I used to hate shopping. Since middle school, I’d see girls my age obsessing over the newest pink, sparkly clothes from Justice. I wanted to join in on the fashion obsession, but I couldn’t pretend hard enough. Nothing was wrong with those clothes, they just weren’t for me.
Shopping trips made me wildly uncomfortable and nothing ever felt right. While my friends all wanted to go, I wanted nothing more than to disappear. But as someone with mainly feminine friends all the way through high school, shopping was the big hobby.
As I got older and discovered my queer and trans identity, this discomfort grew. I didn’t want clothing that was accentuating the parts of myself I wanted to hide. I didn’t want to wear the dresses that would have society pinning me as a girl. But I didn’t want to wear baggy, gray sweatshirts either.
As I grew more into my identity, I found clothes that felt like me, and my hate for fashion started to lessen. It wasn’t that I hated fashion, I realized, it was that I was looking for clothes that made me feel good; flat chest, gender neutral,
Style is an important aspect of life. It elicits confidence and creates the opportunity to try new things and express ourselves. However, fashion that makes people feel good can be inaccessible for a myriad of reasons.
One reason that often comes up in the queer community, is the need for androgynous clothing. EveryQueer has compiled a list of some of the best androgynous and gender neutral clothing brands to help you feel your most authentic.
Androgynous Clothing Brands:
Urbody
Urbody is an incredible resource for a lot of undergarments, including compression tops, compression bikini briefs, and packing shorts. This brand has been a lifesaver to me when binders felt too restricting to wear all the time, but I still wanted a flatter chest. They have a good selection of clothing to help you feel good and confident in your body.
Both& Apparel
Both& Apparel is a company tailored towards transmasc people, with a goal of making their customers feel “seen, safe, and empowered.” Their selection of tops, bottoms, and swimwear gives folks a variety of options for people to feel comfortable and confident in how they look.
Kirrin Finch
Transmasc people who are looking for more business clothes often find themselves with clothing that doesn’t fall on their body correctly; the torso is too long, the shoulders are too broad, and so on. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Kirrin Finch is a clothing company that was formed to “meet the growing demand for gender-defying fashion.” They have suits, blazers, pants, vests, and more to fit all your needs.
WILDFANG
WILDFANG is another great choice for fashion that’s knocking down gender norms. With stores in PDX and LA, and a beautiful online site, there are a number of ways to shop this awesome, inclusive clothing brand. From coveralls to button ups to dresses, WILDFANG has a myriad of styles and fits to choose from.
TomboyX
TomboyX began with a focus on creating underwear that fits people well and makes them comfortable, regardless of gender. With tucking underwear, packing underwear, briefs, and more, they have a variety of options to make you feel confident and happy. They’ve expanded their products to include active and swimwear, pajamas, tees, tanks, and other great items!
Androgynous Fox
Androgynous Fox has gender-fluid fashion to help match “how you look on the outside to how you feel on the inside.” They’re run by a team of queer folks that want to promote gender neutral style. They have various tops, bottoms, accessories, and even a kids section. Designed to make you feel your best, Androgynous Fox is a great choice.
Big Bud Press
The Los Angeles based company specializes in high-quality, ethical, unisex items from jumpsuits to bottoms to bags. Their colorful choices from Big Bud Press are a great addition to any wardrobe, and it’d be difficult to not find something you love. They recently opened up a storefront in NYC, so if you’re in the area, I recommend checking it out.
Mokuyobi
Mokuyobi is a colorful choice for accessories, including hats and bags, apparel and more. Their bright colors and fun patterns give you a chance to stand out in the crowd. Sometimes, all you need are denim pants with a strawberry pattern! If you’re on the lookout for something fresh and unique, this brand is sure to please.
Lucy and Yak
Based in the UK, Lucy and Yak is famous for their extensive selection of solid color and patterned dungarees, designed for anyone of any gender. They also offer a collection of jeans, fleece, loungewear, trousers, to fit a heart’s desire for funky patterns on comfortable, sustainable clothes.
We hope to see the list of androgynous, gender affirming, and gender neutral clothing options continue to grow and thrive. All fashion should be considered gender neutral, but we understand the importance of well-fitting clothes as well as clothes that make you feel good in a society that tries to put certain pressures on all of us. If you’re looking for some wonderful, gender neutral and androgynous brands, we hope this list has helped you find some great fits and that you continue to wear what makes you feel best.
