We wanted to include several examples of the androgynous fashion we found, as presently many people do not let gender define them or their clothing choices.
Looking as androgynous as possible was an ideal for many people in the 80s. That carried through to the Montevallo campus as well, though not quite as much. There are many pictures of girls and guys wearing almost the same thing – usually a shirt or sweatshirt with jeans. There are also several pictures of women in pant suits, which are traditionally a fashion choice for men.
Now that society is stepping towards an era of making previous gendered items genderless (clothing, makeup, hairstyles), we are seeing more and more men and women push the boundaries of what people wear. More boys are wearing makeup. More girls are cutting their hair short. It is becoming a trend again to be androgynous.
Our campus is very liberal, and many people identify with some kind of genderqueer gender (agender, nonbinary, etc). This rise in social acceptance of people who feel that way definitely contributes to the fact that many people dress androgynously on campus.
A common theme was men and women wearing the same or similar outfits.
(Image used by permission of the Annie Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections)
Another was a juxtaposition where a person would wear a more traditionally masculine or feminine attire.
(1.) Montage. 1980-1989. The Annie Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections, Oliver C. Carmichael Library, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22University+of+Montevallo+yearbooks%22&and[]=subject%3A%22University+of+Montevallo+yearbooks%22&and[]=year%3A%221989%22&and[]=year%3A%221988%22&and[]=year%3A%221987%22&and[]=year%3A%221986%22&and[]=year%3A%221985%22&and[]=year%3A%221984%22&and[]=year%3A%221983%22&and[]=year%3A%221982%22&and[]=year%3A%221981%22&and[]=year%3A%221980%22
(2.) “What Will You Become?” The University of Montevallo. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://www.montevallo.edu/.
(3.) Student Life Photos. 1980s. The Annie Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections, Oliver C. Carmichael Library, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama.
Image Citations
(1.) Montage. 1980. The Annie Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections, Oliver C. Carmichael Library, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://archive.org/stream/montage391980stud#page/6/mode/2up” target=”_blank
(2.) Student Life Photos. 1980s. The Annie Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections, Oliver C. Carmichael Library, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama.
(3.) Montage. 1983. The Annie Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections, Oliver C. Carmichael Library, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://archive.org/stream/montage421983stud#page/200/mode/2up
(4.) Montage. 1980. The Annie Crawford Milner Archives and Special Collections, Oliver C. Carmichael Library, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://archive.org/stream/montage391980stud#page/218/mode/2up