How far are you from fashion

Chapter 10 Unisex Fashion

Once, I opened a fashion magazine, and on the middle page was a large photo of a Japanese male idol.

This handsome guy who is known as "a heartthrob" doesn't look like a "brother" all over his body.Her long hair was wetly draped over her shoulders, her expression was blurred, her lips were red and full, her skin was tender and smooth, she was wrapped in a close-fitting vest, and a pink ribbon was tied around her slender neck.

Gone is the era of the cold, deep, sharp-edged Takakura Ken, Eastwood, and John Wayne-style tough guys on the screen that were all the rage in the past.Now is the age of androgynous men.They have handsome appearance, soft lines, and delicate personalities, creating a new aesthetic concept for men.

Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch once said that this is an era of media, and whoever controls the media can lead fashion.However, today's media is overwhelmingly promoting neutral little men and neutral big women, which is undoubtedly declaring to the public: neutrality is the real fashion!

Perhaps, as the fashion prophets said, fashion in the new century will be spent in a day when the boundaries between men and women are blurred and increasingly neutral
Perhaps, as the fashion prophets have said, fashion in the new century will be spent in a day when the boundaries between men and women are blurred and increasingly neutral. There is a classic saying in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms": The general trend of the world, if it is united for a long time, it will be divided, and if it is divided for a long time, it will be united.Men and women have been separated for so long, is there also a "long time must be combined"?

"Neutral" clothing focuses on publicizing individuality

[Japanese "Mainichi Shimbun" Report] Title: Clothing Trends in the 21st Century——From Gender to Personalization
According to Makiko Takahashi, a popular fashion reporter who has been paying close attention to new seasonal fashions at home and abroad for a long time, after the "9" incident in the United States last year, the clothing styles designed by some female designers have attracted people's attention. "The clothes they design are comfortable, elegant and individual, reflecting a certain mood they want to express. The characteristics of this kind of clothes are not made for others to appreciate, but to turn their attention to expressing their inner world." Takahashi believes, Taking the terrorist attack as an opportunity, there has been a trend of seeking a new understanding of the most important things.

This fashion design trend is deepening.The designer's idea is that what clothing needs to show is not the "gender" of male or female, but the "personality".At this year's fashion show in Paris, a Belgian male designer presented clothes with the theme "beyond gender," Takahashi said.Although these clothes are displayed as women's clothes, but men seem to be able to wear them, and they are actually displayed by male models at the exhibition.

In the 20s, the introduction of women's sports shorts suits adopted men's clothing in order to promote social equality between men and women. In the 60s, French designers once designed skirts for men, and their idea was to liberate men from the "more masculine" framework.Of course, the fashion designers mentioned above all adopted a somewhat one-sided approach.

But Takahashi thinks that 21st-century clothing trends may be headed in this direction: instead of women wearing men's clothes and men wearing women's clothes.Neither the maker nor the wearer will consider the issue of male and female gender at all.In the future, it may be possible to make clothing that places more emphasis on "personality" than gender.

The day may not be long before more and more people choose unisex clothing for both genders.

new neutral claim

At present, autumn and winter fashion set off a wave of retro. The neutral trend in the 20s and 40s was held high, and the suit jacket, which was originally eliminated, returned to the popular stage again.The new neutral proposition of autumn and winter clothing makes the charm of women in the new century show a variety of styles between the rigidity and softness of the sexes.

The unisex trend began in the 20s, and the tug-of-war between the unisex trend and gender clothing became one of the most important catalysts in the interpretation of women's clothing
The unisex trend began in the 20s, and the tug-of-war between the unisex trend and gender clothing became one of the most important catalysts in the interpretation of women's clothing.Generally speaking, women's clothing in the 20th century mainly imitated men's clothing, and men's clothing became the main axis of the development of the clothing industry. Before the 20s, women's clothing design was mainly to extract or copy the detailed design of men's clothing. From the 60s, women's clothing design was no longer just extraction or copying, but a majestic replacement of men's clothing styles. People design women's trousers and wear men's clothing very differently. At this time, women's clothing is the men's clothing style specially designed by designers for women, especially the interpretation of men's three-piece suits.By the 60s, there was not much difference in form between women's trouser suits and men's suits, except for the differences in cut outline, materials and materials, and the left and right positions of the buttons on the front.

Today, these differences have gradually been deconstructed. The materials and materials have been homogeneous for men and women as early as the end of the last century, and the tailoring outline has gradually been disintegrated in the new century. Christian Dior's men's wear designer Heidi Slimane in his 2001 In the autumn and winter works, he even introduced some styles of women's sizes, so that women can also wear his men's clothing. After that, other brands of similar products have followed suit.

This neutral trend of the new century has curbed the originally raging sports and leisure style to a certain extent, and the trend has returned to the basic doctrine of structural lines. The deconstructed suit jacket has also returned to the popular style. stage. In the 80s, the Milan three-piece suit swept the world and became the standard dress for women on public or formal occasions, and promoted the intensification of the unisex trend.Until today, this trend has not diminished, but has a growing trend. Although there are alternative and avant-garde designers who are constantly breaking the structure and subverting the original clothing form, the mainstream trend still continues the aesthetic values ​​​​of the 80s and advocates neutrality. Fashion.

androgynous neutral style
In fact, the outline of the three-piece suit in the 80s was deduced from the structure of men's suits in the 40s. Milan fashion designer Giorgio Armani once said bluntly that his design style was deeply influenced by Hollywood movies in the 40s. In the late 30s, Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli drew inspiration from men's military uniforms and launched a suit with a very rigorous structure, which was popular around the Second World War.It wasn't until the launch of Christian Dior's "New Look" style that this kind of rigorously structured suit derived from men's military uniforms gradually faded. Until the 80s, under the re-launch of Italian designers such as Giannni Versace and Giorgic Armani, Only then did it return to the popular stage, setting off another upsurge for neutralism in the new century.

From the fashion phenomenon from the end of the 20th century to the beginning of this century, we can find that fashion has a very important characteristic, that is, the difference between men's and women's clothing is getting smaller and smaller. In the 90s, popular themes such as athleisure, pragmatism, street fashion, and minimalism contributed to the unisex fashion. The androgynous neutral dress style has become the heavyweight popular aesthetics of this century, and there is a continuing trend.In the neutral dress style, the femininity of women and the masculinity of men can be displayed at the same time, and the genderless third sex trend has become fashionable for a while.However, under the influence of patriarchal social values, clothing is still one of the ways to distinguish between men and women. Therefore, the formation of the androgynous trend of neutralization actually has a context to follow, because no matter how cultural phenomena and fashion trends evolve, the relationship between the sexes The gender wrestling is always directly reflected in the form of clothing. In the interpretation of clothing, there are still clues to the formation of popular trends.

Rigid softness and new charm

In the 20th century, the sexual liberation movement, women's self-awareness, and the feminist movement fueled the flames. Women's clothing began to tend to a neutral style. The evolution of women's clothing re-examines the role of women, and then reflects this in clothing.

In the 60s, Yves Saint Lauren derived from men's cigarette dresses to design pants suits suitable for women, allowing women to stride into formal occasions.In the 80s, the Milanese suit with shoulder pads made women look like fully armed soldiers ready to go to the battlefield; at this time, Yohji Yamamoto also used low-key and simple irregular three-dimensional tailoring to present a genderless and cold charm, which was originally a single A new element is injected into the masculine evolution process.

The neutral charm of androgyny is the new look of the purification trend after its transformation, and it has become a new trend pursued by new women in the 21st century
The androgynous androgynous charm is a new look of the purification trend after its transformation, and it has become a new trend pursued by new women in the 21st century.Neutral dress must have the 2T character of Tough & Tender, showing the charm of androgyny in the overall dress.Today, the evolution of this trend has become more intense.Judging from the trend of autumn and winter clothing in the 21st century, the tug-of-war between the two extreme values ​​of blindly masculine or moderately feminine is still going on. However, the femininity of femininity and the masculinity of challenging gender consciousness are displayed in the same silhouette and style at the same time in the new century.

A fashion that moves from coquettish to neutral
The rules of the fashion game are ever-changing.

During the reign of Louis XV in France, women's clothing was popular among men.Powdered wigs, earrings and diamond ornaments, lace pleats, feather caps and colorful shoes, all things that women like to wear, men regard as fashionable.Later, this trend was called "French deformity".

In spring and summer, fashion design masters have painstakingly emphasized the sexuality of clothing. Women's clothing is densely covered with lace, tassels, lace, and mesh, which is graceful, romantic and tender.

When autumn and winter come, clothing loses its gender.The female models on the flyover are all Dior's fluffy berets and high-top leather boots; Celine is all in neutral colors such as brown, black, moss green, and deep red, and is mainly made of woolen fabrics commonly used in men's wear. Material, take the clothing style route of military uniform and knight clothing.And this whirlwind of fashion quickly spread to the streets of major cities. Overnight, women were wearing berets, high boots, and jackets, and they were walking in the streets and alleys in a heroic manner, which caught people off guard for a while.

And this season's men put on bracelets and necklaces, and they put on a lot of effort to look pink. Pink suddenly became the main color in men's wardrobes, and they even put on a short denim skirt outside their trousers. Highlight its sexy buttocks.For a while, words like "charming, enchanting and coquettish" got cold feet and became men's favorite words.

A scientist in the United States said that human beings are evolving toward neutrality, the "Gender Gap" (gender difference) will gradually weaken, and the world will enter an era of "hermaphrodites".Thus "neutral" (Unisex) will become popular in the 21st century.In this regard, American public opinion has proposed "super-sexism" and "sexual transformation movement".A bar called "The Third Sex" appeared in Taiwan, and recently initiated the establishment of a "Sissy Concern Association". Girls often gather in the "Third Sex" bar to "singing birds and fragrant flowers" and "singing and dancing".

In this way, men and women stand at the two ends of the line, face to face, walking to the left, walking to the right, and they become one as they walk.The world will be unified from now on.

beautiful in neutral
Just like the unisex CK One perfume that was born in the mid-90s of last century, now, more women are beginning to join the trend of unisex dresses.In this era that emphasizes individuality and autonomy more and more, women are not satisfied with the gentle and cute image that clings to men all day long.The restraint and self-restraint under the traditional shackles are no longer welcome, and people strive to live absolutely comfortable and extremely self-conscious.A little publicity, a little rebellion, such a woman can give others a different taste.

As a result, designers began to create different women with a masculine vision, less gentle and charming, and more bohemian.Under the interpretation of the unique temperament of women, neutral clothing shows a unique beauty, which is ambiguous and subtle.

Marc Jacob's designs are liked by many people because although his fashions look ordinary, they are so ordinary that people are excited. For example, in the autumn and winter of 2002, his two clothing design styles are roughly the same.One is a brown jacket, a hat of the same color, a pair of simple jeans, a red striped shirt and shoes in a slightly brighter color.Simple and ordinary clothes, combined together become harmonious and moving.There is no artificiality, no heavy makeup, and there is only a simple and smart atmosphere rippling around.The other is a white shirt, a bay red waistcoat, blue trousers, and tan boots.The extremely ordinary attire was revived by a long red and white striped scarf, making him look handsome from head to toe.

Miu Miu is also a brown jacket, but it becomes bold and enthusiastic because it is matched with a bright red sweater and handbag, which feels completely different from the cold atmosphere created by Marc Jacob.Among them, the double-breasted design also highlights the strong and tough side of women.

Marni's style is in a cooler tone. The tough black jacket wears away the masculinity due to the long silver silk scarf, and plays the role of using softness to strengthen the rigidity. The perfect combination of rigidity and softness vividly brings out the uniqueness of women. Some temperament.

The neutral storm in the new century has given women more private space, where they can live more frankly, freely and comfortably.

If you change a taste, you will get another kind of beauty.

In the new century, we are beautiful in neutrality.

(End of this chapter)