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Gender Socialisation In Fashion Essay

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Gender Socialisation In Fashion Essay
Key Points
An exploration of Gender
Due to the implications of gender identity in providing real and directly supported conclusions, philosophical and psychological theories will be referred to throughout the conclusions of gender. According to research, approximately one in two thousand cases, a baby's genital appearance poises the question: ‘is it a boy or a girl?’ so why make fashion any different (Kitzinger and Wilkinson, 1999)
Gender identity literature offers many variations on the same theme when defining the term “Gender Identity”. Hird argues that "‘sex’ referred to biological differences between women and men, whereas ‘gender’ signified the practices of femininity or masculinity in social relations" (Hird, 2000, p. 348). Due to the nature of gender identity and the
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It can be concluded that we are born with a gender, but gender identity is something that is a socialised norm.
The theme of Gender Socialisation is present within most aspects of our lives; from the name we are given to the identity form we fill out as an adult; this is no different within fashion.
Gender socialisation has always been a direct and indirect influence in fashion. With particular focuses and influences of the gender binary
It is visually clear that products and lines based upon the wants and needs of woman offer more options and freedom throughout fashion and designs have been pushed further in comparison to mens’ clothing (5) – as does Chanels spectrum 1920s Modern Woman designs (6) and the early 1980s power dressing displays (7).
Today designers are directly targeting the removal of the gender theme that has always been present within fashion – as does Rad Hourani (8) who designs for a “unisex” consumer and his range appears to be one of the leading in the market, reaching market points Selfridges Agender (9) and Thecorner.com

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