In Heels And Workplace Attire" which forms part of a larger project "Invisibilities Of Gendered Inequality In The Age Of Remote And Hybrid Work". Her research on gender equality and changes in professional attire is particularly interesting as it addresses a fundamental shift in our pandemic and post-pandemic work lives where many of us now regularly work from home, or have a hybrid home/office arrangement with who we work for.

She explores "Queer Heterosexuality" and whether there are ways in which straight men can disrupt the dominant paradigm of the straight-masculine and whether this can help to communicate, challenge and influence organisations and individuals perceptions of gender and sexual identities and their perceptions of equality and inclusion in the workplace.

With notable mentions of @MarkBryan911, @The_Heads_Count, @AlokVMenon, @TheeBillyPorter, @GentlemanHeels and @Mens.Heels.Revolution there are a number of other Instagram accounts featured in the video which we'll leave you to discover for yourselves.

Original URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UCe441EoYI&list=PLhOObpoQndRlSrCjtoprhSRUWCa_qqZ8h&t=4s

Today, we take a look back to 2020 and a Harpers Bazaar magazine interview with Harris Reed (@Harris_Reed), the then up and coming designer who is now probably best known for styling Harry Styles for the cover of Vogue magazine. That moment was a pivotal moment in Harris's career as it instantly catapulted him into the spotlight.

"I’d like to eradicate the categories of menswear and womenswear,” Reed says. “Fluidity offers an alternate way of being, crossing and merging masculine and feminine.”

Harris certainly has a way of making what we would normally call feminine styles and presenting them in a way in which we can call them gender neutral. He is definitely one to watch for the re-shaping of the fashion world we currently know.

...and if that's not enough gender-bending non-binaryness for you, to take a look at @FluidByHarrisReed for his curated collection of classic gender-bending looks from the stars.

Original URL: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a34458195/gender-fluid-fashion-harris-reed-no-sesso-art-school/

Women Working magazine website brings us another report on Mark Bryan (@MarkBryan911), the 61 year old American Robotics Engineer who is legendary for rocking high heels on Instagram. With over 660,000 followers, he conveys a firm sense of his own style for high heels, and certainly provides an inspirational fashion and style narrative which includes the mantra that "Clothes and shoes should not dictate a persons sexual orientation or gender".

Mark comments about how he feels he appears to other people - "You look up and see this person, your mind tells you it’s a person with green hair, you think to yourself, ‘That’s odd or interesting,’ then you go back to do what you were doing and don’t give it another thought"

To Mark, a man in heels and a skirt is normal, and we can all take some inspiration from him. If he can do it, we can all do it!

Original URL: https://her.womenworking.com/straight-married-dad-of-three-wears-skirts-to-prove-clothes-have-no-gender-helps-raise-money

The Vou takes stock of where we are at in the heels for men arena and highlights 38 selections from what's on offer with options to suit all tastes, styles and budgets. There has clearly been a great deal of research put into this piece by Aiden Russell, and if they are anything like me, probably one or two personal purchases along the way!

From the article:

"the number of men reclaiming their space in the high heel fashion world by making profound statements of confidence and style is on the rise."

"Inspired by top fashion brands such as Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin, Tom Ford, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Maison Margiela, Celine, Amina Muaddi, YSL, Manolo Blahnik, Versace, and Bottega Veneta, these heels for men will make anyone look stunning, regardless of gender, style, or taste."

Original URL: https://thevou.com/fashion/mens-high-heels/

Opposing Views reports this story on @MarkBryan911 to raise awareness of gender neutral fashion. It's a brief, but interesting story on Mark and his views on wearing high heels to work every day.

Original URL: https://www.opposingviews.com/society/straight-married-father-of-three-says-hes-been-wearing-skirts-and-heels-to-work-for-years

Hypebae introduces Stixx (@StixxInTheCity), Wisdom Kaye (@Wisdm) and Henry Bae (@HenryBae), three men who are helping to re-define how we think about fashion today and in particular how heels are crossing the gender divide once again.

Original URL: https://hypebae.com/2022/4/men-heels-inclusive-fashion-gender-lgbtq-rick-owens

There are some great blogs on the web and this post from Resha caught my attention as I feel it speaks to many of us who just want to wear what we want without judgement.

"Almost everyone has an opinion on a everyone’s appearance. Some people just have the decency to keep it to themselves."

"The problem is that there isn’t an outfit that anyone can wear without being judged."

Original URL: https://studioresha.com/blogs/news/stop-judging-people-on-their-clothing-choices

Fashion magazine celebrates Tom Holland's (@TomHolland2013) red carpet outfit for the premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home and highlights Tom's calling out of Misogynistic comments made about his height in relation to his taller partner Zendaya and how he regrets not wearing heels for his rendition of Rhianna's "Umbrella" in 2017.

Original URL: https://fashionmagazine.com/style/celebrity-style/tom-holland-heels-spiderman-premiere/

Forbes Magazine reports on our use of language when it comes to Gender. We often use language habitually, built up through social interaction and education, but small changes in the way we use language can go a long way to making minority groups feel included in the conversation.

Original URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2020/07/08/how-to-use-gender-neutral-language-and-why-its-important-to-try/?sh=129f9aff26ba

You've possibly already heard of Mark Bryan (@MarkBryan911), though many outside of Instagram won't know that this sixty-something man regularly wears a skirt and heels to the office. He believes, like many more now do, that clothes and shoes have no gender. This interview for Harpers Bazaar brings us up to date with what Mark has been doing recently.

Original URL: https://harpersbazaar.com.au/mark-bryan-interview/

The Irish Times reports on “The Beautiful Collection” and exhibition at Paisley Park which showcases many of Prince’s legendary high heeled shoes and boots.

“Constructing dangerously high heels that were embellished enough for Prince’s taste yet secure enough for his talent required ingenuity and engineering”

Original URL: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/let-s-go-crazy-prince-s-most-eye-catching-custom-heels-from-his-3-000-pair-collection-1.4642904

Cissexism: "The belief or assumption that cis people’s gender identities, expressions, and embodiments are more natural and legitimate than those of trans people." Healthline digs deeper into this topic which many may not even know exists.

Original URL: https://www.healthline.com/health/transgender/cissexist

Koreaboo gives the run-down on the top male artists in K-Pop who love to wear heels.

Featuring:

GOT7

• Mark Tuan - @MarkTuan
• Jackson Wang - @jacksonwang852g7

BTS

• V - @thv
• J-Hope - @uarmyhope
• Jimin - @j.m

SHINee

• Taemin - @lm_____ltm
• Key - @bumkeyk
• Jonghyun - @jonghyun.948

Eric Nam

• @EricNam

N.O.M.

• @n.o.m_official
• B-SIDE - @n.o.m_b_side
• J.K. - @j.k_what
• KOM - @n.o.m_kom

Teen Top

• @official_teentop

NCT

• @nct

The Boyz

• Juyeon - @magijuyeon

EXO

• Kai - @zkdlin

2AM

• Jo Kwon - @kwon_jo

Mentioned in the article are the video for "I Need U"...

• BTS - I Need U

and the feature on BTS in Esquire

Original URL: https://www.koreaboo.com/lists/male-kpop-idols-defy-gender-norms-high-heels/

Vogue Magazine looks back on how men’s fashion changed for the better in 2021.

The article has the full detail, but in summary...

• Hollywood stars took risks
• so did regular men
• The runways delivered exciting clothes
• and the stores reflected that
• The momentum isn’t going to stop!

Original URL: https://www.vogue.com/article/mens-fashion-recap-red-carpet-style

Kidadl takes some of the confusion out of raising a child that wants to wear clothes not normally associated with their gender. Kids are born open-minded and are taught social norms by us, like what clothes a boy or a girl normally wears. This is also reinforced by their experience in the world around them. While this article is aimed at boys wearing girls clothes, it applies equally to girls wearing boys clothes, although through deeply engrained patriarchal practice, that has not been seen as carrying the same social stigma. The article concludes that it's fine for a boy to wear "girls" clothes, which it should, as clothes have no gender, and that we should encourage our kids to live as their authentic selves.

It's encouraging to see articles like this as it does seem to show that attitudes towards gender and clothing are changing. Our children are our future hopefully they carry a new hope for future fashion.

Original URL: https://kidadl.com/articles/when-boys-wear-girls-clothes-should-i-be-worried

Summary: Danish magazine DR reports on Danish department store, Magasin (@magasindunord), stocking the new range of inclusive sized shoes soon to be launched by @SteveMadden and how shoes in larger sizes benefit everyone regardless of gender.

"Every time you do something that creates a visible equalization of gender differences it will in the long run help to create more equality between the sexes"

This is a great article and reflective of change that is happening in the fashion footwear industry. Bravo both @SteveMadden and @magasindunord!!

Special thanks go to @gender_free_universe and @willgonzalez1726 for leads on this story.

Original URL: https://www-dr-dk.translate.goog/nyheder/kultur/snart-kan-du-finde-stiletter-i-stoerrelse-45-i-dansk-stormagasin-og-det-er-faktisk-en?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=nui

The Bubble asks “Do clothes define gender?”. Harry Styles’ appearance on the cover of Vogue magazine in a Gucci dress opened the flood-gates of discussion around gender. This article digs a little deeper into the topic of gender, stereotypes and the associated backlash from conservatives.

Original URL: https://www.thebubble.org.uk/current-affairs/do-clothes-define-gender-harry-styles-sparks-debate/

The Daily Targum looks at gender, society and fashion trends and concludes that men can wear dresses, heels or whatever else makes them feel good.

Original URL: https://dailytargum.com/article/2021/02/men-can-wear-dresses-get-over-it-why-fashion-has-no-gender

This article from respected magazine, National Geographic, spotlights an exhibition that celebrates the ways couture blurs the line between men’s and women’s clothing. It hints that social media is helping create communities of people that can influence the way we dress. It asks “who wears the pants?” and charts the rise of women wearing pants, something that can inspire us as we march forward in our heels. The article concludes with a positive message from a member of the LGBTQ community which suggests that our voices may finally be heard and our gender bending fashion seen.

Original URL: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/2019/03/gender-bending-fashion-rewrites-rules-who-wears-what

This article from the New York Times reflects upon how people have redefined themselves during lockdown and experimented with the wearing of dresses and other clothing normally considered feminine. Inspired by the appearances on TV of stars such as Kid Cudi and Lil Nas X wearing dresses and skirts people are eschewing gender stereotypes and bringing in a new era where clothing can no longer be considered a “tell” for anything.

Original URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/style/gender-the-boys-in-their-summer-dresses.html

This article from Medium highlights a feature on Harry Styles wearing a Gucci gown which appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine. The article covers how gender norms around clothing are changing and highlights some of the resistance against it, but ultimately "we just want to see sexy people in beautiful clothes" and a dress is just a dress.

Original URL: https://gen.medium.com/why-women-like-men-who-wear-dresses-509e66846a66