How Menswear For Women Is Shaping The Future Of Fashion
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

How Menswear For Women Is Shaping The Future Of Fashion

"Women In Menswear" trend is further breaking norms and pushing towards a more gender-neutral outlook.

1502
How Menswear For Women Is Shaping The Future Of Fashion
Vogue Magazine

Recently, being an avid shopper, I stumbled across a section of the Urban Outfitters website called "The Menswear Edit." After looking through their lookbook, I was inspired to see how this “Women in Menswear” trend was affecting society.

I have personally never been one for skirts or dresses. I would much rather wear a nice pair of pants and a button-down and blazer to look formal. There really is something about being a female and wearing a well put-together pair of trousers and a button-down and blazer that makes you feel powerful and like your opinion is valuable.

I feel that this attire presents you as more respectable to your coworkers, and it also shows that just because you’re a girl, it doesn’t mean that you have to wear a skirt. You can wear what men wear to work and make it look just as reputable.

What makes this trend even better is that this idea of “Women in Menswear” doesn’t have to apply to dressing for work. Designers have shaped “menswear for females” to fit to any occasion.

I found an insightful article from the New York Times, "Women Who Prefer Men's Wear," that interviewed two female fashion bloggers who blog about menswear for women and prefer to wear it, too.

They discuss the difficulties and oppositions that they face in their positions, but also mention that more than half of their followers on Instagram are men looking for advice. Ms. Geffard comments that “Women have always been associated with fashion and taste and the fact that we’re women in that space, I think men feel that they can trust us.”

Ms. Cooper thankfully adds that “We’re in an era when men and women wear anything. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight. For us, it’s really about showing young women that they can wear whatever they want.”

For a long time, I honestly had thought that women that didn’t wear dresses to work and opted for a pantsuit looked less feminine and could even come off as gay. I hate how society had conformed my thoughts into that realm, but as I got older I realized that there is just something about wearing a suit that makes you feel like you can accomplish anything, and that every girl should feel empowered to ditch the skirts and dresses if they choose because they have every right to rock a suit that a man does.

While Urban Outfitters may be a controversial company, the pictures below significantly showcase the creativity in design and versatility of the “Women In Menswear” trend.

When it comes to more formal, work-appropriate wear, designers have taken liberties in reshaping what a typical blazer looks like by making it more flow-y and oversized or cinching it in the waste, and for trousers and pants, to change it up, designers have included higher wastes, wider legs, or tapered ankles.

While I talked about ditching the dresses, I do however like how these two dresses below have taken elements of a typical “men’s” shirt and transformed them into something more feminine while still keeping that touch of formal masculinity.

Lastly, on a more casual note, the old, shapeless blazer can easily be turned into a cute and casual addition to an outfit, the material for a button-down shirt can be redesigned into a casual two-piece outfit, and there’s even creativity for what to do with and how to reconfigure the good ole vest.


Fashion is always evolving, and to see a trend that can make females feel more powerful, confident, and equal without being seen as “manly” leads me to believe that we will as a society travel towards a less gender-separated fashion world some day.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70726
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132344
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments