Genderless fashion is not new. It’s modern, maybe. On the rise? Yes. But it’s in no way a new concept. It is as old as fashion. As long as someone has made rules about men and women’s fashion, there have been many to bend, break and blur them.

Wherever binaries have existed, someone has pushed for non-binaries. Genderless fashion lets us be experimentative, explore our style freely, and is more inclusive.

It could be Harry Styles showing up in a gown, or power suits for women: The idea is not just to switch to clothing of another gender, but to suspend the very idea that there is any such thing as gendered clothing or accessories.

Imagine a store where there is no his and hers. Everything is for everyone, and all genders can dress similarly. That, is simply genderless fashion.

While many brands create fashion that is easy to adapt for any gender, anything can be gender-neutral if we want it to be. It’s not so much about the product but about our mindsets and culture.

You may have noticed fashion taking a u-turn to more vintage and nostalgic pieces, recently. Along with it has come the idea that accessories don’t have to be gendered.

Here are certain accessories that are leading the pack.

Jewellery

Clay rings, bead necklaces, pearls and gems? 2000 revisited and dropped it’s jewellery box in 2021. And it is up for grabs for all genders alike.

Styling pearl necklaces is a common sight for men today. Clay rings are playful for all genders. Jewellery has always been heavily gendered (even though men’s jewelry was an ordinary thing throughout history) and is often a common way to dab in non-conforming fashion.

Sliders, sneakers and boots

Shoes have always been one of the best examples of genderless fashion. Sneakers like Vans and converse are genderless. So is the Indian Jooti. Other brands are loaded with unisex options too. The most trending items at the moment are sliders, boots and of course chunky sneakers, that are loved by all genders, equally.

Totes and satchels

Did you get the memo? Totes are back. So are tiny satchels and purses. As gendered as purses may be, we see many fashion icons and male celebrities carry them effortlessly, and many mainstream brands, brand them as unisex accessories as well.

Hair bands 

This one’s easy. Long hair is gendered. But at the same time, it’s more than common to see men with long tresses and women with buzzed hair. Hair Bands are just a result of hair becoming lesser and lesser gendered and have been a familiar accessory for men.

Wallets

Wallets aren’t a very public accessory. They miss the limelight but haven been silent players of the genderless movement. Wallets for women have usually been larger and more embellished. For men, a bi-fold is common.

However, as money becomes more digital, and the world becomes more mindful and minimal, wallets have become more functional, and less gendered.

At Arture, we may catalogue wallets as men and women’s for ease of search, but they are designed to be functional, minimal and sleek instead of gendered. The designs aren’t confirmed to traditional masculine and feminine sensibilities.

We encourage users to shop from any section they’d like. Many of our women users prefer men's bifolds and vice-versa. Wallets have no business being gendered. For us, they just need to be well-designed and sustainable.