He/him, she/her or they/them? Society now has the option to choose their gender pronouns. ‘They’, a pronoun used to refer to non-binary individuals, was 2019’s Word of the Year. The pronoun gained a 313% increase in searches on Merriam-Webster, demonstrating the increasing awareness of the gender-neutral movement.
The gender-neutral fashion movement caters to transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) individuals. Non-binary individuals spend significantly higher than males and females on average when purchasing streetwear, revealing streetwear’s influence on gender-neutral fashion.
Additionally, the timelessness of streetwear designs eases consumers’ concerns about wasteful purchases. Gender-neutral clothing promotes sustainability because the designs hardly go out of style. Moreover, there are gender-neutral brands that position themselves as sustainable such as, Olderbrother, Kirrin Finch and Wilde Vertigga.
More recently, celebrities have caused major buzz by pushing the boundaries of gender roles in the public eye. Sam Smith came out as non-binary. Besides that, Harry Style’s flamboyant style has made him a fashion icon while K-pop stars are breaking gender stereotypes.
In this report, we reviewed 5 gender-neutral brands to analyse their success with bending gender norms in fashion.
More than 1,500 data points were screened from March 2019 to February 2020 across US, UK and Korean markets.
All data used in this report comes from products retailing online as tracked by Omnilytics, unless otherwise mentioned.
The brands were selected based on their premium pricing and gender-neutral assortment. Eckhaus Latta and Telfar are US brands, Toogood is from UK, whereas Ader Error and Blindness originate from Korea.
Only offering 22% of its products on discount, Toogood managed to achieve 90% sell-out at full price. Toogood also had a steep median price at USD 1,277 – nearly 4x higher than the average. Its impressive performance in spite of the high median price indicates Toogood’s strong brand equity.
The total sell-out rate of all 5 brands at a median price of USD 348 reveals the willingness of consumers to purchase gender-neutral clothing at a premium price. The message of inclusivity is promoted by gender-neutral brands like Telfar, with the motto ‘It’s not for you – it’s for everyone’. Resonating with consumers, this shows that customers will pay more for products with a strong brand image that aligns with their beliefs.
Despite being known for its fluidity, gender-neutral clothing tends to lean towards one gender – either more masculine or more feminine. This shows that it is less about the clothes but more the message of diversity and inclusivity being delivered.
Gender-neutral clothing traditionally has a boxy and loose fit to cater to both male and female body types, creating ambiguity around the wearer’s gender. The drapey, oversized designs also allow individuals with different body types to wear them confidently. The diversity and inclusivity element of this is evident among the LGBTQIA+ community and especially resonates with TGNB individuals. They feel represented and no longer have the dilemma of shopping in a section that differs from their sex in fear of being judged and ridiculed.
On the topic of sustainability, gender-neutral brands are no different from luxury and commercial brands – all five documented in this report included at least two types of sustainable materials in their products. There were 128 products in their combined sustainable assortment, consisting of Rayon, Linen, Silk, Vegan Leather and Tencel. Ader Error, at 59 SKUs, had the most sustainable products. However, the brand that used the widest variety of sustainable materials was Toogood.
Additionally, gender-neutral clothing promotes sustainability through its similarity with streetwear. Basic designs in gender-neutral fashion remain stylish after the season is over. This allows gender-neutral products to have a longer product life cycle than most clothing.
Global brands like Puma, Ugg and Gap have collaborated with gender-neutral brands to produce unisex clothing and footwear lines.
The collaboration between Ader Error and Puma resulted in a streetwear and athleisure inspired collection. Entitled ‘Under Creativity’, the collection seeks to represent a combined voice of different subcultures while featuring progressive silhouettes accented with bright splashes of colour. Ranging from apparel to accessories, the collection of 96 SKUs garnered a sell-out rate of 76%.
The brands teamed up to produce a gender-neutral footwear line with 3 different styles – each with colour options. The collaboration debuted in Eckhaus Latta’s Fall/Winter 2019 collection during NYFW but was officially released in August last year.
Telfar and Gap recently announced a collaboration, expected to release next September. The collection aspires to rethink and remix universal basic garments. Telfar Clemens, the founder and designer of the eponymous brand, is confident that collaboration with Gap will help spread the message of gender-neutral clothing globally.
The gender-neutral fashion movement has gained attention from the numerous celebrities that have been pushing boundaries through their fashion. These gender non-conforming celebrities do not just hail from the west but from the east too. Furthermore, gender-neutral fashion is well represented by TGNB influencers on social media.
