In 2016, gender has gone way beyond 'female' and 'male'. It only makes sense then, that fashion – possibly our most creative form of social commentary – has evolved to reflect that.
These are the days of the 'MIRT' (man skirt), when Hollywood's leading ladies are gracing the red carpet in tuxedos, and guys can do a better contouring job than Kylie Jenner.
The face of fashion is changing, and while we Regular Joes will always be a tad nervous to step outside of our comfort zones, we are – thankfully – getting to a stage where fewer damns are given.
Love is love. People are people. And do you know what? Clothes are clothes. Once it floats your boat, it doesn't really matter what department it's from or what it says on the label, right?
To prove this, I decided to wear one item of 'men's clothing' into the office everyday for a week – to shake things up, to gauge reaction and, most importantly, to prove that labels don't matter. Here's how I got on.
Day 1
I happened to be browsing in the menswear department of a sports shop one day when I came across this amazing range of basketball jerseys, and had to get my hands on this Boston Celtics one. I thought it was really cool and figured I could have some fun styling it into an athleisure look.
If they had had a ladies' version downstairs, I most likely would have picked out my size and bought it. But do you know what? They didn't stock these super-cool jerseys beside the floral-and-pink ladies' workout gear. Read into that what you will!
Day 2
This shirt was a recent purchase from the menswear department in Penneys, and boy, did it go down a treat in the office. It fooled EVERYONE – probably because I opted to tuck it into a feminine pleated skirt rather than throw it loose over a vest and skinny jeans.
The girls fell really hard for this 'blouse' and demanded to know where I bought it. Can you imagine their surprise when I said those golden words, "Penneys, €10 – menswear"?
Day 3
I was feeling patriotic after the Ireland v Italy match, so I decided there was no better time to pull out my Notre Dame Fightin' Irish T-shirt – an absolute steal from the menswear sale at a sports shop.
I'm aware I'm teetering between sports luxe and referee chic (and let's not forget what Robin Thicke did for black-and-white pants), but I decided to embrace the quirkiness. This outfit could have gone either way in the office really, but teaming with a tuxedo blazer and slick pointed boots smartened it right up.
Day 4
While a colleague reckoned I could be a ringer for Richie Kavanagh in it, I love this blazer! It's quite literally a granddad blazer, bought in a vintage shop in London – tailored for a man.
I tend to wear it as an overcoat, over a black dress or dark jeans in winter, but I reckoned it could contrast really nicely with what I have dubbed my 'space cadet shoes'. This is a real marmite one – you'll either hate it or love it.
Day 5
For my final outfit, I decided to focus on the transforming power of the accessory. If Gucci's creative director, Alessandro Michele, is sending models down the runway in every form of tie imaginable, I'm going to work in a man's Batman dickie-bow. It livened up an otherwise neutral outfit and, as you can guess, it kept us entertained!
So, there you have it!
So, to sum up:
- Do I like all of these items? Why, yes, I love them.
- Did people realise they were actually ‘menswear’ pieces? For the most part, no.
- Once they knew they were menswear pieces, did they look at the outfits any differently? Not at all.
- Do I think we should ditch labels and just wear what we want? Absolutely.
