“Man up” is a common phrase used to tell someone to exert a “manlier” performance by being stronger or to tuck away their emotions. Showing strength and having well-hidden feelings are two common concepts of masculinity that men have adapted to for ages, and if otherwise is shown they are questioned of their sexuality and vulnerability; as a result to such structured rules that society has associated with males, people in the fashion industry are in the midst of abolishing masculine and feminine associations to clothing as a start to ridding the guidelines of masculinity.
Men: Full shirts
Women: Cropped shirts
Men: Suits
Women: Dresses
Men: Pants
Women: Skirts
Those attachments sound normal, right? Most would think so. Society and fashion companies have corresponded traditional styles of clothing under men and female categories making it seem that people who identify with a particular gender are only able to wear what is associated with their gender. Except those norms are on the road to no longer existing thanks to icons like Harry Styles and Ariana Grande. It is 2020, men wear tutus and women wear suits. It’s almost too simple to accept, yet some people are not with the program.
Two days ago I was scrolling through TikTok when I came across a man dancing and having fun while wearing a blue crop top. I did not think anything of it, but the users in the comments did. Most were so unaccepting writing that “Crop tops are not for boys” and “Well, there goes his masculinity.” I spent about ten minutes replying to negative comments on the TikTok as if it was my personal duty to teach others how to let people live the one life they have as happy as they want, in the trends and clothes they want. The large number of people commenting negatively was my pure inspiration for writing this article as it made me aware of how many people are uneducated about the changes being made in fashion, and although the situation might not seem a big problem, it upholds a lot of power in the current media as many struggle from the constant judgment of others. The rules that were once avid in the past are no longer in the fashion rulebook. In fact, the fashion rulebook does not exist anymore because THERE ARE NO RULES WHEN IT COMES TO FASHION.
The moral of the story is, I do not care if the shirt was intentionally made for you or if the pair of pants you want to wear does not fit the traditional vision through the eyes of society. If you like it wear it. Wear what you want whether or not it is considered "gender appropriate". I encourage everyone to break today’s norms and if you are not going to accept then do not say.
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