We know that this is the most sought-after type of beauty in the fashion world. What are the most characteristic signs of androgynous beauty. Female or male? Such a question is asked by a person looking at someone who displays all the features of androgynous beauty. The fact is, it’s hard to answer this question at first. Androgynesis is a combination of masculine and feminine features into an ambiguous form. Androgynesis can be expressed in terms of gender, gender identity, sexual identity, and also psychological identity.
Etymology
The term “Androgynes” is derived from the Greek language, ανδρογυνής (androgynés). As a noun, androgynesis came into use in 1850. It combines in its meaning the words “man” and “woman”.
In the ancient and medieval world, people of androgynous beauty often represented art, and what is more, they were very strongly involved in religious worship. They worked in temples where they made elegance and laments.
In later cultures, such as Mesopotamia, men of androgynous beauty served the gods and walked in women’s clothing.
Androgynesis is used for human physical characteristics. It often refers to a person whose biological sex is difficult to recognize at first glance because of a mixture of male and female characteristics. Today, the word “androgynous” is rarely used to formally describe biologically mixed sexual traits in humans. However, a certain group of people are distinguished by a mixture of male and female genital traits, hormone levels, type of internal and external genitalia, and other gender-specific traits.
Physical characteristics
Characteristic features for women are: narrow hips, wider shoulders, visibly marked jaw line, and for men: feminine, delicate silhouette, and subtle face. Androgynous people are a kind of universe between the sexes, in the most positive sense of the word, of course. That is why they are loved by the fashion elite – their beauty makes the photographs they take fascinating and astonishing. Famous actresses with androgynous faces are better at playing the leading male roles than they are themselves. And this is where one more important ailment of androgynous people hides.
Androgyness in everyday life
Androgynesis questions the extent of the features intended only for men or only for women. Men take on feminine characteristics and women take on masculine characteristics. It has been proven that such women are more independent, courageous, have higher self-confidence, and are assertive, while men are characterized by empathy, tenderness and a sense of responsibility. In addition, both sexes show an increased range of openness, intelligence and resilience to compliance with generally imposed social norms.
Emotional intelligence
Androgynous beauty is not only about appearance, it also focuses on the psyche. Research shows that people with an androgynous set of characteristics are more entrepreneurial and more likely to be more successful in their careers. A woman can become a corporate shark in the world of arrogant businessmen, and a man can conquer world-famous fashion houses, because in addition to innate courage and entrepreneurship, he also has a sense of empathy and delicacy attributed exclusively to women.
Living with stereotypes can be difficult if we fear that someone will prescribe the opposite sex for us. This is particularly true of men who avoid typically feminine traits like a fire and even have them during adolescence try to obliterate them. Caring for innate instincts is (bypassing the fact that we are still doomed to conformism) a way to become a strong individualist.
Androgynous beauty in the fashion world
For centuries, the rules of social coexistence have restricted the dress of people who testify to a particular gender. Trousers were traditional men’s outfits, while dresses were intended for women. However, in the nineteenth century, protests began to take place and the strict rules of dress were abandoned. Women’s activists fought for women’s equal rights, freedom and emancipation. For example, Luisa Capetillo from Puerto Rico Luisa Capetillo, a defender of women and the working class, was the first woman in her country to wear trousers in public.
In the 19th century, traditional gender roles were blurred and fashion pioneers such as Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel introduced pants to women’s fashion. Coco Chanel, who loved to wear pants herself, designed pyjamas for women, such as beach pyjamas and horseback riding outfits.
Androgynous clothing among the stars
Elvis Presley is considered the one who introduced androgynous style to rock’n’roll. He has made clothing and androgynous beauty a template for all rock’n’rollers since the 1950s. Presley’s face and eye make-up often made people think of him as an “effeminate guy”. He had an exceptionally androgynous beauty.