Picture this: You see a person wearing a blazer over a white shirt with wide-leg pants and chunky loafers. Who do you envision behind these clothes? A man? A woman?

Of course, it could be either. While gender identity once dictated the perception of what people “can” and “cannot” wear, the fashion world has been openly crossing gender lines. Genderless trends and unisex apparel are in, and Gen Z is leading the way. In 2019, 56% of Gen Z consumers shopped “outside their assigned gendered area,” Rob Smith, founder of gender-free fashion brand Phluid Project told NBC.

Unisex apparel is nothing new for the promotional products industry. In fact, it used to be the norm, but back in the aughts, suppliers began introducing more women-specific styles, according to Marcus Davis, product development manager at HanesBrands (asi/59528).

“Over the last few years, however, unisex styles are once again flourishing. This trend is driven by several factors, but primarily by changing demographics and consumer demand,” Davis says.

Consumers are seeking out comfort, inclusivity and sustainability in their apparel. Joggers, T-shirts, sweatshirts and other oversized apparel – engineered to fit both men and women – are hot right now.

This Alternative Apparel unisex triblend tee (4400HM), shown here in nickel and available from HanesBrands, has a relaxed fit.

“The idea that clothing can be suitable for both genders has been adopted by many retailers and customers alike,” says Natalie Hopkins, director of merchandising for trade and retail brands at Top 40 supplier alphabroder (asi/34063). “Celebrities to everyday shoppers are considering this new reality of fashion and gender neutrality.”

This genderless trend has had a top-down effect in the fashion world, gaining recognition first from designer runways and celebrity influences like Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Jacob Elordi. Eilish has been wearing oversized designer sweatpants and sweatshirts for years – a style more often seen in men’s fashion. In the December 2020 issue of Vogue, Styles wore a Gucci dress and statement rings.

British singer Harry Styles wears a dress and statement rings on the December 2020 cover of Vogue.

Certain color palettes, fits and styles originating in men’s fashion now translate to women’s, and vice versa. More nonbinary and transgender models are also coming to the forefront of high fashion. Hunter Schafer, a transgender model and actress known for her role in the HBO series “Euphoria,” has appeared in campaigns for Calvin Klein, Versace, Gucci, Vera Wang and more.

“High fashion and casual and street are all kind of converging to this same idea of genderless, and it will all kind of manifest in different ways depending on the styling,” says Catherine Tremblay, director of merchandising for private-brand apparel at alphabroder. Oversized, minimalist designs provide great versatility for styling, as they can be easily layered, cinched or tucked.

Molly Alexander, a personal shopping assistant at Bergdorf Goodman, has seen trends go beyond what society has traditionally classified as female or male fashion. “Definitely the fact that the lines are being more blurred, I feel like, is an important aspect and kind of brings fashion to what it’s supposed to be, which is to be enjoyed by everyone, to be styled by everyone,” she says.

Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake and many others have come out with one-size-only pieces, Alexander notes. While they’re not necessarily genderless, they have a more malleable fit that appeals to people of various shapes and sizes. Some of the major trends she’s seen in Bergdorf’s new arrivals include boxy blazers and wide-leg trousers – styles that have penetrated both men and women’s apparel.

The trends seen on the forecast appeal to the generation of consumers who grew up in a world of greater inclusivity. “Their mindset around apparel is they don’t want to feel restricted by what they can or can’t wear,” Davis says.

This trend not only appeals to a wide range of consumers, it has other benefits as well. Unisex apparel can mitigate the limits of size ranges, create greater ease of shopping by presenting clients with fewer items that are more likely to fit, and minimize waste through fewer designs of higher quality.

This unisex knit hoodie (NE105) from alphabroder has been a popular style as the demand for genderless fashion rises.

Unisex apparel likely won’t become universal. Women’s companion styles for polo shirts, for example, continue to be popular. However, Tremblay notes that a lot of alphabroder’s unisex apparel that launched in the past couple of years has been on a growth trajectory. Its unisex knit hoodie (NE105) is one of the most popular unisex pieces the supplier offers, Tremblay says.

Hanes’ ComfortWash brand serves as a good example of how this trend evolved, according to Davis. The collection, launched in 2018, is largely unisex and continues to be extremely popular. Traditional unisex collections go back to the classics with a line of quality T-shirts. Earthy tones like creams, whites and tans translate well in both men’s and women’s clothing, Hopkins says.

With the rise of minimalist designs, earth tones and baggier fits, fashion is transitioning toward a more universal, gender-neutral aesthetic. The promo industry, which already offers a wide range of unisex basics, is in an ideal spot to take advantage of this growing trend.

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