The Inkwell - Issue 4

Editors’ note

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Inkwell for this Issue.

Thank you, Alice and Louisa

Contents

Page 2 – Editors’ note and Contents

Page 3 – How does fast fashion affect the people working in the factories?

Page 4 – Women at COP27

Page 5-6 – Should the World Cup have been held in Qatar?

Page 7 – The controversy surrounding the history of the FIFA World Cup

Page 8-9 – Where do Christmas Trees originate from?

Page 10-11 – To what extent is veganism an appropriate diet?

Page 12-13 – Is cheap fast fashion accessible?

Page 14-15 – Why don’t men wear skirts anymore?

The Cambridge English dictionary defines ‘fast fashion’ as ‘clothes that are made and sold cheaply, so that people can buy new clothes often.’ It is a term that is often associated with highly profitable businesses that copy catwalk designs and popular trends, and then mass produce them at low cost. Recently many of the negative impacts of fast fashion have been brought to light, with the negative environmental impacts of fast fashion being the main focus. However, another significant effect is on the factory workers who make clothes for the fast fashion industry.

Companies often manufacture their clothing in countries, such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and China, where they can pay their workers much less than in the UK. This is because minimum wages in these countries are significantly lower. Recent statistics have shown that the minimum wage in the UK is five times the minimum wage in China. In these low-income countries, workers are working for very low wages because they have no choice but to do so in order to survive. This means that large manufacturers can pay their workers much less than they would have to in the UK, and therefore, they exploit the poverty of those in said countries in order to increase their profit margins further.

Due to the increase in demand for fast fashion, children are often exploited in factories. This is because of the fact that most adults in the low-income countries that fast-fashion factories are situated in cannot afford to support their families without sending their children to work. This leads to children being forced to work, underpaid, in factories. Not only does this mean that children are exposed to poor working conditions, but it also means that children are do not have access to

education. This lack of education within the younger communities in low-income countries means that these children do not have the skills to get a higher paying job with better conditions, and therefore, the cycle of exploitation continues.

Finally, fast fashion can also affect the physical health of factory workers. According to an article published by 'sustain your style’, those working in some fast fashion factories can barely breathe when working due to the fact that they are exposed to toxic chemicals. The factories themselves are also a dangerous environment. A key example of this is the Rana Plaza collapse of 2013. This was when a garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed. It led to more than 1000 deaths and many more injuries. The collapse was because the building was built with poor materials and constructed improperly. This was not the first factory incident, in fact less than six months before, another fast fashion factory caught fire outside of Dhaka. It is evident that fast fashion can have a negative, and even lifethreatening impact of its workers

To conclude, it is clear that fast fashion has a very negative impact on factory workers in low-income countries. Fast fashion is a contributing factor as to why it is so difficult for people in countries such as China, to escape poverty. This is due to the low wages that people are given and the child exploitation that occurs in many of these factories creating a cycle of poverty. Moreover, fast fashion can also have life-threatening consequences for factory workers. In order to prevent the exploitation of factory workers, awareness must continue to be raised regarding the social impacts of fast fashion.

How does fast fashion affect the people working in the factories?

Women at COP27

By Alice Read-Clarke

It is well known that women are historically under-represented when it comes to making key decisions in governments and global organisations. This year’s COP conference, COP27, was no exception; of 110 global leaders in attendance, only 7 were women (BBC, 2022).

COP27, the United Nations’ Conference of Parties, was held in Egypt from the 6th to the 19th of November. According to an article on the UNs’ Climate Change webpage, countries in attendance ‘reaffirmed’ their previous promise to keep climate change below 1.5oC and ‘strengthend actions’ to reduce greenhouse gas emmissions and ‘adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change’. There was also a commitment to a ‘loss and damage’ fund, which would help support vulnerable countries when they are hit by climate change disasters. The UN described this decision as ‘ground-breaking’.

So, why is the lack of women at COP27 a problem?

Women are disproportionately affected by climate change. Women have a greater responsibility to get food, water and fuel for their families, a job which is made much harder by the impacts of climate change. They also put their needs of their families before their own, meaning they ‘often eat last, and worst’ (BBC, 2022).

Agriculture is the ‘most important employment sector for women in lowand lower-middle income countries’ (UN, 2022). This means that in times of drought and unpredictable rainfall, women are more likely to lose income, and have to work harder to secure

resources for themselves and their families. This also has a knock-on impact to girls, who often leave school to support their mothers. Furthermore, women are less likely to survive, and more likely to be injured, in all, but specifically climate change related, disasters (UN, 2022). This is due to disparities caused by gender inequality in information, decisionmaking, access to resources and training, and access to relief and assistance in the aftermath of a disaster (UN, 2022). Moreover, women are more vulnerable during pregnancy. Extreme heat increases the number of still births, as well as increasing the spread of vector carried illness, for example malaria and zika, which can cause ‘worse maternal and neonatal outcomes’ (UN, 2022).

This shows how fundamental it is for women to be present in the discussions about, and decisions made on, climate change. Not having women involved neglects the needs of one of the largest, and most at danger, groups in society. As one of the most at-risk groups, it is vital that women’s voices are not only heard, but also listened to and taken into account when making decisions.

Sources: https://unfccc.int/news/cop27-reachesbreakthrough-agreement-on-new-loss-anddamage-fund-for-vulnerable-countries https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/scienceenvironment-63636435

https://www.unwomen.org/en/newsstories/explainer/2022/02/explainer-howgender-inequality-and-climate-change-areinterconnected

By Eleanor Bates

Some people think holding the World Cup in Qatar was the wrong choice. But why do they think this?

Geography

This was the first World Cup ever to be hosted by a Middle Eastern nation. Despite having an area of just 11,571 km² (12 times smaller than the UK), 1.5 million people have come to watch the football. This has caused overcrowding during the tournament. There is also the question of whether it was safe to play football in Qatar’s extreme climate. Qatar has a hot desert climate, and in the summer, temperatures can reach above 45oC. FIFA had to move the event to the Winter for the first time in history, however even in Winter the weather can peak around 30 degrees Celsius. Regardless of the fundamental geographical problems of holding the World Cup in Qatar, what this World Cup does signify is the continuing shift of economic power towards the gulf states. The state of Qatar, most

well known for being a centre of oil and gas trade, is choosing to project its image through football.

Industry

As with any World Cup, the sure winners are the travel, hospitality, and car rental sectors. Hotels and restaurants across Qatar will be expecting profits to rocket during the monthlong tournament. Since 2010, eight new, state of the art stadiums have been constructed, including the 80,000-seater Lusail stadium, around which an entire city has been built. With new cities, comes new roads, new public transport systems, new airports, new everything. In the hive of activity, the construction industry has benefitted massively.

Human rights abuse in Qatar

Qatar has a colossal migrant workforce. In fact, a report from 2017 suggested that, of the country’s 2.6 million population, 2.1 million of those were migrant workers. These workers come mostly from South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Qatar’s population increased by almost 40% after it was awarded

Should the 2022 FIFA World Cup have taken place in Qatar?

the World Cup in 2010. Shockingly, the Guardian found that over 6,500 migrant workers have died since Qatar was made World Cup host, although not all of them were on World Cup construction sites. That is twelve deaths a week between 2011 and 2020. Common causes of death included blunt trauma and hanging. Only thirty-four deaths were officially attributed to stadium work, often caused by cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. It cannot be confirmed whether these were the result of persistent work in the extreme heat or the result of underlying working conditions. The Qatar government has insisted that these staggering figures are normal and proportional to the unprecedented size of the workforce. However, the US state department has previously reported working conditions in Qatar as equivalent to that of slavery, with some workers receiving punishments such as withdrawal of salaries, beatings, and even sexual assault. Why could it be good to go and watch the football live, in Qatar?

Experience The Culture

During the tournament, Qatar is holding various exhibitions and themed events specially for guests, where you will have the opportunity to get closer to the culture and learn more about the civilisation of the Middle east.

Proximity of the stadiums

A big game changer for this World Cup is that all eight stadiums are

within 30 minutes of each other which means you can watch more than one live match a day.

It is something different

This is the first ever World Cup to be hosted in a Middle Eastern country which means there are lots of things to see and do; from visiting the world famous Souq Waqif market to taking a desert safari tour.

While I think there are some positive things about having the World Cup in Qatar, I think that, overall, it was the wrong choice to have the World Cup in Qatar. This country did not have the correct facilities for an event as big the World Cup, and as a result had to use poorly treated migrant workers. They also have not got enough space to accommodate the influx of people visiting. There are many other countries that could have been a better choice to host the World Cup.

Photos from:

https://www.istockphoto.com/es/search/2/image?phrase= world%20cup&irgwc=1&cid=IS&utm_medium=affiliate_SP& utm_source=FreeImages&clickid=zhjyaMRS1xyIRGQwCMxn NR36UkAxGRwI1RBxUU0&utm_term=world%20cup&utm_c ampaign=home_home_searchbarpopup&utm_content=270498&irpid=246195

The controversy regarding the history of the FIFA World Cup

By Hannah Scott

The World Cup is one of the largest events in the global sporting calendar and happens every four years. Each time, a different country is responsible for hosting this event. In recent history there have been concerns about some of the host countries, for example, South Africa (2010), Brazil (2014) and Qatar (2022).

South Africa

South Africa were accused of bribing the FIFA to let them hold the 2010 World Cup with £6.5m. Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula clearly denied the £6.5m bribe that the US accused them of giving to FIFA. He claimed that South Africa was not involved in the transferring of illegal money for the purposes of the 2010 World Cup. Mr Mbalula confidently told reporters that the financial statements before and after the tournament received "a clean audit" from the auditor general.

The official indictment against South Africa from the US also mentions an earlier incident when a high ranking South African bid committee official allegedly handed over “a briefcase containing bundles of US currency in $10,000 stacks” in Paris to the former FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner. He has once again denied all the allegations.

Brazil

There was a long list of controversies before the tournament started including mass evictions, violent protests, and police brutality.

Mass Evictions

Thanks to the World Cup, more than 250,000 people were either directly or indirectly forcefully removed from the living spaces. Some experts say Brazilian politicians used the games as an excuse to clear out Brazilian slums and reclaim them. Eleven million Brazilians lived across these slums.

The government compensated the evicted with only $22,000, not even close to enough for these people to get by. The evictions mostly affected the poor because their property rights are not recognized for Brazil’s legal system.

Protests and Police Brutality

Demonstrations against the games’ astronomical spending saw police brutality. Citizens protested the government’s clearing of the Brazilian slums in order to accommodate the games, as well as the vast spending on the games when there was already such as wealth disparity in the country.

Protesters questioned why the country would spend so much on the FIFA World Cup when so many Brazilians don’t have access to health care and other basic needs to begin with.

Qatar

Ever since the announcement of the World Cup hosts in 2010, Qatar has been in the midst of controversy and dispute, due to allegations of bribery, corruption, and a host of scandalous accusations.

Qatar’s football heritage is minimal, and the country is more famous for being one of the richest states in the world. While Qatar has denied allegations of it buying delegates’ votes, a corruption investigation from French authorities has taken place. The US also accused three FIFA officials of receiving payments in 202. However, the FIFA president Sepp Blatter revealed the committee had decided to take football to “new lands” in an attempt to “develop football”.

Furthermore, the Qatari football team has never previously qualified for a World Cup for either the men’s or women’s teams. Having been awarded the right to host the 2022 tournament, Qatar became the first country since Italy in 1934 to play in a World Cup without qualifying for it.

Where do Christmas Trees Originate From?

Christmas trees, often a pine or a fir, are decorated with lights and ornaments as part of Christmas festivities. Christmas trees can be fresh cut, potted, or artificial and are used as both indoor and outdoor decorations. While the trees are traditionally associated with Christian symbolism, their modern use is largely secular (nonreligious). Many families place presents around an indoor Christmas tree to be opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Where

Christmas

came from

trees

Latvia and Estonia both claim to have been home to the first Christmas tree. Latvia traces its Christmas tree traditions back to 1510, when a merchant guild called the House of the Black Heads carried a tree through the city, decorated it, and later burned it down. Meanwhile, Estonia has countered those claims, saying it has evidence of a similar festival hosted by the very same guild in its capital city Tallinn in 1441. However, it is more likely that the Christmas tree as we know it was born in the Alsace region during the 16th century, now part of France but the region was considered German territory at the time. Historical records indicate that a Christmas tree was raised in the Strasbourg Cathedral in 1539 and that the tradition had grown so popular throughout the region that the city of Freiburg banned felling trees for Christmas in 1554.

Where the modern-day Christmas tree originated from

The modern Christmas tree, though, originated in western Germany. The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a paradise tree, a fir tree hung with apples that represented the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a paradise tree in their homes and candles, symbolic of Christ as the light of the world, were often added. Germans also set up a Christmas pyramid, a triangular construction of wood that had shelves to hold Christmas figurines and was decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century, the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree. The custom was widespread among the German Lutherans by the 18th century, but it was not until the following century that the Christmas tree became a deeprooted German tradition.

How Christmas trees came to England

The first Christmas tree in the UK was set-up by Queen Charlotte, the German wife of King George III. In 1800, she had a full yew tree set-up at the Queen's Lodge in Windsor for a children's party for rich and noble families. She helped to decorate it herself and it became a popular event for the royal court. However, many people believe that the Christmas tree was

a large Christmas tree to Great Britain which is displayed in Trafalgar Square in London. During WW2, the Norwegian king and government fled to London when their country was occupied. The tree, therefore, is given as a token of gratitude to the people of London for their assistance. This annual tradition shows the great symbolic importance of Christmas trees in Britain. Artificial Christmas trees started becoming popular in the early 20th century and continue to be widespread to this day.

Christmas tree world records

introduced to England by Germanborn Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. Taken to North America by German settlers as early as the 17th century, Christmas trees were the height of fashion by the 19th century. They were also popular in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and the Netherlands. In China and Japan, Christmas trees introduced by Western missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries, were decorated with intricate paper designs. Since 1947, every year Norway has given

According to The Guinness World Records, the tallest cut Christmas tree was a 67.36m (221ft) Douglas fir set-up at the Northgate Shopping Centre in Seattle, Washington, USA, in December 1950. The tallest artificial tree was 72.1m (236.5ft) tall and was made by the Arjuna Ranatunga Social Services in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in December 2016.

Photos from: https://www.istockphoto.com/search /2/image?alloweduse=editorialuseonl y&phrase=christmas%20tree%20germ an

By Mary Briscoe

The definition for veganism is “the practise of eating only food not derived from animals and typically of avoiding the use of other animal products” (Google, 2022). There are four main types of vegans: ethical vegans, environmental vegans, health vegans and religious vegans. A vegan cannot eat meat, seafood, dairy and eggs or wear any animal products, like leather. As a result of this, adopting a veganism diet is, to a certain extent, not an appropriate diet.

As mentioned above, vegans do not consume animal products, such as dairy, meat, seafood, and eggs. These food products contain key nutrients; for example, meat provides us with iron, seafood with omega-3 fatty acids, dairy contains calcium and eggs have vitamin B2. These nutrients are key to give us the energy to allow our bodies to perform their essential functions, like growing. If a person is lacking in nutrients, it can lead to serious issues, including stunted growth, eye problems, diabetes, and heart disease. If a person would adopt a carnism lifestyle, the opposite to veganism, they would find all of those key nutrients in the typical food that they would eat, however would lack others in fruits and vegtables. The lack of, and difficulty accessing, nutrients whilst eating vegan show that it is not an appropriate diet.

Having a vegan diet is often seen as healthier than other diets

because it contains more organic products such as vegetables and fruits. But this is not always the case. What would happen if a child adopted the vegan lifestyle? They could have severe problems with their health, including weight loss, malnutrition, stunted growth, eye problems, diabetes, and heart disease. Without the parent of the child being fully informed about what is in their child’s diet, their child could fall short in certain nutrients, for instance, calcium. Calcium is key to maintain healthy bones in a child. Research has shown that “45% of our bone mass is accrued (made) before the age of eight”. It is therefore essential that calcium requirements are met for children, particuarlly those eating a vegan diet. Without natural resources, like milk and cheese, to meet these requirements children will have to eat plant-based spreads, almonds, calcium-set tofu, beans, and green leafy vegetables. This shows that a vegan diet is not appropriate, particuarlly for children, who are even more negatively impacted by a lack of nutrients. However, there are also advantages of being vegan. Research has shown that a vegan diet can help promote weight loss, reduce risks of heart disease, lower the chances of getting certain types of cancer and manage diabetes. For example, it can prevent heart disease because you are not eating as much fat as you would in an

To what extent is veganism an appropriate diet?

ordinary diet when eating meat. Vegans also consume greater amounts of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, etc. Eating those sorts of food instead of animal products can results in a higher daily intake of certain beneficial nutrients. Studies have shown that vegan diets provide more fibre, antioxidants and beneficials plant compounds. Therefore, adopting a vegan diet could benefit you in diverse ways resulting in you being healthier because you are consuming more organic products containing beneficial nutrients.

Becoming vegan has many positive effects on the environment. The animal agriculture industry is a main driver behind our planets environmental crisis. Adopting the vegan diet and lifestyle reduces deforestation, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. This helps to slow climate change. It also means that our global food supply is more secure. If everyone shifted towards a plant-based

Sources:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066771 /main-reasons-for-being-vegan-in-the-unitedkingdom/#:~:text=As%20of%20December%20 2021%2C%2089,because%20of%20personal% 20health%20reasons

https://foodmatterslive.com/article/howmany-vegans-are-there-in-theuk/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20biggest%20c atalysts,of%20more%20people%20than%20eve r

https://www.rush.edu/news/health-benefitsvegandiet#:~:text=Health%20benefits%2C%20when %20done%20right&text=Research%20has%20 shown%20that%20a,cancer%2C%20such%20a s%20colon%20cancer

vegan diet, “we could free up 75% of global farmland” which is currently used to farm animals and produce animal feed. That proportion of land could go towards growing healthy, plantbased protein to feed more people and “alleviate world hunger”. Leaving animal products off our dinner plate is one of the best ways we, as a planet, can reduce our individual impacts on the environment. It helps prevent the threat of climate change, which according to the United Nations is the “biggest threat modern humans have ever faced”. Becoming a vegan can help prevent climate change.

In conclusion, becoming a vegan is not an appropriate diet. This is because, whilst it does prevent animal cruelty and climate change, adopting a vegan diet can lead to serious health problems and takes a lot of time, effort and money to make sure that you are eating the right products that contain the right nutrients.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegandiet-benefits#get-more-nutrients https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegandiet-benefits#get-more-nutrients https://thehumaneleague.org/article/environ mental-benefits-of-veganism

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2022052 5-is-a-vegan-diet-healthy-for-kids https://flo.health/menstrualcycle/lifestyle/diet-and-nutrition/pros-andcons-ofveganism#:~:text=Going%20vegan%20side%20 effects%20sometimes,omega%2D3s%20in%20 your%20diet

https://www.healthstartfoundation.org/hsblo g/what-are-nutrientsanyway#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20W orld%20Health,they%20are%20necessary%20f or%20life

Is cheap fast fashion ethical?

By Scarlett Palmer

How safe are fast fashion factories, how fair are workers’ wages, and how wasteful and harmful is fast fashion to our environment.

What is Fast Fashion?

Fast fashion is how designers and retailers are striving to keep consumers consuming more and more. For example, in the early 2000’s, Zara started to bring out new items of clothing twice a week. Fashion brands used to produce clothing for seasons, now they produce multiple ranges in each season.

Trends

Trends certainly aren’t helping either. With social media apps being more popular, trends have become an important thing. Trends happen often on social media; someone will start a trend and many others will follow. This means that people will always be getting new clothes depending on what is trending. People dispose of their clothes at a much greater rate and there will be

a lot more waste in the landfill.

Natural resources

After farming, fashion is the industry which uses the most natural resources. For example, every pair of jeans has to be washed in ten thousand litres of water. Villages in India don’t have enough water whilst fast fashion factories in India are using millions of litres of water.

Fires and pay

There are many risks for the workers in the factories. Fires like the Dhaka garment factory happen due to factories being built cheaply and not having fire escapes. Places like Boohoo have not met safety regulations, have been accused of underpaying, and an unsafe workplace during the height of the pandemic.

The Environment

Cheap fast fashion is incredibly bad for the environment. The industry uses excessive amounts of

natural resources such as water, not to mention how most of the fashion we throw away ends up in a landfill. The fumes that come from factories are polluting our planet and although fast fashion is cheaper, the planet is paying the price. While people brought sixty percent more garments in 2014 than in 2000, they only kept the clothes for half as long.

Workers and their safety

Workers are a big part of every company, and in the fast fashion industry they aren’t always treated fairly. Although big sales are good, it usually doesn’t mean anything great for the employees. A big brand called Pretty Little Thing had a sale where their clothes were 99% off, and this caused concern for the workers, and where their wages were coming from.

What is good about fast fashion?

Fast fashion can be a really useful source for people who can’t necessarily afford the big brands, in a way, some people couldn’t survive without affordable fast fashion. It is also good for

everyday life. For example, playing in the garden, as it wouldn’t be a big loss if the clothes got dirty.

What can we do? What can the consumer do? Well, the simplest thing is: try to not purchase cheap fast fashion, but it’s not that easy. Some people around the world depend on cheap fast fashion as they can’t afford the big brands so getting rid of it completely would be devastating for some families. Buying clothes from charity shops instead is a good option; you are saving the clothes from the landfill and, although a single person can’t do much, it still makes a difference.

Conclusion

I personally think that we should not be supporting fast fashion. My reason for this is because the damage it has and will cause the environment, and the fact that in some cases workers are not even getting paid the minimum wage. There are some positives but the negatives by far outweigh them.

A

Why don’t men wear skirts anymore?

brief history of skirts and their association with

gender identity

By Rivi Lock-Phillips

In today’s culture, particularly in western society, skirts are generally considered a feminine item of clothing, but we didn’t always think this way.

Hundreds of years ago, skirts were considered a garment that represented masculinity, and in recent decades men have begun wearing them often as a statement, and several designers such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Miu Miu have included skirts in their menswear lines. Throughout history, skirts have had many different connotations.

In most ancient cultures, there was a form of skirt for men and women. In ancient Greece and Rome in particular, skirts on men were associated with masculinity, youth, and virility, with members of the Roman army even wearing skirts as their uniform. Men in Greece and Rome wore togas and chitons to display their high status. Ancient Egyptian nobles were known to wear a simple kilt called a schenti, that was a rectangular piece of cloth wrapped around the hips. In Aisa many men wear skirts. Kimonos are worn by many in Japan, and Korean people wear hanbok. Both garments involve a skirt and are ungendered, worn by both men and women, the only difference being the length; usually men’s

kimonos and hanbok are slightly shorter than women’s. That being said, it is important to recognise that the concept of trousers being more masculine and skirts being feminine is very western-centric, and many men in eastern countries with warmer climates still wear skirts in their everyday clothing.

In Europe in the 14th century, a subtle distinction between masculine and feminine clothing was created. This came about as draped fabrics went out of style, clothes got shorter and tighter, and men’s legs started to be revealed more with the introduction of hosiery. During the 17th century, hosiery became more of a staple in a typical man’s wardrobe and could be worn with any form of skirt or long shirt. It was not until the industrial revolution that men officially hung up their skirts in exchange for the two/three-piece suit we know today. Women were not able to do the same, though, due to restricting norms of ‘modesty’. Trousers were figurehugging and revealed women’s figures too much for them to be deemed appropriate at the time. This mean that women had to stick to wearing long skirts. The difference between women’s and men’s clothing was really established here, as looser

garments like dresses and skirts became associated with femininity.

Today, most men steer clear of dresses and skirts because of societal beliefs that teach us to dress to uphold our gender identities. For most of the last century, the only men in our society who have worn skirts have worn them as a political statement. It is also important to recognise that the men who wear skirts today are able to do so because of the sacrifices made by transgender people, who have been harassed, beaten, and even killed because of their gender presentation. Many queer men today choose to wear skirts as a representation of their identity, as people have become increasingly aware of fashion’s ability to aid self-expression. Billy Porter is an example of a gay icon who wears skirts as an expression of his identity. For example, at the 2019 Oscars he wore a ballgown, challenging the traditional rigid dress code of Hollywood events like this.

Men who wear skirts still face harassment today, though, so we still have a long way left to go before our restricting gender norms are broken down. We are making progress though, as an increasing number of men wearing skirts gain attention, particularly in social media. Post-Covid, men’s skirts have emerged as a trend online. Celebrities such as Conan Gray have aided in normalising this as well On TikTok, ‘#boysinskirts’ and ‘#meninskirts’ have gained hundreds of millions of views, proving that as a society we are becoming more accepting of clothing that doesn’t fit our traditional standards. Our views and acceptance of men in skirts have changed dramatically over hundreds of years, and we are only now attempting to lose our association of clothing with gender.