With men and women discovering comfort in each other’s clothing, gender-neutral collections are becoming less of a niche and more of a standard offering today
There was once a stark difference between womenswear and menswear. Cross-dressing was once considered something one would wear only if you were queer, but today there is a whole different niche ready. Women don’t shy away from rocking oversized shirts and men on the other hand have found comfort in silk and lace. The result? A more comfortable and honest approach to how we dress.
Celebrities such as David Beckham and Cary Grant have been quite vocal about this change. Beckham has been candid about his appreciation for wearing women’s underwear, citing the softness of the fabrics and superior fit. It's not a fringe position. “Fashion should be about how you feel. “If you feel best in menswear proportions, wear them. If you feel best in delicate fabrics, choose them. The future of fashion isn’t about gender, it’s about self-knowledge,” says designer Reeta Kumar.
No Labels Attached
From luxury boutiques to everyday conversations, more men are admitting what they’ve perhaps wondered about in private: why should comfort have a gender? Celebrity visibility has helped normalize the conversation. When Cary Grant spoke openly about his appreciation for fine fabrics and an evolved approach to dressing, it reframed masculinity as something compatible with luxury and comfort.
Fashion industry leaders have long embraced this: high-end male designers often wear pieces from their own womenswear lines, and androgynous dressing has been a couture staple for years.
Fashion Industry Responds
Meanwhile, womenswear brands are exploring structured, utilitarian designs that have historically been coded as masculine, suggesting that the conversation isn’t really about switching gender categories — it’s about dissolving them entirely. Pink is no longer a colour confined to men and black isn’t a colour that women shy away from either.
Freedom in Tailoring
Men’s clothing is cut with a different intention of how it would look on the body as compared to women. The fit is looser through the torso and wide through the shoulders. This gives women comfort in wearing it since it feels more breathable.
There is a practical advantage for men who shop in the women’s section too. The materials that women have are much softer and offer great breathability. “When I buy men's jeans, they have real pockets big enough for my phone, wallet, and keys,” explains Jordan Lobo (32) an engineer. “When I buy women’s jeans, I get fake pockets and a wedge. The choice is obvious.”
Functionality & Comfort
A woman in a men’s suit isn’t making a political statement (though it might read that way). She's choosing functionality, comfort, and a cut that works for her body. A man choosing silk isn't challenging masculinity; he's prioritizing physical comfort over abstract rules.
As these trends accelerate, they’ll likely reshape how the fashion industry itself is organized. Will stores continue to divide by gender, or will they organize by aesthetic, fit, or function? Will sizing follow the same path, eventually becoming truly universal?
What's clear is that the rigid categorization of fashion into “men’s” and “women’s” is beginning to feel as outdated as the gendered expectations it was built to enforce.
If you feel best in menswear proportions, wear them. If you feel best in delicate fabrics, choose them. The future of fashion isn't about gender—it’s about self-knowledge.”
Reeta Kumar, designer
When I buy men's jeans, they have real pockets big enough for my phone, wallet, and keys.”
Jordan Lobo (32), Engineer
