Following recent trends on high-end runways and emoji keyboards, Spanish high street behemoth Zara has quietly but officially climbed aboard the gender-neutral train. This morning a new “Ungendered” section appeared on the store’s website, filled with binary-breaking staples such as grey hoodies, white trousers, jogging trousers, and even unisex jeans. Not boyfriend jeans, not girlfriend jeans, just jeans. Amen to that.
The move is reflective of a cultural climate that is increasingly hostile to strict gender codes. Last year Selfridges launched a retail project called “Agender” starring Hari Nef, Target announced it was getting rid of gender-based signage, Gypsy Sport reached peak levels of pan-gender hype, and Jaden Smith scored a gender-neutral victory with Louis Vuitton. Zara isn’t the first major chain to try its hand at the gender-neutrality game. Uniqlo has unisex items, and American Apparel has been hawking agender sweaters and flannels even before Jonathan Anderson was proposing skirts on dudes. But when such clothing hits digital shelves it’s usually still categorized as “men’s” or “women’s” (or both.) Zara’s move is more in line with TheCorner.com’s launch of No Gender, a digital space dedicated exclusively to ungendered fashion. However the best part is that there’s no press release — because, TBH, men and women wearing the same clothes has been given more column inches than it deserves already.
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Text Hannah Ongley
Image via Zara