Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
In regard to clothing, shoes and fashion accessories, unisex means the product is designed to be suitable for anyone — historically, for both sexes. It is a style in which men and women look and dress in a similar way. Unisex fashion is an emerging and expanding trend: over recent years there has been a rise in brands that are unisex, gender neutral or non-binary, and awareness of the topic is growing around the globe.
What is a unisex clothing brand?
In regard to clothing, shoes, & fashion accessories the term unisex means that the product is designed to be suitable anyone. Historically that meant for both sexes. It is a style in which men and women look and dress in a similar way.
Unisex fashion is an emerging trend. Over the past several years their has been a rise in those brands that are unisex, gender neutral, or non- binary. This is a topic that is expanding in awareness around the globe.
Learn more from The Rise of Unisex Fashion blog post.
Clothing Brands for Men (or women or anyone else)
Clothing Brands for Women (or men or anyone else)
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A unisex collection is not simply men's clothing offered to everyone. Designers working unisex start from garments whose shapes have always crossed over — t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, straight-leg trousers, overshirts, sneakers and accessories — and cut them on a shared block, grading sizes by body measurement rather than by separate men's and women's scales. Fits run relaxed, because one pattern must sit well on different shoulder widths, waist positions and hip shapes; fabrics and colors stay in the shared middle of the wardrobe, with branding and styling kept free of gender cues. Retail presentation follows the same logic: one rail, one product page and one size run, instead of two merchandised stories for the same garment.
The commercial case is straightforward. One collection instead of two halves the pattern work, sampling and inventory risk, and a single size run is simpler to stock and to sell through. The cultural case runs alongside it: many shoppers — and not only younger ones — choose clothing by fit, fabric and look rather than by the department it hangs in, and shared wardrobes make unisex pieces practical purchases for couples and households. The directory's own brand examples make the point from both directions: the clothing brands listed for men and the clothing brands listed for women each note that the products may suit anyone, whatever the label on the page.
Footwear and accessories are natural unisex ground: sneakers, boots, hats, scarves, bags and eyewear carry fewer fit conventions tied to gender, and sizing in footwear is the main translation a shopper has to make. That breadth is why the term is defined across clothing, shoes and fashion accessories rather than for apparel alone — a unisex brand may build its whole identity on one shared range that spans all three.
A brand whose clothing, shoes or accessories are designed to be suitable for anyone. Historically the term meant products for both sexes; today unisex brands are part of a broader gender-neutral movement in fashion.
Gender neutral describes products suitable for, applicable to, or common to both male and female genders. Non-binary is a term for gender identities that are not solely male or female — identities outside the gender binary.
Unisex fashion is described as an emerging trend that is expanding in awareness around the globe, driven by brands designing single collections for all wearers instead of parallel men's and women's lines.