Zara’s New Gender Neutral Clothing Line Is Basic in Many Ways

Two moody models show off Zara’s new genderless fashions. (Photo: Zara)

Gender fluidity is all the rage, and fashion has been embracing it wholeheartedly. Between Jaden Smith’s appearance in Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2016 womenswear campaign and AG Jeans using Daria Werbowy to model both its men’s and women’s collections, it’s clear this is more than just a trend.

Zara is the latest retailer to hop on the gender-fluid train with the release of an “Ungendered” category on its site, selling clothing that works for every gender identity.

The selection includes wardrobe staples, many of which lean into athleisure territory: T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, sweatpants, tank tops, and jeans make up most of the collection, most of them in neutral shades — white, gray, and navy blue.

A retailer as large and powerful as Zara selling genderless garments is further proof of a shift in the fashion industry, where the lines between what men and women wear are being blurred on a new level. Yet,while we’re totally down with the sentiments behind Zara’s latest additions, we can’t help but feel a little disappointed by the selection. Let’s be real: This line isn’t anything but some old T-shirts and sweats you could get anywhere. Slapping the “genderless” label on stuff that’s already worn by all genders just seems a little gimmicky.

Last year, Opening Ceremony released a collection inspired by Vivienne Westwood’s “Clothes for Heroes” archives. The clothing was definitely suited to anyone, but there was a little more design sensibility in there than what seems to be in Zara’s offerings. We would have loved to see Zara push the design quotient further, instead of resting on basic laurels.

Still, it’s a step in the right direction, and Zara has plenty of time to build upon its current selection. We can’t wait to see what else they come up with.

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