Based on one of my most popular posts on "John's Blog Space," I am here to discuss androgyny here on "StyleSpace, by John B. Marine." Because StyleSpace is a fashion blog, I will only focus on fashion here.
This is also my 100th official post on "StyleSpace!"
An Important Point to Stress...
Please note that this is a discussion on androgyny, not crossdressing. There is a big difference between the two.
WARNING: Some material featured in this blog post may not be suitable for all audiences. Read at your own discretion if you are easily offended.
--- Androgyny in Fashion ---
What defines androgynous as far as fashion is concerned? Simple- a male looks and dresses in feminine clothes, and a female looks and dresses in masculine clothes. This is a standpoint that is artistic from a fashion standpoint. Part of fashion's allure is in illusion. The illusion of a beautiful female or a handsome male is usually a pleasureful one. So in the sense of an androgynous male, you are talking about a fellow who has feminine-style beauty. An androgynous female has very boyish looks. In both cases, it can be very easy to confuse a boy for a girl or a girl for a boy.Androgyny Among Males.
Androgynous males may boast looks as sensual and as sumptuous as females. Most females would be disgusted over the sight of a male who appears and dresses feminine in looks. Likewise, any male who finds out a beautiful-looking woman is really an androgynous male would feel disgusted that they romantically looked at another male. This sort of gender-bending leads to some thinking such males are crossdressers. Most cultures usually frown upon males who are overly pretty and beautiful. Mainstream society usually believes males as strong-willed, muscular, hunky fellows; and any male with feminine-type beauty usually is frowned upon by most people. So the image of a male with feminine-like beauty or wearing feminine clothing is usually frowned upon by most people. Where society would frown upon a male outside of what mainstream society considers acceptable, fashion rewards such a male for being himself and showcasing his beauty in a way he is most comfortable.I can tell you that I have come across androgynous males online who appear very feminine in appearance. Do you care for me to elaborate? Okay... will do. But be warned- I may freak some of you out with my descriptions! Some androgynous males I've seen have features such as flowing long hair, charming faces, and some even have bodies and curves as beautiful as any remotely seductive female. These features alone are enough to draw attention even from straight males. Speaking as a person who has always appreciated art his whole life, I can tell you that nothing is more beautiful than illusion. I grew a strange fondness to male beauty when I studied Art Appreciation back in college. I saw sculptures of Greek and Roman males with nicely exaggerated and sensual bodies. It gave me a sort of appreciation for just how beautiful the male body can be. Unfortunately in mainstream society, no one is really brave enough to try to embrace and celebrate the beauty of the male body. No one is accepting enough to go out into the world embracing androgynous male beauty- perhaps in fear of being ridiculed and disliked among society. Whatever the case, androgynous males represent a kind of beauty that is immensely unique and only appreciated by those who actually appreciate androgynous males.
When discussing androgynous males, many people today think of Andrej Pejic. In fact, he was among one of FHM's Top 100 Sexiest Women! His androgynous beauty makes him be able to seamlessly model in both male clothing and female clothing. In a commercial for the Toyota Auris, one beautifully hot and sexy girl was shown in a coat and a red bikini bottom walking towards a car. There was a twist to that sexy girl, however. That girl... is actually a guy, and that guy's name is Ukranian model Stav Strashko. One other androgynous fellow on YouTube who is really beautiful sporting feminine clothing and looking feminine is GregoryGORGEOUS. The androgynous Canadian has worn feminine clothing ranging from various casual feminine clothes to even tight clubwear-type dresses and high heels.
IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED...
Remember I mentioned the Toyota Auris commercial? Do you want to see it? Here is the video I mentioned in the previous paragraph. This video is somewhat safe for work. However (and to avoid freaking out my audience), you may view the video I mentioned in the previous paragraph here. But remember... you have been warned: "The Toyota commercial you will never forget - Everybody is Gay"
Androgyny Among Females.
In regards to feminine androgyny, females appear more boyish and lack certain "girly" features. The more fashionable side of feminine androgyny comes in touches such as menswear. Some females are greatly able to wear masculine clothing and look very masculine while still retaining their feminine character and personality. Some females simply wear certain masculine-type clothing while mixing it up with feminine pieces. This is especially true with the entire boyfriend fashion style. Some other females, are top-to-bottom masculine in appearance and in fashion. These are females who detest being and looking girly, but they are still feminine- even if they don't look the part. This is usually common among tomboy females as well as butch lesbians. But among many who aren't as fond of androgynous females or boyish-looking females, they may gladly say, "you're a woman. Wear a dress."In my "Fashion Freedom" blog posts on John's Blog Space and StyleSpace, I mentioned a fashion double standard. The double standard is that a female could easily get away with dressing and looking masculine or with masculine cues. However, if a male attempts to dress feminine or with feminine cues, the male is somehow considered a crossdresser. A male would argue this point: "if girls can wear guy's clothes, how come we (as guys) can't wear your skirts or your high heels?" This would be the case of "turnabout is fair play." This is personal opinion, but I am not entirely excited about seeing females go with the whole boyfriend fashion thing. I can see the appeal and what makes looking boyish trendy and fashionable. However, I just don't like the whole girl-meets-boy fashion style.
Usually, comedian Ellen DeGeneres (one of my personal favorite comedians) comes to mind in regards to boyish females. When is the last time you've seen Ellen DeGeneres wear anything truly feminine (like a formal gown)? You usually see her sporting masculine-style fashions. One time on the highly-popular E! Network show "Fashion Police," one of the hosts awarded Ellen DeGeneres as the "Worst Dressed Male" of one awards show! Most others think of Tilda Swindon in regards to androgynous females. However, I don't know too much about Tilda Swindon to talk about her in this context. Another example of a boyish female is the spiky-haired Anne Burrell of the Food Network show "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef." Maybe the most androgynous female of all is Grace Jones.
This gives you some insight on androgyny among males and females.
--- Androgyny in Fashion: Examples ---
How about I show you examples of males dressing feminine and females dressing masculine? Through the power of YouTube, I present you what I came to present to you. Click on the links to these videos if you can not view embedded Flash media on your device or in your browser.Androgynous Fashion: Boy-Meets-Girl.
Can a guy look like a sexy girl? Sure- look at Canada's "GregoryGORGEOUS." This video showcases this guy in a sexy dress and wearing some sweet heels. Gregory is a guy, but he's a delicious diva here:^ "Outfit of the Day: Clubbing!"
Even you females reading this have to admit- he's hot. Something any hot girl could easily pull off was executed well by GregoryGORGEOUS here.
Androgynous Fashion: Girl-Meets-Boy.
One blogger whom I have become fond of in recent times is the beautiful Karla Deras of "KARLA'S CLOSET." The sweet-voiced Californian is usually great at mixing both masculine and feminine pieces and coming up with chic outfits. This older video features Karla making boyish looks feminine. Take a look:^ "Karla's Closet Guide to Boy meets Girl Style - How to Wear - THE OUTNET"
Androgynous Fashion: Andrej Pejic.
Because Andrej Pejic is so freaking awesome, he deserves his own section here in this StyleSpace blog post. This is a look not necessarily at his style, but Andrej himself. Check it:^ "Androgynous Model Walks Runway As Man and Woman"
Are you liking Andrej Pejic? He is deliciously lovely to me. How can you not be at least fascinated by him?
Now you have a little insight.
--- Androgyny in Fashion: Blogging Examples ---
These are blogs and other fashion material online that I want to share with you in regards to androgynous fashion.• Milex and his world... I mean style. « an androgynous male from Poland
• Androgyn.beauty's Blog « an androgynous male from Spain.
• Fashion Fusion « an androgynous male from the Philippines with fierce style.
• It's the Pictures That Got Small ... « a handsome androgynous Australian male whose blog mostly specializes in vintage babes.
These are some different blogs featuring androgynous males. I may add more if I garner a good amount of attention for it from the general audience. Any of you androgynous females may contact me, and I may add your blog(s) if I like what I see that's relevant to this post.
--- Androgyny in Fashion: Final Thoughts ---
No matter whom we are discussing, people- even those androgynous in appearance- are every bit of beautiful. Just because a male appears feminine or a female appears masculine doesn't make them any less beautiful in their own way. It is the artistic appeal which makes such people purely entertaining and appealing. Especially in this realm of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll; any male would feel gutted finding out a beautiful woman is actually either an androgynous male or a male-to-female transgender. You still can not second-guess or doubt the artistic beauty of being as attractive as one's opposite gender.Androgynous males show they can be every bit as cute/fierce/sassy/girly as their female counterparts. Any male confident in his style of dress is as appealing as any female- including if the male has feminine beauty with the clothes he wears or with his beauty touches. Just because a male is wearing feminine clothing or looks feminine doesn't mean he is a crossdresser or is some sort of outcast to society. He just chooses to express his beauty and his style the way he so chooses. It makes him no less of a human being or a member of society just because he doesn't appear like any average male. Androgynous females show they can be every bit masculine stylish whether borrowing masculine fashion cues or just being top-to-bottom boyish in appearance.
Androgyny itself is an art form both in fashion and in personality.
--- Cross-Promotion/Other Reading ---
Did you enjoy this post? If so, you can see the original post I did on androgynous people in my main blog. Feel free to have a look at it if this one interested you:"Androgyny in Fashion and Art" (John's Blog Space)
^ my original blog post concerning androgyny in fashion and art.
Thank you for coming into my blogging universe and its spaces.
What do you make of androgyny in fashion? How do you feel about being androgynous or taking androgynous fashion tones? This concludes my *official* 100th post on "StyleSpace by JBM." Thank you for reading!
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment