Menswear for women is more than just a trend

Shivangi Lolayekar Published on Apr 19, 2022

Six homegrown labels show how deconstructed jackets, flowy shirts and tailored trousers for women can be effortless yet experimental

It’s pretty common for most women to have a blazer, a dad shirt and a pair of boyfriend jeans sitting in their closets, and not just because they were tomboys in school or are trying to be cool. Women have been veering towards shopping from the men’s section for a while. But before it became fashionable, androgyny was a psychological term first used by Sandra Bem—an American psychologist and scholar on gender studies—in the early 1970s to describe an individual who possesses similar levels of stereotypical ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ attributes. The physiological often follows the psychological, and trust fashion designers to pick up on it. We put together a list of six homegrown labels that ensure women dress better than men.

Two Point Two:Forget creating clothes that are masculine or feminine; Anvita Sharma’s New Delhi-based label creates a third identity—clothes that stand for neither binaries and yet for both. You’re probably thinking it’s a marketing gimmick to promote unisex clothes. On the contrary, it uses colours and silhouettes stereotypically attached to both sides and flips them over, while focusing on good fashion and not on how it suits a particular gender. To tell you what to pick from here would be to choose sides as the possibilities are endless and the field is wide open.Prices starting from: ₹7,500Available at: Two Point Two — **Two Point Two:**

Forget creating clothes that are masculine or feminine; Anvita Sharma’s New Delhi-based label creates a third identity—clothes that stand for neither binaries and yet for both. You’re probably thinking it’s a marketing gimmick to promote unisex clothes. On the contrary, it uses colours and silhouettes stereotypically attached to both sides and flips them over, while focusing on good fashion and not on how it suits a particular gender. To tell you what to pick from here would be to choose sides as the possibilities are endless and the field is wide open.

Prices starting from: ₹7,500

Available at: Two Point Two

Theorem:This out-and-out menswear label reimagines how men wear hoodies, jumpers, shirts and trucker jackets, and screams psychedelic and tie-dye prints as well as bright socks repurposed into co-ords (yes, it’s possible). But put them on and you’ll realise how quickly they fall into line with the bold prints you’ve been wearing over cycling shorts, skinny jeans and flared trousers—the kind of style you’ve been sporting anyway.Prices starting from: ₹6,299Available at: Theorem — **Theorem:**

This out-and-out menswear label reimagines how men wear hoodies, jumpers, shirts and trucker jackets, and screams psychedelic and tie-dye prints as well as bright socks repurposed into co-ords (yes, it’s possible). But put them on and you’ll realise how quickly they fall into line with the bold prints you’ve been wearing over cycling shorts, skinny jeans and flared trousers—the kind of style you’ve been sporting anyway.

Prices starting from: ₹6,299

Available at: Theorem

Anomaly:Unless you’re hitting a fashionable joint, a fitted blazer with well-cut trousers is the best way to borrow from men’s fashion and make it chic, and Anomaly offers just that. There’s a ton of wearable basics and appropriate office attire too.Prices starting from: ₹6,299Available at: Anomaly — **Anomaly:**

Unless you’re hitting a fashionable joint, a fitted blazer with well-cut trousers is the best way to borrow from men’s fashion and make it chic, and Anomaly offers just that. There’s a ton of wearable basics and appropriate office attire too.

Prices starting from: ₹6,299

Available at: Anomaly

Studio Rigu:We cheated here—Studio Rigu is anything but androgynous, with flirty draped dresses and kaftans you’d probably wear in the Maldives or Marrakesh. But for every ultra-feminine style comes a multi-coloured, pinstriped, front-knot shirt and trouser co-ord, or a vegan silk blue-green, ombré flowy shirt that pairs with matching pants. These are the kind of clothes a bold outlier wears when everyone’s cloning each other on holiday.Prices starting from: ₹6,850Available at: Studio Rigu — **Studio Rigu:**

We cheated here—Studio Rigu is anything but androgynous, with flirty draped dresses and kaftans you’d probably wear in the Maldives or Marrakesh. But for every ultra-feminine style comes a multi-coloured, pinstriped, front-knot shirt and trouser co-ord, or a vegan silk blue-green, ombré flowy shirt that pairs with matching pants. These are the kind of clothes a bold outlier wears when everyone’s cloning each other on holiday.

Prices starting from: ₹6,850

Available at: Studio Rigu

Joskai:Joskai puts out blazers in all forms: an oversized, lush green peplum style made of handwoven mulberry; a straight-cut, flattering jacket in peacock blue; or a floral brocade, handwoven-silk blazer dress with double lapel details. Additionally, know that what you’re wearing has been crafted cleverly and consciously, and that it is more than just a statement piece. ‘Joskai’ translates into a woven piece of cloth worn as a traditional costume by the Tiwa community in Assam. Sujaya Hazarika, the designer behind the label, works with artisans from North-East India on every product, thereby supporting and promoting indigenous crafts.Prices starting from: ₹6,400Available at: Joskai — **Joskai:**

Joskai puts out blazers in all forms: an oversized, lush green peplum style made of handwoven mulberry; a straight-cut, flattering jacket in peacock blue; or a floral brocade, handwoven-silk blazer dress with double lapel details. Additionally, know that what you’re wearing has been crafted cleverly and consciously, and that it is more than just a statement piece. ‘Joskai’ translates into a woven piece of cloth worn as a traditional costume by the Tiwa community in Assam. Sujaya Hazarika, the designer behind the label, works with artisans from North-East India on every product, thereby supporting and promoting indigenous crafts.

Prices starting from: ₹6,400

Available at: Joskai

Polite Society:Leaving aside all the frills and fancy vibes, Polite Society embraces sexy and with-it androgyny. Think gender-bending boiler suits, peek-a-boo cut-out shirts and bright boxers to wear daily. There’s even an entire section dedicated to suits that are meant to be worn with tight corsets and barely-there bustier belts. If summer wasn’t hot enough…Prices starting from: ₹2,500Available at: Polite Society — **Polite Society:**

Leaving aside all the frills and fancy vibes, Polite Society embraces sexy and with-it androgyny. Think gender-bending boiler suits, peek-a-boo cut-out shirts and bright boxers to wear daily. There’s even an entire section dedicated to suits that are meant to be worn with tight corsets and barely-there bustier belts. If summer wasn’t hot enough…

Prices starting from: ₹2,500

Available at: Polite Society

Also Read: The independent menswear labels you need to know about

Also Read: How to build a breezy summer wardrobe on a budget

Also Read: Where do you look for everyday clothes beyond Zara and H&M?

Menswear for women is more than just a trend

Six homegrown labels show how deconstructed jackets, flowy shirts and tailored trousers for women can be effortless yet experimental

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