Gender less- a step too far ?

[Cortrasna]

I always thought children's clothes were all in the same place.
Then the adults are in another place. There is a divide with men and women's departments. But it doesn't mean I can't shop in both.

Yes last time I looked and actually I did some toddler shopping fairly recently for a great nephew - and over here at least all children's clothing was in the same area I don't recall seeing any divide between the boys and girls clothing? So not sure quite where they are already selling in separate areas for the little chaps and the little girls?

Interestingly I was actually waiting for someone to jump on the 'political correctness' and the whole ridiculous trend to totally over compensate for actually very minor non issues bandwagon. I wasn't disappointed! Despite my earlier posts standing for liberal views and support of REAL issues (which I still stand by) - I have to say I really will be glad that I am no longer around when all our seriously disturbed and emotionally bewildered off spring are prancing around in opposite gender specific clothing looking frankly totally ridiculous and as bewildered as I am that supposedly well adjusted and sensible parents actively encouraged this confusion over their sexuality and clapped wildly and enthusiastically as their sons frolicked off into the sunset pirouetting in their tutus while they showed even more encouragement as their daughters chewed tobacco and spat in the corner hitching up their workmanlike trousers and struggling to find combat boots in a petite size 3.

 

[CharliesAngel]

@Cortrasna oh I do love you

 

[Mary Poppins]

Boys traditional wore dresses up until the age of 8 until the early 20th century. The picture below is from wikipdeia and shows a boy traditional dressed for that time. Clothing fashions come and go and have nothing to do with defining your sexuality. Why should anyone care what a boy or girl child wears? I agree that there are far more important things to worry about.

 

[newforest]

From a psychology point of view, clothes do say a lot about us. Like it or not, your first impression is made on how you look including your clothing of choice.

I am not one for 'following' fashion that says things about me for a start. I wear what I like and if it happens to coincide with fashion so be it.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2012/04/03/what-your-clothes-say-about-you/

I love that photo ^^ I could do with fashion bringing that back for men and women. I love the Victorian/edwardian/elizabethan/medieval clothes.

 

[newforest]

Been nosing and came across companies making gender free clothes.
It's just very clever marketing and ' jumping on the bandwagon'

Clothes will either appeal to you or they won't. The design, pattern, colour will appeal to the female brain or the male.
They make it for body shape.
https://www.genderfreeworld.com/collections/t-shirts

@CharliesAngel this company makes boxers for ladies, that's nothing new to be honest. Plus lace panties for those with 'external bits' I can think of a well known company that sell those already!!
But our frames are different I agree and ladies grow up to have 'external bits'

 

[newforest]

Yes we are going too far. I am actually surprised we would have trans gender children. I thought you would need to be at least 16 /18 before you could know something this huge. And it is huge!

But then as @Cortrasna has said I won't be around either when these emotionally confused people reach adult hood.
I felt mobile phones should be for age 16 and above when payg hit the shelves. Now we have addicted children and teenagers to the Internet.


http://news.sky.com/story/amp/schoo...-it-brings-in-gender-neutral-uniform-11023265

 

[popularfurball]

Yes we are going too far. I am actually surprised we would have trans gender children. I thought you would need to be at least 16 /18 before you could know something this huge. And it is huge!

But then as @Cortrasna has said I won't be around either when these emotionally confused people reach adult hood.
I felt mobile phones should be for age 16 and above when payg hit the shelves. Now we have addicted children and teenagers to the Internet.


http://news.sky.com/story/amp/schoo...-it-brings-in-gender-neutral-uniform-11023265

I actually don't think the school uniform thing is an issue. For kids I think there is an issue in practicality/wearability between genders - boys shoes are sturdier, more weatherproof and clothing often advertised as being robust - girls shoes by contrast is dainty, not suitable for muddy play etc.

I don't think a lot of this is an issue - everyone should be able to wear what they want. I didn't like dresses that much as a kid but do like them now I am older.

It's the labelling and press attention that frustrates me because that's what causes the confrontation and prejudice etc. Kids should just be kids and be free to wear what they please, without a "label". We are obsessed with labelling, diagnosis etc and forcing people to identify as part of a "group" or "condition". It's a similar thing with ADHD, autism, self harm etc - they all get a lot of flack for being "attention seekers". There are kids struggling to cope out there, but because people feel the need to label kids (almost like a fb status really!) the phrases are watered down and attract bad publicity.

 

[Calder]

I think of this in terms of riding clothes.

The other day, I watched an incredible documentary about the role of equines in the First World War (warning: includes disturbing images). It included some footage of young women working at 'Remount Stations': huge camps where up to 5000 horses at a time were trained for service. As so many men were off fighting, women were recruited for this role in large numbers. They wore jodhpurs, the old-fashioned 'elephant ears' kind of course, and rode astride. Those jods always looked more silly to me than anything else, but to some they were scandalous - unnatural, masculine, and disturbingly modern. It was only because the work was seen as part of the war effort that they got away with it. From then on, women started routinely wearing riding clothes that had previously been seen as menswear, even competing against (and beating) men on horseback. And that's where we are today... almost.

I grew up in the 1970s and 80s, when kids clothes were *much* more unisex than they are now. Girls and boys both wore a lot of jumpers and jeans. For riding, it was black, blue, beige or white jods, usually made from indestructible nylon. At that age there's not a huge difference between boys' and girls' figures, so I doubt that jodhpurs varied very much between those for boys or girls apart from the sizing (I must admit that, with the price of men's breeches, I'm jealous of those guys who can fit womens' sizes.. I'm too big, in all dimensions!). But if you pick up a saddlery catalogue nowadays, the difference between the way that riding gear is gendered (and maybe riding as well) is huge. Women's gear is covered in bling and custom stitching, and comes in pink and purple colours. Us blokes still have the same set of colours, though, but breeches tailored with pleats and whatnot cost a *lot* more than those basic nylon jods that you still see around, but which some see as a bit 1970s.. I don't know about kids' clothing in general, but business seems to have done quite well in bumping up the price of riding gear by massively gendering it. There are more brands of jeans around than they used to be as well, and they cost a lot more, too.

To finish, here's Sir Joshua Reynold's portrait of British Army cavalry officer Colonel Tarleton. I quite like his getup, although I don't think the plumed hat is British standard.. and the coat and the ruffles could be seen as bit girly nowadays? The breeches, though, seem like the kind that riders have worn for a very long time - men and women, both seen at various times as cross-dressing, or showing off, or just not dressing right. You can't really win at gender!

 

[newforest]

@Calder check out my thread about the vintage book.
I own a pair of elephant ear jodphurs from the 1940's. I have yet to squeeze in them, but I plan to ride out in them. I like the fabric by touch anyway.

The difference between male and female clothes would be the side of the buttons. As we no longer have maids dress us, the buttons could all be universally on the same side.
Male jeans tend to have a deep rear pocket for the wallet whereas we don't use it much ( maybe for our phones) Plus it makes my bum look bigger and I don't need assistance!

We are different but similar. It comes back to our brains. Fashion has to be aimed at market. I like a tv show and all the merchandise is aimed at both genders because everyone watches it.

There are loads more horse clothing for women than men. Not really because men ride less but because women have a shopping brain. My friend buys two pairs of jodphurs to my five pairs.