Genderless Kei

Gender and our relationship with its performance is increasingly a discussion entering mainstream consciousness. Of course, there has been an on-going dialogue about, and questioning of, such things for a long time now but it has often been relegated to LGBT, feminist, sociological or liberal spaces.

And fashion. Fashion has always been interested in gender and how we wear it and can play with that, challenge it, change it.

Not that long ago, separate weeks were established for men's collections in several of the fashion capitals and, already, this idea is coming back into question with many designers showcasing womenswear and menswear together. Designers such as JW Anderson began in menswear and developed so many female fans that he was encouraged to produce a women's line. Yet, even then he constantly blurs the lines between the two. He is but one of a slew of menswear designers that is keen to adopts aspects of womenswear into his clothes for men. Even Selfridges', a long-standing fashion institution in Britain, had a unisex pop-up last year.

Hems in menswear, even in highstreet brands, drop lower and lower, kilts or skirts or skirt-like garments sneak in all over the place, whether being sported by Kanye West, worn by Jayden Smith in a photoshoot or embraced once more by men with heritages where they are traditionally worn.

Of course, Tom, Dick or Harry walking down the street probably isn't rocking an off-the-shoulder top or full-on dress but it's hard not to note a shift in the air.

Which brings us to Japan and the Genderless Kei movement which has been getting more and more press attention as of late, though those outside the media hype machine are loathe to actually call it a movement or subculture what with it being relatively young and difficult to pin down.

The movement has been adopted largely by straight (this is not the case for all proponents of the style but it is important to note that there isn't necessarily an overt connection with the LGBT scene or sexuality), fashionable young Japanese men interested in incorporating elements of female dress and grooming into their own wardrobes. Many are social media stars or models and work with big fashion and beauty brands.

The interesting thing to note is that these men are not trying to dress like women but to add typically female elements to their own sense of dress and normalise the combining of the two. They may wear make-up or colours, fabrics or items of clothing normally confined to womenswear but the overall look is still "masculine".

In this regard, the movement aligns with the fashion climate being seen all over the world but in a more coherent and active way.

But what does this all mean for the future of menswear?

Fashion subcultures often emerge in Japan and they can be quite influential, become international and have a wider trickle-down effect. The Genderless Kei movement, as I've said, fits into a larger trend or shift in fashion that has been a long time coming and has many historical precursors.

Will we see people rocking it on the daily worldwide anytime soon? Probably not but I'm all kinds of excited for the future of menswear all the same.

Sakupan

Yohdi Kondo

Pey

Toman

P-Chan

Devil

So, what do you guys make of the whole thing?
(PS Hat-tip to Tokyo Fashion for inspiring this piece.)

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Lady looks like a dude (and some musings on the limitations of gender stereotypes on fashion)

I'm kind of obsessed with menswear and sometimes wish I were a man (just for a little while) so I could play around with the boundaries of male fashion and style. There are so few left for women - we have such scope, such freedom. Although, as I say when men lament not having this same freedom - the trade-off with centuries of subjugation isn't quite even. 

All the same, freedom is sometimes strangely limiting. I mean, if we can wear almost anything then how is anything at all new or interesting? It's like how a poem is so much more interesting if the poet has been limited in some way; you're so much more impressed by what they've done given the limitations. There's so much a woman can wear without too many sideways glances that it can sometimes be boring. Don't get me wrong, fashion itself will never bore me, but sometimes I wish for ways to push the envelope (tastefully) a little more. If I hadn't been lazy as a kid, I could have taken up sewing and maybe then I'd be able to satisfy my desire to try things that the world isn't already giving me.

Anyhoo, that was a slight tangent. The point being - sometimes I wish I was my own Ken to dress up. My brother lets me help him shop sometimes but he doesn't really need me (So stylish! Makes me proud) and my boyfriend also heeds my advice at times but both are far too conservative by my standards. I mean, don't they realise they're missing out?! Getting dressed is so much fun! I can't imagine following an endless formula of tee + jeans + hoodie/jacket. If I were a man I would take that envelope and drag it down the street after me! 

Take, for example, what I was wearing today. I was laughed at when I said I'd wear the exact same thing if I were a man. Which is crazy because this would only be the tip of my iceberg. I would rock suits and hats (Why is it so difficult to find men who can rock hats without looking like wankers these days?) on a normal day, for no reason other than looking awesome while slogging in the library is fun. I would play with gender stereotypes all over the place and court women's clothing stores. I would totally have a skort. And lace? Why don't men use lace? I'm sure there's a way to make that work, especially when decency allows for much more of the male form to be flashed.

I think one thing that really limits menswear is men themselves...and women. There's such an established idea of what is masculine that breaking out of that mould is nigh impossible, especially if the man in question is straight. Which is where women come in. It seems gay men have more freedom in dress because the LGBT culture is so much more understanding and embracing in general. You can dress how you wish without large amounts of ridicule and/or repulsion. If you are a straight man, however, and interested in fashion you might be limited by women and their opinion of you...and possible rejection for being too outlandish. I, personally, would have no issue being with, or seen with, a man who dresses more provocatively or out-of-the-ordinary. But I know most of my straight female friends would not agree with this sentiment. More frightening than the rejection by women, however, (seeing as how potential rejection by potential lovers is something everyone must face) is that of one's peers. As sexuality becomes more and more of a non-issue (and we all move on like reasonable human beings) it seems that gender roles or ideas, however, change and move on at a much slower pace. I come from a small town and I imagine that a guy dressing as I would have him would lead to much more drama than him being interested in other dudes (even if that still might raise a few brows). So what's the connection between sexuality and dress? There's none at all really (other than larger freedom and appreciation to fashion-forward gay men) but here's my point; if we can get past the idea that a "real man" has sex with lots of women (or one), then why is it so difficult for us to change our view on all the other things that we see as "masculine". 

I just really appreciate that no matter how different men and women are, they are also so similar. We all have very similar needs, wants and desires. We're all people at the end of the day. And gender? It's becoming, more and more, simply a difference in reproductive organs. 

Why can't we all just get along...and into each other's wardrobes?

PS. I know I always play with gendered modes of dress so the above might seem a tad hypocritical but I will point out that I always call them "traditionally" gendered modes in need of rethinking.