“Clothes Have No Sex”

It is fashion, not biology that defines us..

That feeling of androgyny finds us all in the fashion world. Despite the actual fact of our gender, whether we are male or female, we attach other characteristics to the experience we believe should coincide with it, clothing being no exception. This becomes our gender 'identity,’ but what if we want a mix between the two?

It is fair to say a lot of controversy comes with the word ‘Transgender.’ This may have something to do with the fact that not everyone is entirely sure of its definition, and the unfair stigma that surrounds those believing they were born into the wrong body.

Some argue having a gender identity is not only unavoidable, but a necessary stage in our development. Others state it can restrict our ability to be ourselves, often having an impact on our perception, in this, giving us a stereotype. It is an accurate statement that gender identity solely comes down to fashion, or at least in the respect that clothing holds the key to the gender we want to be identified with.

It is not uncommon to walk down the street and see those that are difficult to associate as either male or female, due to the items they have chosen to wear. I myself sometimes prefer to browse in Topman, rather than Topshop, for that oversized hoody you want for either lounging around in sofa-style, or to run in when you’re feeling that little but more productive. It is fashion, not biology that should define us. In the words of Lionel Vermeil “Clothes have no sex.”

We, as women, are often taught to celebrate our bodies, dressing them in a way to suit our shape. It would be deemed fashion suicide for a curvaceous girl to cover up in a frumpy jumper, as this is considered both unflattering and unfeminine. But with more and more fashion lines releasing items usually associated with the opposite sex, no wonder it all gets a little confusing. 2010 saw man bags flying off the shelves for all the wrong, and right, reasons.

Yet it remains unacceptable for a guy to bare all in lingerie and heels when they decide they prefer to present themselves in a more feminine light. Is it because he is not in fact female by outer biology, or because women feel threatened by this sexually confident individual imitating woman and their ‘assets?’  The real question posed is whether we should doubt someones sexuality based merely on the clothes they choose to present themselves in. With idols such as Nick Rhodes remaining the most feminine straight man in pop 33 years after he co-founded Duran Duran, and Marc Jacobs presenting a camp epicene spring collection on androgynously styled girls for Louis Vuitton, the answer should really be no.

Last week ‘Love’ magazine released their fifth issue titled ‘The Androgyny Issue.’ Gracing the cover was model Kate Moss captured in an intimate pose with famous transgender phenomenon Lea T, an immediate eye catcher for any fashionista who loves ‘Love.’ As the public face of Givenchy through modeling and its advertising campaign, Lea T has kicked up a media storm ever since her reveal as transgender. Lea T's andogynous looks have caught the attention of the fashion world after Riccardo Tisci spotted potential in his young assistant. Lea, born Leandro Cerezo, the son of football player Toninho Cerezo, first discovered her transsexuality when Tisci encouraged her to attend a party wearing high heels.

Katie Grand, editor of the successful bi-annual magazine states: “Glamour, flamboyance, decadence; hair, clothes and make-up, all exaggerated and souffléd up to a rousing crescendo of excess, creating a glorious sense of artifice that entrances the beholder so much more profoundly than the matter of the gender of the person beneath it all.”

She really is a storm in a T cup..