Men In Skirts: Is India Ready For Androgynous Male Fashion?

Priyanshu Yadav was only 16. The content creator from Ujjain was brutally trolled online for wearing makeup. The teenager, who hoped to become a social media influencer one day, faced such nasty comments, many of which exhorted him to kill himself, that he died by suicide. Maybe Yadav felt that this was a precursor to what life as a queer man might be, which brings us to the heartbreaking conclusion that we could all stand to be a little more inclusive.

Fashion is the one frontier where battles over gender play out. Maybe that¡¯s why there seems to be a growing acceptance of androgynous fashion, especially for men¡ªstraight, queer, cis-het, and non-binary.

We see examples of it in the media we consume. The last season of the show Sex Education took the fashion game a notch higher with its portrayal of androgynous, timeless, and vibrant fashion. The Netflix series, popular for its sensitive depiction of queer characters, created a glowing mesh of styles from different eras; the eclectic costumes and makeup enhanced the characters¡¯ individual traits. This is especially true for Eric, one of the main characters, who unapologetically accepts his queer identity but never finds an evolved system to fully embrace and celebrate it until the last season, when he meets other like-minded people. Eric was shown shattering gender norms like a pro and making bold and expressive fashion choices: colourful and glittering eyeshadow, bright neon tee shirts, flashy chokers, and a pearl headpiece.

Credit: Pankaj Dahalia

Androgynous Fashion In History

While this may feel like a utopian world where everyone¡¯s fashion choices are accepted and respected, it seems highly unrealistic in the real world, especially in a country like India. When patriarchal norms dictate social norms, constraints are imposed on the self-expression of men and women. To this unholy cocktail, we add colonial mores, when wearing shirts, pants, suits, and ties became the norm. But this wasn¡¯t always the case. Throughout Indian history, men wore an unstitched single piece of a garment on their lower half, like a lungi, dhoti, or tehmat, resembling modern-day skirts. Intricately embroidered anarkali-style garments, churidars, and angarakhas have traditionally transcended gender-specific fashion. During the Vedic period, a garment named Pravara was draped by both men and women, differing only in length and material.

Indian men have also consistently embraced the use of embroidery, prints, and colours, in contrast to their Western counterparts, who associate vibrant colours with femininity. With Gen Z redefining gender norms, we hope that these constructs will finally be broken. Because younger folks are not afraid to experiment with their looks or wear gender-agnostic clothes, this signifies a broader societal evolution towards a more fluid and inclusive expression of personal style.

Ranveer Singh | Credit: Instagram/@ranveersingh

On Indian streets, there is a refreshing sense of androgyny as young people embrace unisex clothing with baggy trousers, oversized shirts, and gender-neutral accessories. Watching a young man wearing nail polish makes my heart sing. When it comes to jeans, all types fit all genders: boot cut, patched, low-rise, "boyfriend."

Domestic designers have also taken androgyny to a new level, dressing their male models in lehengas and skirts. Rohit Bal, the celebrity designer, fashioned his models in long mulmul skirts at India Bridal Fashion Week 2013. Known for his androgynous collection, Rajesh Pratap Singh has always made bold statements with head coverings and elaborate drapes. Some fashion labels focus only on androgynous designs, like Anvita Sharma¡¯s label Two Point Two, Huemn, The Pot Plants, and BOBO Calcutta.

Dance Like a Man

Perhaps no one has done more for the cause of androgynous men¡¯s fashion than actor Ranveer Singh. At the premiere of Bajirao Mastani, Singh showed up in a gorgeous Indo-Western skirt. More recently, OTT¡¯s favourite villain, Vijay Varma, wore a black saree with a bright red pallu designed by Rimzim Dadu. Upcoming actor Babil Khan was seen in a vibrant gown at the launch of designer Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla¡¯s upcoming film, Mera Noor Hai Mashhoor.

But beyond Bollywood, what scope does androgynous fashion have? Himanshu Verma, popularly known as ¡°sari man¡±, has consistently shown up in the public eye for almost 17 years now. Other content creators who have significantly contributed to this trend are Rohit Bose, Pushpak Sen, Rabanne Jamsandekar Victor, TJ Singh, and Siddharth Batra, who fearlessly navigate the realms of androgyny by embracing both their feminine and masculine qualities.

Sumit Pawar, the founder of LGBTQIA+ organisation QKnit

Sumit Pawar, the founder of LGBTQIA+ organisation QKnit, feels that androgyny has always been a part of the system, but it¡¯s only now that we¡¯ve started talking about it. ¡°There are times when I go for a pride event, and I may want to wear something that is stereotypically considered effeminate, but you can feel the extremely uncomfortable stares,¡± he told me. ¡°I have seen people in small towns putting on nail polish, but no one questions it because it has always been like that. But when a new element of androgyny enters the system, people feel threatened.¡± Pawar has also faced online trolling; some of his images were turned into distasteful memes.

Pawar feels that androgynous fashion in India will be viable only when it becomes more affordable and accessible to regular people. Fashion trends always filter down from the ramp or the screen, so maybe seeing Ranveer Singh show up routinely in skirts will help more people adopt them.

Smashing The Patriarchy

Pankaj Dahalia is a Delhi-based photographer who has closely observed androgynous models and routinely posts pictures featuring them. ¡°When I began as a photographer, my initial models were people who embraced the fashion of the opposite gender,¡± he told me. ¡°I feel fashion is such a queer space, from the karigars to designers, marketers, and models¡ªeach playing a distinctive role in shaping trends. There is a general acceptance of androgyny in fashion, and for androgynous fashion to gain widespread acceptance, integrating it into everyday work attire could bring about a significant change.¡±

According to a May 2023 research paper on gender fluidity by IJPREMS, it was found that there is a rise in demand for gender-neutral clothes. It is an opportunity for brands to expand their business in the gender-fluid category.

Androgynous or gender-fluid fashion is not just a trend but a movement. It represents a fundamental reevaluation of how clothes can be a powerful tool in smashing patriarchy, in the same league as movements that target toxic beauty standards like perfect skin and body.