NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, JODHPUR

SUBJECT – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT-1

TOPIC :
STUDY ON CONSUMER’S AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE TOWARDS

GENDER-NEUTRAL CLOTHING

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 13/11/2019

SUBMITTED BY
DIKSHA MORE
KRITIKA DHAWAN
MOHAN HEDAOO
RAHUL GUPTA
SIDDHARTH KAMBLE
SHIVAM SINGH

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 INDEX
1. Introduction
2. Problem Definition
3. Need
4. Literature Review
5. Research Methodology.

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 Introduction

Gender neutral clothing is a style that aims to avoid gender stereotypes. The androgynous
dress or style themselves to look like neither a typical boy nor a girl. In the past androgynous
fashion has held a huge stigma, with its ties to the feminist and LGBTQIA communities.

The conversation over whether clothing should be more gender-neutral does not just apply to
children’s wear – over the past decade there has also been a marked rise in gender-neutral
clothing for youth (Mcalpine, 2018).

In recent years, there's been growing criticism of the marketing of "gendered" products.
Critics say there's no need to make hammers and hacksaws pink so as to appeal to women or
categorize toys as girls' or boys' products. They argue that it's best to keep things gender
neutral (News, 2015).

“Retailers are getting used to genderless, because socially and politically more people are
blurring the lines” (Fraser, 2017).

Designers like Thom Browne and Gucci’s Alessandro Michele are paving the way for
freedom from gender boundaries: For Spring/Summer 2018, the former featured a range of
dresses and skirts in his “menswear” showing, while the latter frequently has male and female
models walk the runway in pieces coded for the opposing gender. Some high-end designers
such as JW Anderson, Rick Owens and Rad Hourani have championed gender-neutral
clothing, while a raft of smaller companies run by young designers, such as Rich Mnisi, are
pushing the idea that men’s and women’s clothes should be obsolete categories (MASSEAU,
2017).

Of late, there have been models of both genders strutting down the catwalk wearing clothes
that are traditionally not meant for their gender. We’ve also had menswear shows feature
skirts, dresses and tunics. Runway outings by designers such as Dhruv Kapoor of DRVV,
Arjun Saluja of Rishta, and Ruchika Sachdeva of Bodice have celebrated and experimented
with androgyny. Dhruv’s 2013 Lakmé Fashion Week showcase included straight tunics with
side slits that can be worn as a dress by women or layered over pants by men (Gupta, 2016).

There’s certainly a generational shift. A study conducted by The Fawcett Society found that
65 per cent of over 65s think that gender is binary, compared to just 44 per cent of 18–24
years old. So, we’re likely to see fewer men and women styled as complimentary

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counterparts as a new generation of design talent comes through, and less gender-specific
styling (a moratorium on the term ‘gender-bending’, at least). Just think of all the
options.Consideration as to what a move like that actually means (Mcalpine, 2018).

H&M and Zara, for example, have both presented ‘gender neutral’ offerings of hoodies,
sweatshirts and t-shirts designed for both men and women. But while their intentions may
have been positive, each collection was merchandised either within the menswear or
womenswear section of both stores, meaning gender neutral customers still had to make a
decision as to which to head for. For the most part, rejection of the male-female fashion
dichotomy means heading straight to the menswear section, and all the old signposts still
mark my decision. Despite brands’ efforts, customers are not able to make purchases without
physically (or digitally) placing themselves within one category or the other. As with the
history of medicine, signposts, and even language, it’s that which is male which is seen as
‘neutral’ (Wylie, 2018).

Gender neutral fashions aren’t just a phase in fashion, they’re a compelling movement and a
step toward the evolution (Lyon, 2018).

PROBLEM DEFINITION

The major issue observed in market trend regarding such clothing is that people are not seen
much shopping such garments.

There is no particular brand known to cater this segment.

NEED

1. To find the reasons and major cause behind the above mentioned problems.
2. To have a estimated result about customer’s awareness and acceptance of this upcoming
clothing.
3. To understand the need of gender neutral clothing with changing times.

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 Literature Review

Gone are the days when skirts were just for women and trousers were just for men. In 2017,
gender no longer dictates the way people dress. Fashion designers are combining men’s and
women’s collections on the runway, John Lewis have abolished “girls” and “boys” labels on
children’s clothes, and more fashion brands are launching gender-neutral collections, one of
these is streetwear-inspired label: Wildfang. Following in the footsteps of H&M (who
announced their unisex denim line in March), the forward-thinking brand is leading the way
in gender-neutral fashion. Their most recent project, The Future Is Fluid, reflects society’s
changing attitudes around gender expression and identity. Plus, 100 per cent of the profits go
to LGBTQ causes (Petter, 2017).

“Gender is a fairly restrictive concept,” Wildfang CEO, Emma McIlroy tells The
Independent. “Historically, it has dictated what jobs people can do, how someone can act,
how someone can dress and that limits someone's ability to truly self-express and reach their
full potential. “Gender-neutral clothing doesn't force someone into a box. It allows them to
self-express exactly how they chose to.” However, gender therapist Dr. Christella Antoni,
stresses the importance of not replacing one with the other. “There is advantage to having
clothes available that our more gender-neutral but this doesn't mean they should totally
replace clothes for girls and clothes for boys,” she told The Independent. “In an ideal world
gender-neutral clothes should exist alongside clothes for girls and clothes for boys,” she said,
adding that it would be wrong to force a child to wear clothes that they feel don’t match their
identity, whether that is strictly gendered or not. “As for all matters relating to gender, the
issue isn't simplistic,” she added (Petter, 2017).

In ancient Rome, most of the design of a cloth garment took place on the loom, which meant
everyone wore what were essentially long rectangles of draped fabric.Elsewhere in the world,
gender neutral wraps of cloth or robes were also the norm for long periods. The Japanese
kimono replaced two-piece outfits of shirt and trousers or shirt starting in the Heian period.
Men and women wore kimonos belted at the waist with an obi or sash. While additional
garments and fashions did add distinctions between men and women, the overall look was far
more similar than what European fashions became. Only in the late nineteenth century did
Japanese people start adopting Western dress. The sarong, worn by people from Southeast

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Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa is also a ubiquitous fabric wrap that can
be worn by any gender (Fessenden, 2015).

Historically, pre-colonial India saw no issue in dressing up its men, particularly royalty; the
traditional male outfits of Gujarat and Rajasthan are adorned with colors, mirrors and gathers,
while drapes like shawls, anarkalis, lungis, kurtas, salwars and churidars have been a long-
standing part of India’s unisex fashion grammar. Even as the idea trickles down—Tridha, a
school in Mumbai, has genderless uniforms (a short kurta student can wear with lowers of
their choice)—in a country that lends exaggerated importance to binary sexuality, fashion is
setting a new pace for a forward-thinking society (Talati-Parikh, 2017).

The British designer Katharine Hamnett has a long history of exploring non-gender-specific
clothing, and her newly reissued collection features unisex shirts, sweatshirts and silk all-in-
one suits.Chloe Crowe, brand manager for Bethnals, a London-based unisex denim brand,
says that when they have run pop-up shops, men and women in couples have come in and
bought jeans that they can share. The company was launched in 2014 by Melissa Clement, a
former senior denim buyer for Topshop, who borrowed her partner’s clothes a lot and
wondered why men’s and women’s categories had to be different. The core styles of her
brand – skinny, straight and relaxed – are cut the same for men and women (Mcalpine, 2018).

If the male gaze changes, so may the female gaze. In Tokyo, following the explosive trend of
“genderless kei” (kei means style), “genderless boys” have appeared on the scene since 2015.
The popular Japanese idols tend to be slim-bodied, with dyed hair, make-up and nail polish,
colored contact lenses, and attention-grabbing outfits. They are not necessarily gay or trying
to be like women, they are rejecting gender norms and establishing a new yardstick of style.
It’s likely inspired by the Korean term ulzzang (“best face”), a common beauty standard for
both men and women derived from the “flawless” K-Pop idols. In America, Marilyn
Manson’s genderless Mechanical Animals cover set the tone years ago but today, gender-
neutral models like Rain Dove have gained supermodel status. Dove’s Instagram page says:
“I’m not a Boy. I’m not a Girl either. I am I.” And further, “Sometimes I like lace panties.
Sometimes I like briefs. It’s my body…. And I’ll cover it however I damn please.” Today,
numerous designers worldwide offer unisex lines of clothing, and stores like Selfridges in
London stock an “A gender Fashion Without Definition” collection across three stories,
suggesting that the trend is more than that—it’s a new way of life (Talati-Parikh, 2017).

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While one knows androgyny to be the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics,
ambiguity in gender could be a lifestyle, sexual or style choice. Young actor-rapper Jaden
Smith’s bold outlook that has fired up the imagination. Will Smith’s son is seen wearing a
skirt as part of Louis Vuitton’s Series 4 (Spring/Summer 2016) campaign about a heroine and
the multiple facets to her personality. The brand’s creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière,
believes Smith “represents a generation that has assimilated the codes of true freedom, one
that is free of manifestos and questions about gender. Wearing a skirt comes as naturally to
him as it would to a woman who, long ago, granted herself permission to wear a man’s trench
or a tuxedo” (Talati-Parikh, 2017).

Figure 1: Jaden Smith in Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2016 collection(Macatee, 2016)

International retailers ASOS, River Island and John Lewis are among an increasing number
who are introducing new gender-neutral collections. While on the surface, this is surely a step
in the right direction, there are some problems with the new gender-neutral revolution that
seems to be taking place within the fashion industry. The main issue is: the collections
themselves are pretty misogynistic. Baggy t-shirts, loose-fitted hoodies and neutral colors all
seem to feature in mainstream gender-neutral collections, but fewer brands seem to be
celebrating femininity.Many trans and non-binary people have expressed frustration with
mainstream retailer’s interpretation of the term gender-neutral, arguing that while these
brands claim to be progressive, they always end up creating clothes designs that are on the
masculine end of the spectrum of fashion, thus pushing femininity to the side. Others argue
that retailers are attempting to profit off of LGBT issues without actually doing anything
meaningful for the community (Jones, 2017).

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The Canadian pop star announced the launch of Celinununu on 14th November 2018 a
partnership between Dion and kids fashion brand Nununu said that they wanted to create
clothing that “breeds equality and freedom of spirit, serving as a platform for a new
humanistic education." The line, features more than 70 pieces of clothing, including tops,
dresses, bottoms and blankets, for kids aged zero to 14 years old (Lau, 2018).

Those who do wear women’s clothing are either slotted into the “Drag” or the “Transgender”
labels. That also displays a startling lack of understanding for what it means to either be a
Drag Queen, or a Transgender Woman. A Drag Queen is a form of performing art in which a
man impersonates a woman. A Transgender Woman is a, well, a woman, and as such their
adornment of a traditionally female garment isn’t an act of gender-neutrality in clothing.
Male celebrities who are bravely choosing to wear traditionally female pieces of clothing.
They’re not doing it either for performance (Drag), or because they self-identify as a woman
(Transgender). These are celebrities who are simply sick of societal arbitrary notions of what
constitutes a male or female garb, those who want to crush those binaries entirely and render
all clothing essentials gender-neutral (Tandon, 2018).

The shirt company GFW Clothing – GFW stands for Gender Free World – has three fits,
designed to fit different bodies rather than the broad terms “men” or “women”. Lisa Honan
co-founded the brand online less than two years ago. She says, it was borne out of frustration
at not being able to find shirts she liked. “I’d look in the men’s aisle and see great patterns
and short-sleeved shirts, and then you’d go to the women’s aisle and they were blousy,
they’ve got puffs or are lacy.” The men’s shirts, she says, didn’t fit her “because I’ve got a
woman’s body. It got me thinking why is [there] a man’s aisle and a woman’s aisle, and why
do you have to make that choice? You’re not able to make many purchases without being
forced to define your own gender.” She says “It’s about expressing your style and being able to
choose what you want without having to be told that, because of your sexual characteristics, you have
to shop in a certain way” (Mcalpine, 2018).

Various Indian designers have celebrated and experimented with androgyny and have
featured skirts, dresses and tunics for both the genders. Some of the designers like Dhruv’s
2013 Lakmé Fashion Week showcase included straight tunics with side slits that can be worn
as a dress by women or layered over pants by men, Sumiran Kabir Sharma, whose new label
Anaam is said to “dissolve all stereotypes”. He works as “a silhouette generation artist, not
focusing on the physical and the biological part of the human body that defines gender”. Even
celebrity like Ranveer Singh has turned red-carpet dressing with his extreme liking towards
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trying out gender less clothing. Recent October 2018 cover of vogue was based on the
concept of “welcome to the age of blurred lines" and featured Ranveer Singh in heels, pastel
pink colors and long drapes (Talati-Parikh, 2017).

Figure 2: Ranveer Singh in Vague cover Figure 3:Ranveer Singh and Sara Sampio
(Instagram, 2018) in Vogue cover (Instagram, 2018)

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When Dawnn Karen, M.A., Ed.Mc, fashion psychologist and founder of the Fashion
Psychology Institute was asked about the origins of gender fluidity, she pointed to the
evolution of women entering careers traditionally held by men.“ So once we were allowed to
do that, then men now are able to enter the industries that are dominated by women and this
seemingly is with fashion as well,” she comments. As with everything in fashion, it will once
again change and morph into something new. “Something extreme will happen, so either
we’ll go back to what we used to dress in, I don’t know, the Victorian ages or we’ll do
something totally different that no one will recognise. In my opinion, as far as the
advancement of technology, if I’m comparing it to that, it will be something that we totally
won’t recognise. Now with the technology entering fashion I feel like we could be bordering
on something that is unrecognizable. There’s this celebrity that wore this dress that was
glowing in the dark, so I think that the future will be using technology inside our fashion
where the temperature will be controlled in your shirt whether it’s cool or it’s hot it will be
controlled with your shirt or with your trousers. Technology is seemingly unrecognisable,”
says Karen. She says that while these things may not exist yet, it seems like it’s certainly
something that will be entering fashion, especially in the athletic industry. The bottom line is,
we evolve and change as a society and our fashion follows right behind us(Lyon, 2018).

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 Research Methodology
Research Objectives
PRIMARY- To analyze and study the consumer’s awareness and acceptance towards
gender-neutral clothing in fashion retail.

SECONDARY – Analysis of different brands psychology towards gender neutral clothing

- Why the existence of such clothing remains out of frame.

Hypothesis
H0: Indian youth are aware of gender-neutral clothing.
H1: Indian youth are unaware of gender-neutral clothing.
H0: Indian youth do accept gender-neutral clothing in fashion retail.
H1:Indian youth do not accept gender-neutral clothing in fashion retail.

Research Design
 The research is descriptive in nature.
 Type of research: The research is quantitative.
Sample design
 Sample unit: the youth from age 15-26 years
 Sample size: 120-130
 Sampling technique: Convenience sampling which comes under non-probabilistic
sampling, that have been used to recruit participants who are easily accessible and
convenient to get as many responses as possible.

Data collection method

The data will be collected through both primary and secondary sources. The primary data will
be collected through the circulation of questionnaire amongst the targeted audience.
Secondary data through reports, articles and research papers.

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Limitations
Sample size: The size of the sample is limited and will be specific in the study. We have
taken youth as our target audience. Thus, making it more subjective because we are targeting
only one sector of the population.

Resource constraint: Provided, Maximum amount of people never looked after this subject
it make it more difficult for us to gather past researches that were being done on gender
neutral clothing. The research thus collected was not sorted and collected accordingly.

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References

Fessenden, M. (2015, April 29). Gender-Neutral Clothes Are Trendy, But Not New —
Humans Dressed Similarly for Centuries. Retrieved november 2018, 14, from
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Fraser, K. (2017, august 13). Do Men and Women Really Want Genderless Fashion?
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https://www.thedailybeast.com/do-men-and-women-really-want-genderless-fashion
Gupta, M. (2016, june 18). The era of gender neutrality in fashion is here, says Masaba
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