Expression Through Fashion: why should gender matter in the way we dress ourselves?

Quite recently I was compiling a list of people who inspire me fashion-wise. You could say that I am a typical girl although I did go through my tomboyish phase around the time I was 15/16. So some of the people who made it onto that list surprised even me. Because next to actresses Audrey Hepburn and Dianna Agron were David Bowie and Mick Jagger, people who, just by taking in my personal style, no one would ever associate with my fashion style in any way.

Courtney Love || Audrey Hepburn
Tavi Gevinson || Mick Jagger
David Bowie || Dianna Agron

But still they were there on my Tumblr, listed as inspirational fashion icons. So naturally I had to dig deeper into that: what made them so inspiring to me that, even though my go-to style is dresses and boots, these two men made it into my Top 6 recent fashion inspirations?

And the answer is simple: their image, their fashion style, their courage to defy conventional gender roles, not only but maybe most importantly in fashion as a personal expression. Because what else is fashion but a way to express your inner feelings and thoughts through fabrics and accessories to the outside world? When women started wearing pants, the initial reaction was shock, outrage. But conventions change, thank goodness, except a man wearing a skirt is still a very rare sight.

So I applaud those who help break down society’s expectations of what makes male and female, be it Bowie and Jagger or other celebrities such as Tilda Swinton or Lady GaGa or any of those celebrities who use their voices to call for acceptance and respect and open-mindedness.

Tilda Swinton || David Bowie

Mick Jagger || Lady Gaga's male alter-ego Jo Calderone