Friday, April 1, 2011

What's yours is mine: Forget boyfriend jeans - now more fashion labels than ever are launching unisex clothing lines

We've all heard of boyfriend jeans but it seems the trend of women dressing like men - and vice-versa - is growing serious legs.

Calvin Klein and H&M are the latest in a long line of brands launching unisex clothing lines - proving his and hers collections may just be the next big trend.

Selma Blair and Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley are among the celebrities modelling unisex designs from H&M's Fashion Against AIDS collection.

Star power: Selma Blair and Penn Badgley model unisex T-shirts from H&M's upcoming Fashion Against AIDS collection
Star power: Selma Blair and Penn Badgley model unisex T-shirts from H&M's upcoming Fashion Against AIDS collection

Boy meets girl: Selma Blair, pictured before her pregnancy, in a unisex trench and Penn Badgley in a hooded top and T-shirt from H&M's Fashion Against AIDS line

Keri Hilson is also among the High Street giant's ambassadors, posing in a white printed jumpsuit - though, we imagine, only seriously sartorially-inclined men are likely to be borrowing it from their girlfriends' wardrobes.

Hot on the trend is also CK One - a brand typically associated with its unisex fragrance that has expanded into jeans, underwear and swimwear for both men and women.

The line is described by the label as 'a sexy and modern range suited for the urban adventurer' in shapes that are 'comfortable and fluid'.

And last September, fashion designer Rachel Pally and boyfriend Kevin Circosta launched the his and hers line Boyfriend/Girlfriend.

Keri Hilson

The unisex look? Keri Hilson also poses in H&M's campaign in a white printed jumpsuit - though only the most style-conscious of men are likely to wear it

The couple themselves star in the spring 2011 campaign, wearing nearly identical outfits in each image.

Ms Pally told Lemondrop.com: 'I love my jersey clothes, and I wear them most days. But I also love to wear Kevin's flannel shirts, and I like a beat-up old T-shirt.

'To be able to make our own and make them fit the way I want them to, we were like, "Why don't we just do it ourselves?"'

Canadian designer Clayton Evans is still expanding his unisex clothing line, Complex Geometries, which he launched in 2006.

He has even collaborated with footwear brand LD Tuttle on a pair of Seventies-inspired boots with custom-carved wooden platforms.

Androgynous: ck one - a brand typically associated with its famous unisex fragrance - has expanded into unisex outerwear with its autumn 2011 collection

Androgynous: CK One - a brand typically associated with its unisex fragrance - has expanded into clothing that can also be worn by both men and women

Designer Tiffany Tuttle told WWD: 'He told me he wanted to develop it in a large size for men, too.'

Of course there are brands like American Apparel which has carved a long-established niche as a retailer of casual basics that can be worn by both sexes.

Long-sleeved thermals, V-neck T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and accessories like the brand's circle scarf are popular with both men and women at its 200 stores across the globe.

For H&M, the unisex nature of its charity clothing line ties in with the initiative it supports.

In a press release launching the H&M Designers Against AIDS collection, Ms Blair explained: 'I think it’s really fitting that this collection is androgynous in style since the disease affects both men and women.

Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Fashion designer Rachel Pally and boyfriend Kevin Circosta model looks from their his and hers line - launched last year

Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Fashion designer Rachel Pally and boyfriend Kevin Circosta model looks from their his and hers line - launched last year

Basics: American Apparel has carved a niche for itself as a top-selling brand for unisex clothing - like this Baby Thermal Long Sleeve Henley
Basics: American Apparel has carved a niche for itself as a top-selling brand for unisex clothing - like this Baby Thermal Long Sleeve Henley

His and hers fashion: American Apparel has carved a long-established niche as a retailer of casual basics that can be worn by both sexes

'It’s a universal thing and we are all in this together. It’s a disease that can be avoided and it’s especially tragic when our ignorance keeps us from safety.'

But women should exercise some caution when it comes to shopping for unisex clothing.

Boyfriend/Girlfriend designer Miss Pally warned women not to go overboard with the androgynous look, as there is a risk of a what she calls a 'sloppy' silhouette.

She explained: 'I think there's a way to do it where you can look really hot in your boyfriend's shirt, and I think there's a way you can look too utilitarian.

'I think if you're going to dress like a boy, you still have to dress like a girl.'

Offering a few tips, she added: 'That might mean wearing bold jewelry or putting on a heel, or, if you're going to wear a flannel shirt and jean shorts, you've got to have a purse.

'Just make sure to stay feminine in your masculine style.'

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