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BTS member Jimin’s ‘genderless’ fashion just went viral – so why is androgynous style trending among K-pop stars?

STORYThe Korea Times
BS’ Jimin recently sported a “genderless” look that went viral. Photo: @guntaetae/Twitter
BS’ Jimin recently sported a “genderless” look that went viral. Photo: @guntaetae/Twitter
BTS

  • Ahead of BTS’ hit song Butter, Jimin made waves with a kilt and fur boots; Exo’s Kai and Shinee’s Taemin have showed off gender-fluid fashion and dance moves
  • The trend may be thanks to more interest in LGBT issues, plus millennials’ and Gen-Zers’ desire for self-expression

Jimin of K-pop juggernaut BTS is no stranger to the spotlight. But instead of his music, it was his wardrobe choice that recently created buzz among K-pop lovers and fashion enthusiasts.

In a teaser image unveiled on June 28 – a few days before the release of BTS’s new CD “Butter” – the red-haired Jimin donned a black-and-red plaid kilt with fur boots and posed for a photo in a small, orange room equipped with a black lamp and minimal furniture.

Jimin’s plaid skirt immediately became a hot topic online, with numerous people showing their excitement over the K-pop star’s gender-neutral approach to fashion.

BTS’ Jimin’s recent look went viral online. Photo: @min_snowman15/ Twitter
BTS’ Jimin’s recent look went viral online. Photo: @min_snowman15/ Twitter
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“Jimin is breaking gender norms for fashion and art,” one of his followers commented on Twitter. Another fan wrote, “He has shown us that fashion has no boundaries or gender, and that it is used for self-expression and to pass on a message.”

Genderless fashion, which refers to styles that lack “typical features” associated with a particular gender, has been in vogue on the K-pop scene in recent years. According to Kim Hyo-jung, an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) at the State University of New York (SUNY), Korea, its popularity stems largely from younger generations’ desires for self-expression.
Lee Hong-gi. Photo: @lee_hong_ki_2015/Instagram
Lee Hong-gi. Photo: @lee_hong_ki_2015/Instagram
“The public’s growing interest in LGBTQ+ equality is often cited as a main rationale behind the rise of genderless fashion, but there is another factor: the willingness of millennials and those of generation Z – meaning all people born between 1980 and 2010 – to express themselves via fashion,” Kim said during an interview.

“Youngsters these days are striving to figure out what they truly want and what kinds of styles speak for them. They value their identities and uniqueness, so they are reluctant to conform to any standards that hamper them from freely expressing themselves. That is no exception for K-pop stars, who are quick to set or follow new trends.”

Kim also pointed out that before the rise of gender-fluid fashion, there was another remarkable phenomenon.