‘Anytime you are putting barriers in your life, you are limiting yourselves’ - Harry Styles 

Since the 1970s, gender has been a "social construct." We know that fashion trends vary over time, and the same is true of gender norms. Now that gender fluidity is acknowledged by society, the fashion industry believes it to be fascinating. Fashion has no boundaries. As the name suggests, gender-fluid fashion defies all preconceived notions and infuses people with a fresh sense of self-assurance. Many prominent celebrities and models have already made a remarkable effect on the public by subtly highlighting the fact that ‘it is not gender that should have an impact on one’s wardrobe but it is the comfort and elegance that should prevail.’ 

Just Vogue-ing It Iconically 

Harry Styles, an English singer, songwriter, and actor, enraged the crowd with his outfit selection for the Vogue cover. He was the first man to appear on the solo cover of Vogue, therefore he chose an outfit that best complemented him. When questioned, he responded that he has always had a preference for such clothing. He disproved a number of socially built preconceptions with simply a cover. According to him, setting boundaries merely serves to hinder one from experiencing the outside world. His supporters and the fashion industry questioned and discussed his unique clothing style. 

Is fashion merely clothes, or does it push the boundaries of society by developing broader social convictions? Is a person's gender determined by their clothing? Is a person's gender determined by their clothing? Is the pace of fashion industry trends accelerating to the point where people are unable to follow them? Well, Harry's surprise left his followers speechless. According to him, the clothes he wears just reflect his personal style and fashion preferences and not gender. 

But what about India? 

Gender-Fluid Fashion in Indian Markets 

It would not be wrong if one implies that genderless clothing was mainstream in ancient India. Long kurtas, ear piercings, jewelry, dhottis and sherwanis have been a trend in the past. When one takes a look at the ancient statutes and scriptures, one might notice that all the goddesses have worn dhotis. Furthermore, the rulers in ancient India wore pastel colour kurtas and various layers of exotic jewelry. In bollywood movies like Hritik Roshan’s Jodhaa Akbar, we can see the actor wearing beautiful jewelry with pastel green kurtas. 

India, being home to numerous forms of classical dances has seen the costumes being confined to the dance forms with the well complement anklets rather than gender. The Great Fat Indian Weddings have also seen men choosing lighter and pastel colours. Men have always played safe but since the society has been changing, their choices have been evolving over time.

Bollywood Dhamaka 

Desi Boyz and Desi Girls in bollywood have proven to be a dhamaka by seizing the hearts of their fans with genderless clothing. Here are 5 bollywood actors that totally rocked their fits. 

1. Ranveer Singh 

Without him, the glamour standard would have been low. He is rich with his flambouyant fashion ethic. Unusual, tacky and vibrant are his go to apparels. The actor said that at one point in his life, he did experience criticism for his appearance and sense of style, but he eventually learnt to let it go. He also noted that although he likes a variety of colours for his clothes, he prefers to keep his living space as straightforward as possible. The actor tweeted to his fans, according to the report of the Hindustan Times. 

2. Deepika Padukone 

Deepika Padukone, an iconic figure in the Bollywood, is referred to as the "queen of fashion" by both her admirers and her husband, Ranveer Singh. Deepika Padukone's clothing, which ranges from joggers to hoodies and trousers suits, never fails to astound her admirers. 

3. Ayushmann Khurana 

He is a wonderful poet, actor, and writer who chooses his clothes as finely as he chooses his movies. From deciding to wear a nose ring in his well-known film "Dream Girl" to donning a pleated skirt at the awards ceremony, he delighted his fans by ingeniously redefining genderless clothing. 

4. Kareena Kapoor Khan 

The official Geet of Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor Khan has never failed to admire her fans with ‘good looks, good looks and good looks!’ on the big screen. One of her most influential movies is ‘Ki and Ka’ which broke the gender stereotypes. In the movie, she can be seen wearing a pantsuit which impressed her fans. 

5. Tamannah Bhatia 

A Tollywood- Bollywood actress who left a mark on her fans after she wore a stunning brown pant suit to Cannes Festival. 

As the main component of the cultural fabric with an estimated 1.4 billion viewers, Bollywood has been crucial in influencing people's opinions. The definition of a genderless, comfy dress style among young people today has been impacted, directly or indirectly, by Bollywood celebrities.

Influential Influencers 

With the ongoing Metaverse, prominent apps such as Snapchat have featured the Bitmoji concept for quite some time. Not only do these bitmojis mimic the user of the app, but the user may also dress them. Due to the extreme genderless fashion influence, many users dress their bitmojis in a way that would make them feel good about themselves. 

Furthermore, Instagram has been a ground for the cultivation of various influencers. Here are top 3 influencers breaking the stereotypes with their genderless fashion choices: 

1. Siddharth Batra 

Siddharth Batra is a well-known fashion influencer and stylist who is adored for his unique sense of style and wearing as well as his dapper grooming and beauty advice. With more than 200K Instagram followers, he is changing the way guys define beauty one post or reel at a time. 

2. Ankush Bahuguna 

A famous Instagram influencer, he is the ‘king of the makeup world’ as called by one of his followers. He adores skin-care routines and long makeup sessions. 

3. Deep Pathare

‘Stop Labelling and Start Living’ is his conception of genderless fashion. He is one of the rising influencers in the queer community with his fabulous artistic skills and techniques he has a fleek personality like his fleek eyeliner. 

India has thus seen a rise in its genderless fashion trend. Be it famous stars or budding influencers, the trend has now begun. It is not merely a trend but a massive breakthrough, an attempt to break the shackles of the ever existing stereotypes in the society binding the people together. 

‘Fashion is about something that comes from within you’ - Ralph Lauren

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