Fashion trends have made great contributions to our culture over the years. JT and Britney brought us denim suits. Jelly shoes were a fad for a time. More recently, and more importantly, androgynous dress has become both more popular and more accepted. Just take a look at companies like Butch Baby, a clothier that created a line of gender-neutral clothing for pregnant individuals.

In a time where gender stereotypes, gender identity and the gender binary are questioned, androgyny as a fashion trend is a good way for mainstream America to get accustomed to the idea of deconstructing gender norms.

Yet for every cultural movement there is a countercultural movement, like the flappers of the 1920s or the grunge and punk followers of the 1980s and ‘90s. I’m typically supportive of counterculture.

Countercultural trends are important because they make us question what’s popular and what’s right. We know this. We grew up learning not to stick to the status quo.

But a countercultural trend opposite androgynous fashion could be the start of something new and potentially harmful.

Finally, we are breaking free from gender stereotypes.

What if, as a response, the 1950s begins to creep back into our pop culture and media?

It most likely will – that’s how trends work. A cisgendered white woman with 32 inch by 22 inch by 32 inch measurements is already the image to bop to the top of our heads when thinking about femininity.

As a society that’s finally fighting against that narrow perspective of beauty, how can we prepare for a counterculture that might want it back?

What I’ve been looking for is some kind of solution, but I’m not sure there is an easy one.

Hyper-feminine or hyper-masculine counter-trends are not something our society needs right now. People are still getting used to the idea of people using the public restrooms of the gender they identify as – for some reason that’s an issue.

Even though the androgynous trend helps our society question the binary and be more accepting of people who are queer, questioning or non-binary, it still isn’t the perfect representative of an ideal gender identity system

Technically, androgyny is the mix of female and male characteristics. However, androgynous fashion is typically a female dressing in traditionally male clothing, because “dressing like a man” is still seen as empowering whereas “dressing like a woman” is seen as weak or silly.

The current androgynous dress trend is a stepping stone, and the anticipated counter trend could undo it.

Can you imagine hipsters marching around in basketball shorts talking about how it’s a shame how men don’t dress like real men anymore? As if hipsters weren’t bad enough as it is.

The solution I have for now is awareness. You can express your identity through traditional dress if that’s what makes you comfortable in your skin. Yes, the 1950s were cute, but clothing is more than what’s cute.

Androgynous dress as a trend is important to our society and should not be replaced with an ultra-feminine or ultra-masculine ideal simply for the sake of something new.

Addy Forte is a senior apparel design and merchandising major from Seattle. She can be contacted at 335-1140 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of the Office of Student Media.