Most fashion emphasizes gender binary individuals, but what is really an ordeal for those who consider themselves gender non-binary is not so much buying clothes (plain) as buying underwear (which is thanks, not in vain, to multiple clichés almost from the beginning of time).
Take, for example, look at Victoria's Secret. After raising the shutters of its first store back in 1977, the famous brand soon dominated the lingerie market with products that were clearly hypersexualized and debtors of beauty standards that were as specific as they were unrealistic.
Yet after decades of willfully ignoring trans people and plus-size women, Victoria's Secret has made a contrition to hang on the arm of much more diverse ambassadors like transgender model Valentina Sampaio and openly lesbian footballer Megan Rapinoe.
With its vaunted rebranding, the brand intends to put in the spotlight what women really want, although some have been quick to dismiss Victoria's Secret's purpose of amendment as inauthentic and too late.
Breaking through decades and decades of hypersexualization in the underwear industry
In the mid-2010s, lingerie brands (at least those in the direct-to-customer universe) began to fly the banner of diversity and inclusion. Still, his efforts seemed to keep falling short. In 2019, for example, the underwear brand Parade emerged, on whose website models of all shapes and sizes appear, but where all the mannequins are also assigned to the female gender.
Considering that younger people are much less shy than previous generations when it comes to displaying their non-binary gender, the underwear industry seems to be slowing down when it comes to meeting the needs of its target audience.
In the United States, 12% of millennials identify as transgender or gender non-conforming. And one in six centennials defines themselves as “queer” or transgender.
Both the Millennial Generation and Generation Z are fully convinced that the (once immovable) concept of binary gender has become outdated. Not in vain, 25% of centennials globally expect to change their gender identity at least once throughout their lives.
How to Stop Eyes from Watering when Wearing Makeup #Topbuzz https://t.co/sobN5NlePy
— UNDENIABLY UNWAVERING --- BTM Mon Mar 25 01:36:12 +0000 2019
In this sense, Generation Z is also less inclined to invest money in brands that they perceive as not very authentic, not very diverse or lacking from the point of view of sustainability.
Generation Z is particularly prone to buying clothing regardless of gender labels
It should also be noted that 56% of centennials buy clothes that are not designed a priori for the gender assigned to them at birth.
For this reason we are witnessing the birth of a new generation of underwear brands eager to meet the needs of people of all gender identities.
This is the case of Urbody, a brand launched last March by the non-binary gender influencer Mere Abrams and the entrepreneur Anna Graham with the ultimate goal of marketing clothing that inspires "acceptance, self-love and freedom of expression". gender", as stated on its website. Their products are sold in a wide range of sizes and are specifically designed for people of all gender identities.
Of a similar cut is the TomboyX brand, which was launched in 2012 through a Kickstarter campaign and sells underwear from size XS to size 4X. Known for its colorful briefs (suitable for people of all genders), TomboyX has seen a 50% year-over-year increase since 2017.
Another happily gender-emancipated underwear brand is Play Out Apparel, founded in 2013 by Abby Sugar, who identifies as "queer," and gender-neutral designer E Leifer. This firm designs underwear (and also streetwear) for all gender identities and sells from size XS to size 5X. In addition, 20% of the profits generated by Play Out Apparel go to NGOs with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Play Out Apparel uses the term "gender-equal" (as opposed to the terms "genderless" or "gender-neutral") to refer to its products. And he assures that the difference goes beyond semantics, since it is not about silencing femininity or masculinity with clothes of an androgynous nature, but about making garments in a wide variety of styles accessible to people of all sizes and gender identities.
"We don't have a men's or women's section on our website, nor do we make any assumptions about what you should wear based on the way you express your gender," Leifer told The New York Times.
“By drawing an indivisible line between male and female gender, social hierarchies are also created. That's why I don't think equality is really achievable in fashion without the demolition of non-binary gender. And this is not to say that everyone has to be gender non-binary. Everyone can be as feminine or masculine as they wish. Younger people already understand this concept and don't want to be told what to buy or how to express themselves through fashion," he adds.
“The fashion industry has long excluded marginalized groups who simply want access to the same stylish outfits they see on the catwalk in their own sizes and to be adequately represented in advertising. This should not have anything revolutionary, but the truth is that it still is, "emphasizes Leifer.
