Gender boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred in the fashion industry, with new generations showing growing interest in genderless clothing.
The trend wasn't new to 2020, but it certainly gained momentum, especially with global stars like Harry Styles banishing notions of gender from their wardrobes.
From it-bags and shoes to coats and shirts, here are the unisex ready-to-wear pieces that are riding high in the fashion world right now.
Read more: Strutting into 2021, what can you expect from fashion trends?
For its December 2020 edition, Vogue caused a sensation with its first cover to feature a man alone. Harry Styles was photographed wearing a Gucci gown, chipping away a little more at traditional gender codes.
The news went viral around the world in a matter of minutes, potentially helping some fans to further free themselves from certain preconceived norms or ideals.
It therefore comes as little surprise to learn that genderless clothing and accessories are booming worldwide – let alone that Gucci's Jackie 1961 bag, sported by Styles in Autumn 2020, is one of the most popular unisex it-bags.
According to the global search platform Stylight, clicks on the Italian fashion house's bag were up +32% (Jan-Apr vs. May-Aug 2020), while it saw a +273% peak in search interest on Google in 2020.
And it isn't the only bag riding high on the gender fluid wave, as Dior's Saddle Bag and the now famous Telfar Shopping Bag are also having a moment.
It's the same story for apparel too, with men and women now pooling pieces from their respective wardrobes.
Once again, Gucci is riding high, whether with its blouses (+97% increase in Google search interest in December 2020, compared to January 2020) or its maxi cardigan, which fashion fans just can't get enough of (+37% increase in Google search interest).
As for outerwear, enthusiasm for the iconic Saint Laurent leopard-print coat is spanning the gender divide (+82% increase in Google search interest).
Read more: Will inclusivity be the watchword in fashion for 2021?
When it comes to accessories, interest appears to be growing among men for certain jewellery pieces that were previously mostly women's must-haves.
Styles is no stranger to the trend, since his penchant for pearl necklaces hasn't gone unnoticed.
As a result, Stylight points to Google Trends reporting a +317% peak in search interest for "pearl necklace for men" over the course of December 2020.
The Stylight Gender Fluid Fashion Report is based on internal data collected from its 12 million monthly users. It also looks at Google search interest for various search terms. – AFP Relaxnews
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