Do any of you dress etc 'gender free' or have tried to in the past?

[SoulofanAggron]

I'm going a bit more 'gender free' in my look. Did try it once years ago for a couple of years. Have any of you tried it/done it?

I know a lot of women have quite a 'gender free' look anyway.

But if it's warm enough to paddle, it's warm enough for shorts ?

I haven't tried to, but I've put on weight in lockdown so a hoodie and leggings is all I need!

@midgebabe

But if it's warm enough to paddle, it's warm enough for shorts ?

Unless it was very short shorts,no. I don't think shorts, unless they were very baggy would roll up well either. Shorts are usually quite tight fitting and knee length, often denim. They look horribly constricting in hot weather.

Don't know where you shop, but it's not where I shop !

I like shorts just above the knee and loose around the legs and bum, they often have a tab so can be rolled up shorter.

Shorts are usually quite tight fitting and knee length, often denim

nope, me neither. Wtf would be the point of those. I have some lovely loose, nowhere knee length shorts. I like skirts too in summer (mid-calf and unconstricting)- and of course, if changing in and out of a cossie on a beach they're by far the best thing to wear. Not sure about the knicker tucking... better to gird up ones loins (see illustrated children's bible stories for drawings of the fishermen) but that just ends up bulkier and less convenient than shorts.

Skirts are actually quite practical for walking, just stick your feet into wellies and you don't need to worry about tucking in or turning up your trousers. If you're wearing shoes the bottom of your skirt (unless very long) doesn't get wet or muddy either, unlike trousers.

This time of year A skirt with tights or leggings underneath is much warmer than trousers as you have two layers on (unless of course you're wearing tights or leggings underneath your trousers).

As for doing sports in a skirt, ask tennis players :)

If I didn't have frankly awesome bladder control I'd think about walking in a skirt. The late lamented Lass used to extol their virtues in that regard.
Ah... is women's adoption of trousers in any way correlated with their success in campaigning for women's loos last century, I wonder?

It's just not very ladylike to pee in the street even if you covered by a skirt

I don’t think it’s a bad idea, don’t know why you’re getting a hard time, OP.

It is a bit confusing as to what gender free os but it is confusing in general, not just because you said it. It must be freeing not to feel the need to perform femininity, which a lot of women are conditioned to perform, even if we think they’re our own decisions.

By the way. It just occured to me that the current (1900s+) idea of femininity is based on upper-class fashion. In the past (1800-1700s) the average woman had to wear skirts, but the her clothing wasn't very frilly. She would be working hard at her farm or as someone's maid and wear pretty simple outfits.
Only rich men and women would be wearing heels, makeup, frills, delicate fabrics not just because they could afford it but because they didn't have to do physical labour. The ideal of femininty is someone who can afford to not be very active - but that isn't most women's reality.

Shorts are usually quite tight fitting and knee length, often denim. They look horribly constricting in hot weather.

I'm not sure where you shop, but I've never bought a pair of tight fitting knee length shorts Mind are linen, loose fitting, cool and comfortable.

I always thought rather simplistically that skirts vs trousers were determined by ease of peeing for either sex, generally.
Gender free clothing? A complete irrelevance, why would anyone care? Though obviously some people do, but it’s beyond me.

I always thought rather simplistically that skirts vs trousers were determined by ease of peeing for either sex, generally.
That and the fact that it was illegal to wear the clothing of the opposite sex.
Although back in Rome, trousers were something no civilised man would be wearing. www.atlasobscura.com/articles/trousers-pants-roman-history-banned-trajan Funny how norms change.
Also, enjoy some Greek amazons based on Scythian warrior women in fancy leggings.

Rather horrifically, those leggings look like ski pants. Though my eyesight isn’t up to much nowadays.

Although back in Rome, trousers were something no civilised man would be wearing.

Perhaps it's no coincidence they had that marker of civilised society - the sit-down loo?

All clothing is gender free as I've not seen any clothing with a penis or vagina attached.

What an interesting thread! I agree with those who wrote that 'gender neutral' today really means (in the western society) the same thing as 'male' when it comes to basic types of items that someone wears. That is partly because the kind of clothing modern jeans and t-shirts etc. combinations grew from are based on men's sportswear, leisurewear and the kinds of working clothes men wore for physical work. All those were designed for comfort and most people prefer comfortable clothes.

But it's also true, in a wider sense, that any attempt to be nonbinary turns out to be an attempt to look vaguely male. Draw your own conclusions for why this might be the case. I think it is because men are default and women are the sex marked as sex.

A couple of unrelated comments:

First, if you think of the situation where someone is coming toward you at dusk but is still some time off so you can only spot the outlines of the person our ability to sex that person is slightly less than it would have been two hundred years ago, because then wearing trousers was an entirely male thing. So the outlines of the person would have told us much more. Today we might have to focus on the actual shape of the body to sex that distant shape.

Second, men's clothes are still often much better made than women's clothes. It's odd that there aren't more complaints about that. I wear teenage boys' jeans because they happen to fit my body shape much better, but I have also worn jeans made for women. The former last much longer and are just overall made better while not costing any more.

@SomeSmotheringDreams

Shorts are usually quite tight fitting and knee length, often denim. They look horribly constricting in hot weather.

I'm not sure where you shop, but I've never bought a pair of tight fitting knee length shorts Mind are linen, loose fitting, cool and comfortable.

I don't shop for shorts anywhere. I'm referring to what I see women wearing.

Maybe you're noticing more people who don't look comfortable or jar on your eye? Because I honestly don't know how else you've formed that impression.

@ErrolTheDragon

Maybe you're noticing more people who don't look comfortable or jar on your eye? Because I honestly don't know how else you've formed that impression.

I could post you pictures of the women on a tour of Laos and Cambodia if you'd like except that would be unfair to them as it shows faces. It was godawful hot and humid and how they complained and I just kept thinking, well yes, what you're wearing isn't helping one bit- tight knee length denim shorts or even worse jeans. Looked like a fantastic way to get thrush.

And not just there. I'm more surprised by where some of you are seeing all these comfortable, light weight , linen shorts.

What a load of crap op

I used to dress in a more androgynous way when younger, I was slim and flat chested, so it was easier to make shirts and smart trousers work.

Now I'm older and much less slim I live in skirts and dresses. I'm not opposed to trousers, but as a short fat woman it's so hard to find ones that fit without needing adjustment, and skirts are just more comfortable and practical for me.

I'm aware that this means a degree of conforming to gendered expectations, but at the same time I don't wear high heels or makeup on a daily basis.

I’m uncomfortable with the idea that we should be wearing unisex (which in practice seems to mean traditionally male clothing and/or shaped for the male body) rather than simply using the criteria of comfort and practicality with a bit of ‘what I like the look of’.
In winter I wear knee high flat boots, and either thick woolly tights with dresses or skirts, or leggings with a long jumper. It’s warmer than jeans and trainers, way more comfortable, and handy for walking quite a lot every day. It’s also ‘gendered’ in that men wouldn’t normally wear any of these outfits.

I'm a tall woman.

Sadly dresses with a waist don't fit and I find tights itchy.

I don't make my own clothes so my choices are limited to what fits in a standard shop. Trousers with a longer inseam are my easiest solution. In general men's clothes are too wide, women's too short.🤔

Anyway it's a practical issue for me and free choice feels very limited.

Sorry for the delay- had lots on yesterday. So, I ordered some stuff yesterday. I don't think it's extravagant as it's all quite sensible and hopefully I'll wear it and it'll last. Here are some of my ex-clothes vs the stuff I ordered.