“Androgyny is not trying to manage the relationship between the opposites; it is simply flowing between them”
-June Singer
-June Singer
Chinos: 15euro, Vero Moda
Blazer: Gift, Vero Moda
Top: 13euro, Penneys
Boots: 21euro, Penneys
This month, I’m going to do a piece on Androgyny. For a while, I cut my hair up so short that I actually looked quite manly. This was at a time when androgyny wasn’t on trend, but more of a turn-off for 14 year old boys who favoured the long, youthful locks that most other girls decided to sport. I have always loved androgyny, from Annie Lennox to David Bowie to the Lady Gaga; Androgyny is coming back strong and distinguished.
Owl Chain: 8euro, Topshop
So! This look is as manly as I could get it. The colours are strong and bold and really bring out pale complexions. The boots are from Penneys for 21euro and go with everything. I think the blazer is the thing that makes this outfit what it is, though. The grey colour in combination with the other colours is so flattering an the horizontal lines and mid-button emphasizes the female shape while still blending the male aspects in.
The key to pulling off androgyny, as June Singer claims is to have a flow between the feminine and the masculine. This is easier for girls, unfortunately, but is still hard to inhabit the style. The key colours to this trend are dark blues, terracotta and earthy browns. A key item to have would be combat boots. These are so popular right now and so easy to come by. The best pair I have come across are in Penneys for €21 as seen being worn by me in all of the photos. They are a beautiful colour of purple-brown with a patch of tweed fabric that gives them so much character. Another key item to have is a shoulder-widening blouse. The one I am wearing is a Vintage Givenchy and cost only €12 from a thrift-store in Paris. The beautiful teal butterfly motif and the widened shoulders give the perfectly balanced effect of androgyny. However, there are so many replicas available. For example, there are loads of beautiful blouses in Pennys starting from around €13, such as the green one that I am wearing with the terracotta body underneath (also from Pennys for €5). Try to work a see-through blouse with a slightly brighter bra underneath. This offsets the masculine look just enough to give the impression of androgyny and not cross-dressing. Otherwise, long hair has a similar effect or ballet pumps. Another place with a huge supply of these style blouses with beautiful patterns is Awear with blouses from around €30.
I used the same chinos for every outfit to show how differently they can be worn by mixing up a few other pieces. This top is amazing, it was actually a gift from someone with an incredibly good eye for colour, and what a colour. It's fabric is slightly shiny, like the surface of a shell and it gives the beautiful green an amazing sheen. The sleeves cut at the exact place that makes the top look masculine while still having the feminine edge. The watch is one of my favourite pieces. It has a thick, block leather strap and a wide, square, gold face which makes it look so modern and masculine.
Team this blouse with a pair of loose-fitting straight jeans or boyfriend jeans or, as I have a pair of chinos that are slightly looser fitting. I bought my pair in Vero Moda for €15. Chinos are so popular right now and go with just about anything. Paired with a pair of brown brogues or a pair of combat boots such as mine, they are a key look this year. Again, Penneys supplies us students with reasonably priced chinos from about €15 in a range of colours. Or, like me, if you prefer a more expensive treat now and again, Topshop have beautifully coloured cropped pants from around €40.
I changed the outfit's look completely by putting a terracotta body from penneys (amazing value) underneath which compliments the navy of the chinos and the green of the top. it's also a bit warmer.
Finally, a must-have piece for the androgynous look is the classic blazer. Ah, the blazer. It never goes out of style, it’s unbelievably flattering and it adds that extra bit of sophistication. There’s one catch, they are so bloody expensive. EVERYWHERE! So I went on a hunt for a reasonable one and guess which shop came out on top? Penneys of course! (My second home) Their blazer’s start from about €21 euro and come in lovely shades of grey and black with white of black ribbing for a sleek, slim look. Another place with amazing blazers is H&M, with its beautiful neutral colours. Their blazers start from about €29.95 and are an ultimate wardrobe-staple. The double breasted blazer is ideal for those with a small bust, while the single breasted blazer is good for those with a bigger bust. If you’re worried about a revealing tummy, get a blazer with 2 or 3 buttons to button down over the stomach area. This instantly nips in the waist. The blazer I'm wearing was a gift from Vero Moda. The horizontal lines elongate my body and the wide shoulders give the masculine effect. I love the length of this blazer, earning it the name "Boyfriend Blazer".
This blouse is my favourite item of clothing. It has wide, puffed out shoulders giving it a masculine look but the pattern and design is so feminine it has the perfect androgynous look. I bought this in a vintage store in Paris as it's an original Givenchy piece but there are loads of replicas around.
My last outfit is so warm and comfortable. This jumper is from Harlequin in Dublin, a vintage shop that I adore. It goes perfectly with the colour of the chinos. This jumper is originally meant for a man which makes it perfect for this theme. I wore my Givenchy blouse underneath and let the pussy bow hang out in order to make it look more effeminate.
So, take Annie Lennox for example, her features are so womanly that she actually could wear a black plastic sack and still look effeminate. The crucial point is that to pull off an androgynous look, one has to choose key features to draw on the style of the opposite sex. For example, if you want to look androgynous but still be recognized as a woman, leave your hair down and long and use minimal makeup, emphasizing the eyebrows. This can be done with an eyebrow pencil, or with my eye-shadow trick. First, brush the eyebrows with an eye-shadow brush back and forth or run your fingers over your brows to make them kind of bushy. Next, take an eye-brow/shadow brush and brush your brows into a high arch. Then take a thin eye-shadow brush and laden it plentifully with a colour that is one shade lighter than your hair colour. For me, it’s “Baked” by Urban decay or “Walnut Pearls” by Oriflame (www.Oriflame.com) Don’t ever use your finger, this with be disastrous and twice as hard to follow the brow-shape, avoid using a thick brush or a hard brush either as this will smudge the colour (a damp brush works best) . This takes about 2 minutes but makes a huge difference to the contours of your face.
My make-up is very simple. I just used a pale foundation, working it over the lips and then brushed some powder over the face. I then took a powder highlighter from No.7 (21euro) and blended it all over the face, in particular over the cheeks and forehead. I then used a strong blusher from Isa Dora. I used a white eye-shadow from Urban Decay called "Polyester Bride", taking it out in a straight line from the eye towards the ear. The I simply applied a coat of mascara. My hair is also simple; simply twist two even pieces of hair on either side of the face and pin them the base of the skull, then curl the remaining hair at the base of the skull around a hair curler, pin it into the cylinder shape and remove the curler when secure by pulling it out of one side of the curl. secure with hair pins and hair-spray. This style is also great for vintage looks. Alternatively, a slicked-back high or low bun portrays the androgynous look too.
If all else fails, however, fake moustaches are sold in Euro-City for 2euro for about 20 different styles including the classic handle-bar! I call that a bargain.
I hope you enjoyed my take on Androgyny, seeing as myself (model, stylist, makeup and hair stylist) and my Friend Ruth (photographer) were nearly killed by cows shooting it. Thank you!
