July 6, 2017: Only a few of us notice that even in this new era of feminism, we experience gender bias in clothing. When we enter a clothing store, we see separate sections for men, women, boys, and girls. Have you ever wondered why is it like that? Why can't men and women dress alike when we are no different than each other? Why can't little girls and boys wear same tees?
Most of the time we see boys' clothing are rather inspiring or fun-filled but when it comes to girls- there is a subconscious effort by the makers to make it pretty and cute- as you can guess, they will come with hearts, stars, and flowers, kitty printed on them, most of the time! Boys' clothes always have sayings which inspire them to think out of the box and to do something adventurous but why don't we have the same sayings on girls' clothes?
If you notice or even give it a thought, you will see boys' clothes always have sayings which inspire them to think out of the box and to do something adventurous but why don't we have the same sayings on girls' clothes?
There is always a big section devoted to women clothing as compared to a small corner for men. Many times, women clothing is more expensive than men's. Over the years there has been greater demand for gender neutral clothing. In response to this high demand, companies like Jessy & Jack and a brand called Princess Awesome have come up with a campaign called Clothes Without Limits last year which offers gender neutral and unisex clothing. Zara, a well-known brand, launched its unisex collection called "Ungendered" under its TRF section for teenagers and older people which comprise of basic tees, sweatshirts, and jeans.
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Even in big companies, there are separate dress codes for men and women. Men are expected to wear suits whereas women are bound to wear skirts and dresses. Some companies even stress on women employees to wear makeup. It is expected out of women to wear high heels and work the whole day in those uncomfortable shoes.
In schools too there are separate uniforms for girls and boys. No one has ever thought how difficult it must be for little girls to be carefree and play in a skirt or a dress. In my opinion, school is the best place to start gender neutrality by implementing same uniforms for both the genders. It will install a sense of unity and equality in boys and girls if they have the same dress code.
From the very beginning, boys are taught that pink color is for girls and they must wear colors like blue and black. They are forced to conform to these lines of gender stereotypes. This thinking and mindset must change and be incorporated in the new generation for the betterment of the society.
-by Harsimran Kaur of NewsGram. Twitter: Hkaur1025