On December 7th an Instagram post was made about a boy named Trevor Wilkinson, who was suspended from school for wearing nail polish. This sparked online support from around the world, catching the attention of multiple LGBTQ+ news outlets. These gender norms set forth by society have trickled down into schools, restricting people from being expressive. However these “norms” have been flipped around, switched, and completely rearranged many times. People like Trevor are demonized for expressing themselves through clothing, or nail polish, or makeup. Our society have been trained to attack people who seem “different,” queer. Yet, where did these norms begin?
According to an article from Earnshaw’s Infant Department from 1914 stated, “The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.” Colors like pink and blue have always been gendered, but not in the same way known today. It was during as late as the 40’s when the shift happened. In Nazi, Germany homosexual men were labeled with a pink mark, a distinction. During these times, homosexuality was illegal therefore staright men began to regard the color pink as femeine. Femininity in the masculine space is the worst thing one can be labeled. These sorts of gender norms have dictated how we dress, how we act, how we communicate with others. As someone who identifies as a gay man, I understand how fragile mascuilinty can be, especially when it come to fashion. People like Candance Owens condemn Harry Styles for wearing a dress, saying to “bring back manly men.” Let’s take a look at the history behind dress, and how it has transformed into a feminine symbol.
Dresses can date back to ancient roman times. Now they were not anything like a mermaid cut prom dress, they resembled dresses. However starting in the 14th through the 15th century tailoring technology developed rapidly making men’s skirts, dresses, and tunics shorter and much more tighter in fit. These gender norms during this time were less rigid, especially for children. Children, regardless of gender, wore skirts and dresses. Dresses were not the only thing that has changed over the years. Heels were originally made for Persian soldiers to secure their feet in stirrups when horseback riding. They eventually developed into Europe by King Louis XIV when he introduced red heels with red soles to his court. Makeup dates back to 10,000 B.C.E. where Egyptian men and women would use oils and other herbs to use against Egyptian desert weather. Cosmetics have been used by men for centuries to lighten their faces, protect their skin, or to show class and status. Our gendered fashion has become a nuisance in society, completely overrunning people’s wants and need to express themselves by societal pressures. Trevor Wilkinson has become a victim of these pressures, not by himself, but by the people around him. Nail polish, the reason for his suspension, also had a very different purpose than today.
3200 B.C. is where nail polish originated. In Babylonia, warriors would pamper themselves, curling their hair, getting manicures, and yes painting their nails. Even their lips were sometimes tinted to match their nails, which these colors represented class. I find it astonishing that these men who were warriors, most likely what Candance Owens would call a “manly men” have a similar routine to the modern woman. Nail polish was mostly used as a symbol of class in both ancient Babylonia and ancient China. During the dynasty era in Asia, wearing royal color nail polsih could be punishable by death. The use of nail polish may have been for class, but there is no denying that men, even manly ones, wore it. While Trevor Wilkinson is being punished for this act, ancient warriors and rulers of dynasties wore nail polsih.
When the post from OUT magazine showed up on my feed, I was irritated. This plague of what gender is, is tired. Gender is a social construct, being broken down and put back together more times than you can count. If it was not something that was a construct, then men would still be wearing dresses, wearing makeup, and not getting suspended for wearing nail polish. The history behind gender is directly related to fashion over time. If we take a look at fashion through the centuries, we can see a clear switch from then to now. How misguided many of us have become to a “norm.” We condemn men and women alike for expressing themselves in a way they see fit. We demonize people for pieces of fabric, chemicals made to reshape the face, and color on the nails. At the end of the day, we are not defined by what we wear, or how we wear it, because in the next 100 years everything could be completely different.
Resources:
“When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink?” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 7 Apr. 2011, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-did-girls-start-wearing-pink-1370097/.
“Ancient World: History of Dress.” LoveToKnow, LoveToKnow Corp, fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/alphabetical-index-fashion-clothing-history/ancient-world-history-dress.
Thorpe, JR. “The History Of Men & Skirts.” Bustle, Bustle, 22 May 2017, www.bustle.com/p/the-history-of-men-skirts-58088.
Marsh, Ariana. “High Heels Actually WEREN'T Created For Women.” Teen Vogue, Teen Vogue, 12 July 2017, www.teenvogue.com/story/heels-history-men.
“A History of Cosmetics from Ancient Times.” A History of Cosmetics from Ancient Times | Cosmetics Info, cosmeticsinfo.org/Ancient-history-cosmetics.
Hopp, Deven. “From 3200 B.C. to Today: The Fascinating History of Nail Polish.” Byrdie, www.byrdie.com/history-of-nail-polish.
People:
Trevor Wilkinson: https://www.instagram.com/trevormichae1/
OUT Magazine: https://www.out.com
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