Past and Present of Male and Female Clothing

            We exist in a society that promotes and protects the equal rights and freedoms of everyone. People have the freedom to express themselves the way they see fit and this has created a sense of freedom where people act and dress as they please. There are however various constructs in society such as the concepts around femininity and masculinity that try to define people according to specific traits in society. Women, for example, have fallen subject to multiple stereotypes and policies that often dictate the way women live their lives. While a woman dressed in pants and rocking a bow tie is a common occurrence in today's society, this was not always the case and women had to endure great hardships as a result of their gender. In his article “Gender Role Behaviours and Attitude,” Aaron Devour argues that “gender roles are the result of a systematic power imbalance based on gender discrimination” (479). People’s freedom of expression especially concerning how men and women dress has therefore been greatly influenced by how society expects people to dress, and often, this creates room for discrimination. 

            Throughout history, society has been subjected to beliefs and stereotypes that develop over time and often determines how people lead their lives. A good example is a belief that women tend to be more interested in fashion and dressing up compared to men. Also, women are believed to be more invested in the way they look and also help maintain their male counterpart’s appearance. “Feminine styles of dress likewise display subordinate status through greater restriction of a free movement of the body, greater exposure of the bare skin, and an emphasis on sexual characteristics” (Devour 477). Men on the other have been stereotyped as having a “masculinity style of dress emphasizes the size of upper body musculature, allow freedom of movement, and encourage an illusion of physical power” (Devour 479). Women’s clothing in the past is described as being feminine and designed in such a way that it highlights the female figure. Men’s clothing, on the other hand, focused more on the upper body and revealing muscles. Since men were stereotyped as being muscular, their clothing was designed in such a way that it made men appear stronger. In today’s fashion, however, men and women’s clothing has become more alike. Both genders wear similar outfits in the form of shirts, shorts, jeans, athletic wear, and suits to mention a few. Designers like Coco Chanel have made a fortune from designing clothes that suit both genders and in so doing, turned away from stereotypes that led to the development of distinct clothes for men and women. 

            Wearing similar clothes, however, has done little to reduce the disadvantage that women face as a result of their gender. Biologically, men and women will always be different regardless of the various equality rights and policies used. People tend to view each gender differently and this is a result of the experiences and lessons that people pick up in the communities, they live in. “Female and male behaviors are the result of socially directed hormonal instructions and males are innately aggressive and competitive and will, therefore, dominate over females” (Devour 479). People are not only taught that they are different, but that men are better than women. Women, as a result, feel the need to compensate through fashion to live up to the standards of men. Throughout history, women have worn clothing like corsets and high heels along with other types of clothing that mostly suit men. This is even though wearing high hills or a corset is not always comfortable. Men on the other hand dress to represent their position in society, lifestyle or the amount of wealth they possess. Their fashion is not influenced by the desire to please women, but rather to reinstate their position in society. 

            Issues related to gender identity and fashion sense can, therefore, be attributed to what people learn ion the early stages of development. From a young age, boys are introduced to the color pink while girls are engulfed in a world of pink. Their fashion statement is therefore influenced by bold colors for boys and bright ones for girls. Since mothers throughout history have played the role of caregivers, regardless of whether they work or not, girls grow up learning how to be mothers and their dressing is therefore influenced by the environment they grow up in. “Femininity according to this traditional formulation, would result in warm and continued relationships with men, a sense of maternity, interest in caring for children, and the capacity to work productively and continuously in female occupations” (Devour 476). Boys on the other hand desire to dress in suits and official wear similar to how they see their fathers dressing up for work every morning. 

            Devour further argues that fashion is not only influenced by the stereotypes that govern people in society, but also by the influencers and policymakers. In the past, men were the ones who went to work while women stayed at home taking care of the family. As such, men were the ones working in factories that designed clothes for women and also influenced the demand for certain types of fashion. A corset and high heels, for instance, are somewhat uncomfortable to women yet they continue to wear them. Despite various claims that women do not dress up to impress men, the idea behind clothing that highlights the woman’s body shape and shoes that bring out those features favor men more than women. The influence that men had on women in the past can, therefore, be said to have influenced the type of clothing that was worn in the past and some of the clothes that are worn by women today. 

Fashion has evolved to a point where the type of clothes that people wear is more than a representation of their identity. Clothes have been used to represent culture, professionalism, maintain tradition and communicate messages meant to bring about change. Fashion has evolved beyond the concept of an individual as a single attire can carry a message that resonates across the world. Despite this, however, there remains a distinct line between the male and female fashion. While the issue of oppression based on gender is not as common today, men still have a significant influence on the way women dress. The tables have turned however as men are also dressing up to please women and this has helped create some level of acceptance when it comes to fashion. There is a great deal of freedom and people dress as they please, regardless of gender and this has greatly promoted the unisex fashion industry.