This means that bending your gender can be as simple as wearing a dress if you are a man or wearing a men’s suit if you are a woman. It could also mean wearing a mixture of feminine and masculine clothing at the same time. For example, a men’s shirt and tie paired with a skirt.
There are some hairstyles that work well for traditionally gendered men and women, such as a short pixie cut. [1] X Research source These hairstyles may be a good idea for someone who likes to play with gender, as you can use simple style changes to play with masculinity and femininity.
Wear shoes that those of your same sex would not usually wear. Clearly, the most obvious example would be a man wearing high heels. You can also try wearing feminine hair accessories if you are a man.
Facial hair, in particular, on an otherwise feminine presenting person, can really give “mixed” gender signals. Makeup can be used in a wide variety of ways. Traditionally, many people highlight their eyes with eye shadow, their lips with lipstick, and their cheeks with rouge, however you can also use it in totally untraditional ways if you like. You can use small amounts or you can cover your face in it!
Perhaps you have always wanted to play a sport that most people of your sex don’t play. Search online for teams that will let you play or recruit some friends to play with you. Take a class about something you have always wanted to know but didn’t learn about because of your sex. For example, you could take a carpentry class, a sewing class, or a robotics class.
For example, perhaps you do traditionally gendered chores around the house. Try doing something that would normally not be in your purview, whether it be washing dishes, fixing the car, or grocery shopping. This can also mean that you change the way you interact with people. Maybe your sex is female and you only hang out with other females when you go to family gatherings. Perhaps you could try to spend some more time with the men in your family. It may be that you already do things that are not traditionally associated with your sex. This means that you were already gender bending without knowing it!
Perhaps you are female and you would like to become a carpenter. By becoming a carpenter you are bending the gendered expectations placed on you and you are transforming the gendered expectations of that trade at the same time.
The first step is to simply pick a character you love, regardless of their sex. For example, this could be a character from your favorite TV show, comic, book, or movie.
For example, who says that Darth Vader has to be male? Try making a cosplay outfit where Darth Vader will be read as a woman. Another example could be Snow White. How could you make an outfit that gets read as male but also as Snow White?
For instance, if you identify as a woman, you could choose to dress up as a male Luke Skywalker. Basically, you would be gender bending by dressing in drag.
