A new Zara clothing release is always exciting, but the beloved brand's latest collection stands out from the rest. With so much positive change going on in the fashion industry recently, the new gender-neutral section of their site makes a bold statement.
Zara released its first gender-neutral clothing line as a way to prove that genderless fashion is not only something that should exist, but a trend that's here to stay. The clothes can be worn by both men and women, and most importantly, by those who don't associate with one particular gender.
The new affordable collection, called Ungendered, features items ranging from $15.90 to $49.90 and includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, joggers, Bermuda shorts, tank tops and sweaters, and it is showcased by both male and female models. The clothing only comes in neutral colors like white, navy blue and different shades of gray. Since most brands don't offer clothing options for non-binary individuals, Zara's new line will help eliminate the divide between male and female clothing sections and hopefully shed light on the fact that there aren't just two genders.
There are a few brands that have been offering genderless clothing for some time now, but it is still not something that's easy to come across. Muttonhead is a completely gender-neutral clothing line that has been around since 2009. There's also Non Equal, which was created by Project Runway alum Fabio Costa, Gender Flux, FLAVNT Streetwear, TILLYandWILLIAM, 69, and Butchbaby & Co. Popular brands like American Apparel and North Face have also long featured unisex options.
While this seems like a positive push in the fashion world, shortly after the collection made its way to the website, people quickly took to social media to criticize the brand for a lack of variety.
"When will we move past this notion that genderless clothing simple = plain t-shirts/sweatpants? Why is this 'bold'?" one user wrote, while another added, "so ungendered clothing means ugly sweatshirts for skinny white people?"
Several users specifically pointed out the masculinity of the clothing. "'Zara has boldly released its first Ungendered clothing line' it's literally just male coded lounge wear," one user shared, while another asked, "will @ZARA have skirts / dresses / floral prints? Or just 'ungendered' clothes that masculine folks usually wear?"
