Recently, online fashion retailer ASOS introduced a line of “men’s” chokers to their site and, for some bizarre reason beyond my comprehension, this is… controversial?
ASOS have started selling men’s chokers ? can already tell 2017 is gonna be a shite year pic.twitter.com/QrWiIfBLtT
— aZ (@aaronlxd) January 2, 2017
I hate to be blunt, and I wish I could consider opposing points of view, but this is ridiculous. It’s a piece of fabric that goes around your neck. Men have necks. Necks don’t have genders, neither does fabric. Don’t like them? Don’t wear them. Case closed, goodbye.
However, this discourse sheds light on a much, much larger issue than pieces of fabric – the concept of gender roles, especially in fashion.
Fashion evolves. Get used to it.
As recently as the 15th century men wore tunics, tights and knee high boots as far back as 3000BC men wore makeup and tinted their nails: now traits associated with women. Women only began wearing trousers regularly in the 1920s; most women nowadays cannot begin to fathom this. Certain items of clothing have jumped across the so-called gender binary countless times. So why should it stop now? Is our generation scared of change that has been happening for thousands upon thousands of years?
Why shouldn’t men wear chokers? Not an opinion, but a valid reason. Give me one, specific reason why men can’t wear chokers. Quickly.
We all know that James Charles is Covergirl’s first ever cover boy, and really, can you tell me just how much harm that has caused? Has anyone, other than your fragile concept of masculinity, been hurt by it?
Men shouldn’t wear chokers. Men shouldn’t wear dresses. Men shouldn’t wear makeup. This is not hard.
— Ashley Rae (@Communism_Kills) January 6, 2017
No. They have not. Consider the people it is hurting: everyone else. People hate men wearing “women’s” things because femininity in men is perceived as weak – say what you want about how much you believe in feminism, if you think men wearing makeup is wrong, you’re a misogynist. People who look down on bending gender roles are probably the same people who still cry when they don’t get their way.
Personally, I don’t identify with any gender. At all. Really, I don’t believe gender exists, but that’s a debate for another day. My point is – what do I wear? I can’t wear chokers, dresses or makeup because I’m not a girl? Or I can wear chokers, dresses and makeup because I’m not a boy?
There are a lot of things in this world that affect you. Climate change, the president, the inevitable destruction of our environment and everything in it until we all die from pollution, sure: men wearing chokers is not one of them. No-one is making you wear a choker if you don’t want to.
Interested in investing in good quality, affordable chokers and supporting a black-owned, independent, small business? Head on over to chokeme|too / @chokemetoo!
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