Searches for Gender-Fluid Fashion Are Rising
According to Lyst, shoppers are beginning to reject traditional gender binaries.
Lyst has released a new report on the rise of gender-fluid fashion, signaling increased acceptance of genderless and unisex silhouettes.
The global shopping platform reports that searches for gender neutral and agender-related keywords have increased 33 percent since the beginning of 2021. Notably, queries for genderless labels including Wales Bonner, Eckhaus Latta and Hood By Air have been rising since January. Lyst also reveals that celebrities are helping fuel demand for gender-fluid fashion. After Harry Styles attended this year’s Grammys wearing a feather boa, page views for similar products saw a 1500 percent spike in the 48 hours following his performance. Kid Cudi’s Saturday Night Live gig boosted searches for floral dresses by 21 percent, and Dan Levy’s appearance on Schitt’s Creek in a Thom Browne kilt caused interest in “wedding skirts” to surge 26 percent.
To supplement its new report, Lyst spoke to LGBTQ+ influencers about the importance of fashion in self-expression. “The first time I ever wore a dress in public, my body was filled with a sense of adventure, excitement, fear and joy,” said Brendan Dunlap, a queer vlogger and TikToker. “To have finally given myself permission to express my femininity so boldly felt like a breath of fresh air after suffocating within the confines of gender norms. To prioritize my own desires above the expectations of others continues to be an act of everyday resistance, a recalibration towards pleasure and freedom, away from convention and conformity,” the creator explained.
Over the course of Pride Month, Lyst will be highlighting more LGBTQ+ figures and their favorite fashion items on Instagram.
