using clothing as a way of expression

"We're all born naked, and the rest is drag" - RuPaul.

Clothing has always been used to express ourselves and as a way to express our attitudes and behaviours. 
On a lazy Sunday afternoon, people typically wear comfortable sweatpants and a loose t-shirt to lounge around the house instead of dressing up as they would at their office to look the way they feel.

Clothing gives you a chance on how to present yourself to other people.

Some clothes never go out of style, like a pencil skirt, jeans, a nice sweater, animal print, etc.

Some old trends even tend to come back in style after spending years away, like loose ponytails, knee-high boots and fringed clothing.

While some trends make it full circle and become popular again, others fade into obscurity as a relic of their time. I can't see Hammer Pants from the '90s or 70's bell bottoms coming back anytime soon.

Some trends stay the test of time, but one trend that's pushing forward is the current trend of more gender-neutral clothing.

In 2021, clothes can stand for individual gender expression, or the lack of it, with more examples of individuals using clothing as a way to break down barriers to show off what they're most comfortable displaying to the world. For example, Harry Styles unapologetically wears dresses and other flamboyant clothing because he likes them.  Rapper Kid Cudi also proudly wore a dress during a performance on SNL. 

Women also don't need to be confined within the norms of dresses or skirts.  

Depending on the clothing brand, gender-neutral clothing can have more neutral colours and shirts and pants can have a baggier fit.

Clothing through history was meant to signify personal reflection.  In the 17th and 18th centuries of European fashion, men wore more flamboyant clothing to reflect their wealth, as it showcased how much money they had. It was campy and grandiose, but it was normalized as a typical fashion for men. 


When women began dominating the office in the 1960s, the rise in pantsuits were worn to reflect their new position in what was then considered a mostly male-dominated workspace.


When it comes to personal fashion, people like to mix and match clothing styles to find their amount of comfortability, regardless of being male or female.

It wasn't until the 1940s where clothing was getting marketed more gender-specifically, with blue being associated with boys and pink being associated with girls. Pants were considered practical for males, and dresses were meant for girls.  

Clothing has always been a way to break down barriers, regardless of gender.  Women’s rights activist Elizabeth Smith Fuller wore pants in order to fight for women’s dress reform, for example.

We have seen many trends that come and go throughout the years, but bending the rules has never gone away.  

Clothing has always been a means of self-expression, showing who you are, whether it's to be comfortable or to express your true style, regardless of colour or make. Fashion and - the people wearing them - are constantly changing.

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