Unit 5

UNISEX GARMENTS

Gone are those days when fashion was specific to genders. Nowadays, people
have found a midway and have busted fashion stereotypes which are commonly called
unisex fashion. Garment industry has started producing genderless garments or unisex
garments.

This module provides covers knowledge, skills, and attitude in drafting, cutting,
and sewing unisex garments.

Module Outcome:
At the end of this module, students must have:
1. draft unisex garments pattern with complete accuracy;
2. unisex garments following the unit method of construction; and
3. value the importance of accuracy in constructing unisex garments.

Lesson 1: CONCEPT AND HISTORY OF UNISEX

GARMENTS

Lesson Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, you must have:
1. define unisex garments;
2. discuss the historical background of athletic apparel; and
3. value the importance of athletic apparel.

Lesson Content:

Unisex garments refer to clothing which can be used by both men and women.
They are now common, and you must have worn something unisex without even
realizing it.

The term "unisex" as applied to dress was coined in the late sixties to denote
clothing suitable or designed specifically for both males and females. Prior to this,
fashion most traditionally contextualized stood for the clear demarcation of the sexes
through the reaffirmation of gender identity. Women wore skirts, and men wore pants.
The History of Unisex Garments

Back in the olden days, there was a distinct difference between man and
woman apparel. The trend reflected the patriarchal culture of the era. Women were
identical with intricate and elegant dresses, showing that they should be passive and
pleasant-looking. Men, on the other hand, could be active and comfortable with the
clean-cut and loose cutting. Nowadays, we can see how the borderline has been
blurry, especially with the unisex fashion hits the trend.

In 1824, the New Harmony community stirred controversy for allowing women
to wear trousers like men. In the late 1900s, Amelia Bloomer, a women's rights
advocate, introduced the bloomer pants to wear under a short dress. Unfortunately,
all these progressive movements went under around the beginning of World War II.
In this era, the differences in gender roles became strict all over again.

It was after World War II when people started making efforts again to break
gender norms. The year 1968 marked the first time the term "unisex" appeared in the
New York Times, referring to the Monster shoes that can go with any gender. The
term appeared four times again in the same year.

This is when people started to accept the concept of genderless clothing. Stores
offer denim outfits, family matching sets, and more various unisex apparel. Not only
that, women could wear a lady tuxedo, but even men started trying out less
conservative looks with Edwardian shirts and skinny pants in playful colors and
patterns.

Although the trend went sunset again in the 1970s, unisex fashion came back
at it around the 1990s. Jeans, flannel shirts, poncho, knit caps, and combat boots
were available in many clothing departments. Not only in the western world but even
South Korea made the same breakthrough.

The trends of unisex clothing continued to grow up until today. Furthermore,

even people started wearing clothes that are traditionally identical to their opposite
gender. We have seen in Coachella 2015 where Jaden Smith appeared in a floral-
patterned dress and a rose crown. There are also countless other similar examples.

There is no sign of declining. Instead, the campaigns of feminism and gender

equality become stronger over time. The segment of gender-neutral fashion grows
more and more in resonance. Even the market demands more variations of gender-
neutral clothing.

Impact of Unisex
The concept of unisex has far-reaching implications because it disturbs society
on such a basic level. Fashion becomes a powerful tool in subverting sexual identity
through connotations of dress. Throughout history and with varying degrees of
success, designers have challenged conventional dress codes. In the 1920s, Chanel
envisioned a new femininity in fashion that incorporated trousers-the symbol of
masculine power. However, it was not until the Women's Liberation movement of the
1970s that pants were universally accepted as female attire. From this point forward,
the impact of unisex expands more broadly to encompass various themes in fashion
including androgyny, mass-market retail, and conceptual clothing.

Androgyny
Androgynous habits of cross-gender impersonation date back to the privileged
classes of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England and France; however, after
the industrial revolution and the subsequent rise of capitalist societies, a fairly
structured dress code dividing men and women reemerged. The next great revolution
in fashion-the Youthquake of the 1960s-would shatter those gender ideals. The sixties'
premium on youth led the way for fashion that was neither specifically feminine nor
masculine. From space age to hippie, the idea of dressing was less about being boyish
or girly than it was about an overall frenzy of youth fascination.

The 1970s continued with the exploration of gender both underground and in
the mainstream. In fashion proper, Yves Saint Laurent advocated the masculine look
for women while the subcultural movements of punk and glam rock established, at
least visually, an identity through androgynous dress. Further, in the 1980s, Jean-Paul
Gaultier sent men and women down the same cat-walk in similar-style sarongs and
pant-skirts inspired by the Orient. Simultaneously, the new-wave movement fused
punk and glam-rock influences to create the next generation of unisex fashion.
 Lesson 2: TYPES OF UNISEX GARMENTS

Lesson Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, you must have:
1. identify the different types of unisex garments; and
2. discuss the different types of unisex garments.

Lesson Content:

Unisex simply means that the product is so perfect that both men and women
desire it. The object works for both genders because it goes beyond one’s sex. The
perfect example would be a white shirt, jeans, and a trench.

The following are some of the examples of unisex garments.

o Denim jacket
It is the most casual thing one can wear on denim pants and t-shirts. Since it
doesn’t have much difference in the fitting for men and women, both can wear it.

o T-shirts/Oversized t-shirts
We get it that there are some women t-shirts that men can’t wear, but women
can surely put on men’s tees and step out looking all sassy. Besides, oversized t-
shirts look beyond cool and cute on women. Men too can wear cool coloured t-
shirts like peach, sky blue, baby pink etc. that are usually seen on women.

o Dungarees
Though this apparel is old, it recently came into fashion and again. A dungaree
is also unisex wear that looks good both on men and women. All one needs is a t-
shirt to wear inside a dungaree.

o Blazers
While many women choose to attend meetings in a knee-length formal dress,
there are many others who put on a rich black blazer, something that was earlier
considered to be a ‘men’s wear’. Women with blazers carry stunning confidence
with them and it’s difficult to take your eyes off them.

o Sweatshirts
This one is purely unisex. In a mood to wear something extremely comfortable
and cozy especially during mild winters, a sweatshirt looks great on simple denim
pants or even track pants. So many college and high school students which include
boys and girls both, attend daily early-morning lectures in sweatshirts.

o Polo Shirts
Form of shirt with a collar, a placket neckline (meaning it is open and closed
by overlapping layers of fabric), with two or three buttons, and may or may not
 have a pocket. Polo shirts are usually short-sleeved but occasionally may have long
sleeves.

o Jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers, typically made from denim or dungaree
cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue
jeans," but they may be any color or fit, so long as they are made of denim.

o Pyjamas
Pyjamas is by far the most comfortable wear ever made. These too are unisex.
The pyjamas, especially the printed ones have a whole new level of quirk and are
definitely genderless.

References:

• Park, Jennifer (2021) “Unisex Clothing” Retrieved from https://fashion-

history.lovetoknow.com/clothing-types-styles/unisex-clothing

• Ahire, Aakanksha (2019) “Lines Between Male and female Style Statements”
retrieved from https://youthincmag.com/unisex-fashion

• AEMCY (2021) “The History of Unisex fashion” Retrieved from

https://aemcyparis.com/blogs/infos/the-history-of-unisex-fashion