Male clothes, female clothes or clothes that just look good? Genderless expression means limitless creativity, and for those of us wanting to amp up our style, that means an iconic fit. It’s a new era of wearing whatever you feel good in no matter how you identify.
Defining the Undefinable
As humans we naturally seek to define the world around us, but we end up doing the same to ourselves; making our identities digestible to those who’d rather limit us than to understand us. But University of Miami junior Hope Matthis chooses to dress in what makes her feel good, no matter who accepts it.
“My clothes don’t reflect women, they reflect me, not anyone else,” she says.
For most college students, university is a fresh start and a school like UM is the perfect place to take risks. From skater kid to yoga enthusiast, the UM campus sports fashion from every corner of the world. With close access from campus to Dadeland Mall, Merrick Park, CocoWalk and thrift pop ups every weekend, it’s hard not to join in. However, when expressing yourself means toying with societal norms, it’s easier said than done.
Junior Ava Wehrlin begs the question, “Because I dress this way, what if people already have an impression of me that isn’t actually who I am?”
The truth is that those who are most comfortable in their individualism are the least judgmental of others.
Sophomore Parker Coady says, “All fashion kind of is already unisex. It’s just more so how people perceive it.”
The right people will perceive it as it is: a passionate expression through some big ol’ jorts and a funky leather jacket.
Wehrlin explains that despite the initial fear of dressing androgynously, it has dismantled mental blocks for her as well and says “it’s kind of made me come to the point where I really don’t care what anybody thinks of me, ever.”
Making a Unisex-y Fit
Like crafting any fit, the perfect androgynous ensemble is all about experimentation. The best part about unisex fashion is that it opens so many doors to the point where maybe it’s not even buying new pieces. In fact, the trick to dipping your toe into the androgynous pool without breaking the bank is being creative with what you have.
Coady says, “It’s kind of taking stuff that I already own and just sort of figuring out what things can I combine.”
Matthis swears by “a capsule wardrobe” with “basics that I would probably argue could be unisex fashion and then you have, just a few rotating, statement pieces.”
Elena Stele, owner and curator of Ben & Giules, a fashion and interior design boutique with locations all around Miami, found inspiration through just that sense of minimalism.
Stele traveled with her family to Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she discovered the “culture of finding solutions to your problems with what’s accessible to you here and now and how to recycle and repurpose and think outside the box and not think as conventional as we’re used to.”
Any outfit is what you make it.
Stele says, “If it’s a skirt, maybe the material and the texture and the color is what the masculinity will be.”
Shopping Androgynously
Ben & Giules, as previously mentioned, is the ideal candidate for the face of androgynous fashion. Stele’s stores flaunt a timeless, idyllic sensibility embodying the effortless minimalism of Tulum. With rows of knit shirts and linen pareos lining the walls, the consumer is guided through a fluid exhibition of stylistic expression, inviting them to explore fashion without the confines of gender norms.
Another brand traversing the spectrum of androgyny is marco sqrd, co-owned by UM senior Max Marco. While pushing the boundaries of gendered clothing, marco sqrd is also turning the hierarchical nature of luxury on its head through resale.
Marco says his brand is all about making designer goods “more accessible to someone who doesn’t have the biggest pockets, but also keep a bunch of the unique pieces that people don’t see everyday.”
Marco and his brother created marco sqrd as an exclusive brand minus the exclusivity. Though they run mostly on appointment based shopping and pop-ups, marco sqrd has become more conventional with online drops as well.
Most trends start at the top, with these luxury brands, and trickle down to more mainstream corporations, but unlike Zara and H&M, brands like marco sqrd keep androgyny unique, but also accessible, as it should be.
If you’re looking for the most affordable way to build a fluid wardrobe, thrifting is always a good choice.
Buying second hand inherently encourages individualism as Matthis notes “it really ties into the building an outfit from the ground up.”
Unisex Everywhere
With different types of music festivals on the rise, some people are taking on the style of their most beloved androgynous performers and others are just embracing these accepting spaces.
Stele says that “if there are guys looking for men’s clothes, they’ll ask, where’s men’s clothes?” However, when working the local “Art With Me” festival in past years, she chose not to explicitly gender the items she was selling.
“We don’t really need to identify the section. We just have pieces out and they’re all mixed in with each other, ” she says.
Unisex fashion has also made appearances in sportswear. Wehrlin says she embraced her own tendency to dress more masculine when she played sports like basketball and soccer.
“I kind of became more comfortable in looser clothing, maybe more masculine clothing,”she says.
With the roomy shorts of women’s basketball to the singlets in male wrestling, it becomes clear that clothing serves a purpose outside of gendered labels.
Many argue it is a more common practice for women to dress masculine as opposed to men dressing femininely, as it’s simply more comfortable.
But more than that, Stele says, “One of the reasons is women really fought hard and made it normal to wear pants and shirts and blouses.”
Though it was over 100 years ago when pants were given the approval by the attorney general for women to wear in public, it wasn’t til the 60’s that they were established as an appropriate clothing choice. Nowadays a pinstriped tie and a collared shirt are staples of the unisex realm, but they weren’t always.
Dressing out of your comfort zone, while a form of expression, doesn’t have to be a demonstration of societal reform. Unisex fashion can also be just for ease and comfort. No one should have to feel judged for dressing in a way that best serves them.
In any society, the progression of acceptance can be accredited to the innate need for self expression.
Coady says, “Unisex clothing helps break down that barrier and basically invites people to start exploring.”
Expressing individualism is a domino effect and as our society continues to march forward, inclusive fashion can serve as a creative vehicle towards further growth.
Androgynous Staples
- Baggy pants. Jaded London has perfected the art of fluidity with their “Colossus Jeans” for a fun tiny-top big-pants moment.
- One word. Boots. Cowboy, combat, biker—the options are endless. Really any shoe works, but boots are the perfect staple to pair with a skirt or dress up those colossus jeans you just added to your cart.
- Vests are a requirement for layering. I’d love to say leather jackets, but let’s be kind to ourselves here in Miami, ditch the long-sleeves and grab a vest. Wear it over a bra or an oversized tee to add dimension.
- Graphic tees. Cut them, rip them, write on them. Graphic tees are the perfect piece for self expression and ultimately, fit any body shape.
- Accessories. Rings, belts, scarves, and let’s not forget hats. You don’t think accessories are that important til you see someone with one of those golden goddess arm cuffs and question why you even try.
words&photo_amber mason.
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