Webinar Tailored for All: Rethinking Menswear in a Non-Binary Age

At a moment in fashion history increasingly characterised by non-binary and gender-fluid approaches to dress, menswear offers a critical historical and methodological lens through which to reconsider the concept of the universal garment. For more than a century, women’s clothing has progressively moved towards restraint, functionality and shared systems of dress, drawing heavily on tailoring, uniform and workwear traditions originating in the male wardrobe. Today, we witness a renewed movement in the opposite direction, prompting a re-examination of menswear’s enduring influence.

This webinar examines Menswear as a design language grounded in heritage, construction and use. It explores how the formal discipline of tailoring, the symbolic authority of uniform, and the functional logic of workwear have shaped a pragmatic and transferable approach to clothing. These frameworks prioritise proportion, structure, material intelligence and detail — qualities that have enabled menswear to operate beyond the male body, beyond gender, while maintaining clarity of purpose.

By shifting analysis from a gendered reading of menswear towards a universal mode of design, this session considers how male-coded garments and methodologies continue to inform contemporary fashion research and practice. It argues that menswear’s value lies not in masculinity as identity, but in masculinity as methodology: a system of thinking rooted in function, durability and legibility.

The discussion offers an academically grounded reflection on menswear’s ongoing relevance within contemporary debates on gender, utility and design authorship.

Discover more about the professional opportunities offered by the Master in Menswear Design offered by Accademia Costume & Moda in Rome.

At the end of the event, we will answer your questions during a Q&A.