Gender bender
- Clock It
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
Updated: May 11
For years , fashion has drawn clear lines between masculinity and femininity. Heels were
considered feminine, suits masculine, body hair on women unacceptable, makeup on men
controversial but, are they?
By Brinda Girish Gowda
For decades, fashion has quietly dictated what men and women should wear. Heels were labelled feminine, suits masculine, body hair unfeminine, and makeup on men almost scandalous. But those rigid rules are starting to feel increasingly outdated. Slowly but surely, fashion is returning to what it was always meant to be, a form of self-expression rather than a tool for gender policing.
Take men embracing makeup, heels, skirts, pearls, and crop tops. Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has practically made a career out of fearless dressing from skirts, and dramatic silhouettes to jewellery traditionally seen as feminine. And honestly, the confidence carries the masculinity. Actors like Ayushmann Khurrana experimenting with eyeliner, androgynous silhouettes, and Babil Khan embracing softer, artistic styling all show that masculinity isn’t defined by how plain or traditionally “manly” your outfit is.
"Somewhere between masculine and feminine, we found something far more powerful ourselves."Aniket Mishra pursuing B-tech from Sharda University
If anything, experimenting with fashion often signals confidence rather than insecurity. It’s also worth remembering that historically, Indian men wore elaborate textiles, jewellery, kajal, and draped garments. The idea that men must dress minimally and avoid adornment is actually relatively modern. So when they wear nail paint, platform boots, or crop tops today, it’s less rebellion and more reclaiming freedom.
“A confident one in a skirt looks stronger that 10 insecure men in suits.” Arjun, 22 a fashion
enthusiast from Delhi, he also stated “Fashion courage says more about personality than
muscles ever could.”
Oliv, 25, a nail technician from Delhi, embraces his body confidently, often wearing crop tops that highlight his abs. For him, it’s not about shock value, it’s about comfort and self-expression. “I work in beauty, I love fashion, and I love my body. Wearing a crop top is just me appreciating myself,” he says. Yet, he admits that society is quick to mock. “People say crop tops on men mean you’re not masculine enough. They think I’m trying to be something else. But why can’t it just be fashion?” Oliv’s experience highlights a larger issue: when men step outside rigid style norms, their masculinity is questioned rather than their creativity appreciated.
On the flip side, women adopting elements of menswear is becoming increasingly normal, and honestly, refreshing. Oversized kurtas at weddings instead of heavy lehengas, structured suits instead of hyper-feminine outfits, boots paired with dresses, and relaxed silhouettes prioritisingcomfort are all signs of changing attitudes. Celebrities like Rekha, Sonam Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone have often embraced structured, androgynous looks that challenge stereotypical femininity. It sends a clear message- femininity doesn’t have to mean delicate, decorative, or uncomfortable. Sometimes it just means wearing what makes you feel powerful.
Tanu Panwar, a medical student at Shree Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University (STG
University) shares a similar frustration from the other side of the spectrum. “I’m not a hair
person. I feel confident and comfortable in my short hair,” she says. “I’m neither a heel nor a
makeup person, mainly because I genuinely don’t have the time to learn how to wear makeup or walk in heels. And I’m good with it.” For Tanu, practicality isn’t a statement, it’s survival in a demanding academic schedule. “Maybe if time permits someday, I’ll learn all of those things. But for now, I’m happy the way I am.” Despite that clarity, she constantly hears comments about how she’s “not feminine enough” or that she’s “hiding” her womanliness .
This conversation also extends beyond clothing into beauty standards especially around body hair. More women are openly choosing not to remove body hair, challenging the long-standing idea that smooth skin equals femininity. Body hair is natural, not manlike, and grooming choices should remain personal rather than socially enforced. Hair grows, that’s biology, not rebellion.
At its core, genderless fashion isn’t about men dressing like women or vice versa, it’s about
removing the labels altogether. Clothes don’t inherently have gender. A skirt is stitched fabric,
makeup is pigment, boots are footwear. Society assigned them meanings over time, but those meanings can change. Younger generations, especially Gen Z, increasingly see fashion as mood-based and personality-driven rather than gender-defined. Designers too are embracing gender-neutral collections, allowing creativity to flow without restrictive categories.
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