Deconstructing Social Construction

This century is the first time we’ve been able to admire everything at our fingertips. We can collect and consume a kaleidoscope of content displaying a variety of styles, decades, cultures, possible futures, and patterns between the past and present. Our brains have become Pinterest boards filled with content, combining ideas in a new visual context like never before.

It’s overwhelming and exciting. We can now see beyond our individuality, and relate to others. Subcultures adjacent to the mainstream have always been present in society, but now they’re on display, normalised like never before.

Fashion has become one of the most gendered aspects of the modern world. Some people cannot wrap their head around feminine non-binary people, or even cishet men, in dresses. Our outward expression does not directly have to relate to our sex or gender identity. Women don’t owe you pretty, men don’t owe you macho, and non-binary people don’t owe you androgyny. Normalise they/them pronouns for everybody until you know for sure! 

If you’re still lost, look at your wardrobe. Tell us about your accessories, what decades and styles are they inspired by—you’ll start to see the clash. A 70s penny lane coat, a 90s velvet slip, 80s chunky leg warmers, Y2K chunky jewellery, a 20s flapper bob, and 60s inspired makeup. By traditional conventions they shouldn’t go together, but in the 2020s it’s an absolute fashion statement. A masc lesbian in a basketball hat and a ball dress might make might not make sense to you, but who the fuck cares. Let people explore and express gender how they want to! 

This fashion fluidity, breaking the boundaries of presentation, is the first step toward embracing that we are all complex beings. We are not, and should not, be bound to societal constructs and conventions. This issue is about deconstructing the oldest social construction: gender. Every human, despite their genitalia, has masculine and feminine aspects to their expression and identity. 

Connection to gender is not binary. Every being grows and transitions through themselves to find their authenticity. Whatever your identity might be—cis or not—this issue is a chance for you to interrogate gender and allow space for fluidity. 

Imagine all the possible versions of yourself. Consider all of the inspirations, admirations, and dreams you have. What parts of yourself do you lock away, feeling as if you are trapped in one life path? What if you explored elements of every possible version of yourself and brought them together in a fantastically flux self expression? What does your life look like when you don’t limit yourself? 

In this issue, Bella takes a break from designing to write about their enby journey, and the pressure faced by non-binary people to conform to a cis-normative perception of gender-nonconfirminity. Fran dives into the discovery of Girlflux as her gender identity through mulletification. Kiran unpacks toxic masculinity, and looks at how queer people are revolutionising masculinity. Phoebe writes about her connection to femininity, despite presenting androgynous, and Georgia asks non-binary people how their fashion choices affirm their identity. 

In the news section, Niamh exposes the changes underway at the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies. Ethan investigates why timetables have been fucked up by daylight savings, and Zoë unpacks how the National Party’s new policies affect renters. Elliot traces the return of disposable cups to VUW campuses, and Zoë talks to the newest club on campus: VUW Virgins. 

Let’s break the gendered mould we use to perceive each body before we even interact. It’s time to let ourselves be fluid and free. 

Good luck, and crash the CIS-TEM!