Androgynous: “being both male and female; having both masculine and feminine characteristics; having an ambiguous sexual identity” (dictionary.com)
In the past, androgynous has usually had a negative connotation. With all the fashion trends that are finding inspiration in the off-beaten tracks of culture and society, maybe it was only time that was needed before fashion-forward women started subtly adding androgynous themes to new trends. “Boyfriend jeans,” larger button-down collared shirts, and oxford style shoes have been popping up in stores and fashion shows, always with that feminine twist – a heel on the shoe, black leggings
under the larger button-down, or a cut-off shirt.
But we can take it a step farther now as the runway models become even more androgynous. In fashion, androgyny can be defined as the balancing of feminine and masculine traits. As females, we seek to eliminate or minimize some of the feminine aspects of our personalities or appearances, and promote or maximize some of the masculine aspects. Don’t be nervous that you will lose too much of your femininity by dressing androgynous – it may not be for everyone, but it can be quite a lot of fun to play around with once in awhile. It’s a whole different aspect of confidence that hasn’t been previously tapped into.
Here are some easy-to-follow steps that allow you to dress androgynous just as comfortably as putting on a skirt.
Step 1: Start shopping for clothes that are unisex or follow new trends.
Examples: straight leg jeans, button downs, longer cardigans that are more neutral – preferably in shades of grey, blue, black, or red.
Step 2: If you care for makeup, line your eyes in grey or black eyeliner, but nothing too flashy or obvious. Try to forget the red lipstick or blush, but feel free to stick to foundation, matte powder, and possibly even concealer to barely lighten the pink in your lips.
Step 3: Converse, oxfords (high heels if you’d like) – anything will do as long as it’s, again, not too flashy or girly.
Step 4: If you are a curvy woman and you feel comfortable doing this, you can bind your breasts using multiple sports bras or some sort of binder if you feel like it.
Step 5: Own the look! Don’t worry if people look at you, don’t worry about other’s opinions. If you want to wear the look, then rock the look. Total confidence is a masculine thing.
Last little tip: choose clean-cut tailoring over frills, opt for monochrome over loud colors, throw some sharp, high collars in to the mix rather than low-plunging neck lines.
Have some fun with it girls, play with the looks.