Men in Dresses, Women in Battle, and Why None of It Should Matter

Repeat Offenders Editorial Assistant, William Elliot, presents a thoughtful critique on how society upholds the status quo of gender norms - and how that is reflected in contemporary media.

Every time a guy wears a dress, the internet sparks a debate.

You’d think we’d moved past this by now, but no. Slap a lace shirt on an actor at the Met Gala, and suddenly, it’s the death of masculinity. Meanwhile, women have been in suits for over a century, and no one cares. The double standard is almost comical. But here’s the thing: this uproar over fashion isn’t about clothing. It’s about control.

What people wear has always been a reflection of deeper societal expectations about masculinity and femininity. The discussions around men in traditionally feminine attire—or women in spaces historically reserved for men—reveal how deeply rooted gender roles still are in our society.

These roles weren’t designed around morality or identity for most of history. They were about survival.

Men fought in wars because it made sense for a community’s long-term existence. A village could recover from losing half its men, but if the same happened to the women, the next generation simply wouldn’t exist. That was the logic. It wasn’t about proving masculinity—it was about ensuring civilization continued. But somewhere along the way, we turned this necessity into a rigid ideology: men are inherently stronger, braver, and more suited for leadership, while women are nurturers and caretakers.

Fast forward to today, and those old survival-based roles no longer hold up. Women lead armies, run multi-million-dollar companies, and consistently break world records in sports. And yet, whenever these shifts happen, people act like they’re unnatural or evidence of some heinous agenda that disrupts the "natural" order.

Why?

Because as a society, we don’t just like tradition—we crave predictability. The status quo is comforting, and it provides a sense of identity and stability in a rapidly changing world. But history proves that these “traditions” were never as rigid as people think. The ancient Britons followed Boudicca into battle against the Romans, and the Greeks worshipped Athena—the goddess of war and wisdom—both of whom, by the way, would have worn skirts to battle. Neither of these societies questioned whether women belonged in leadership roles when they were needed—they simply did what had to be done.

And yet, today, a man in a sheer blouse or a woman excelling in a male-dominated field is seen as disruptive.

This same tension plays out in entertainment. Twenty years ago, masculinity in Hollywood meant Daniel Craig as James Bond—stoic, chiselled, hyper-masculine. Now, Craig is actively subverting those expectations, playing openly queer characters in Glass Onion and Queer. The contrast is striking, and the response is telling. Some audiences welcome the shift. Others see it as proof that masculinity itself is crumbling.

Even Barbie—a film about a plastic doll—became part of this debate. Ken wasn’t just comic relief; he was a walking critique of outdated masculinity, constantly seeking purpose, desperate for validation from those who dictate social norms. And some people took it personally. But let’s be real, if a plastic doll movie gets under your skin, maybe the problem isn’t the film or society but a not-so-secret third option.

The same outdated expectations show up in sports. Women’s athletic achievements are constantly diminished or treated as exceptions rather than proof of changing norms. One such example is the legendary Cathy Freeman. She didn’t just win gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she did so while carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations. Yet, people still try to downplay women’s achievements in elite sports. The reality? Freeman ran a 400m final in 49.11 seconds. That’s faster than most men will ever run in their lives. Except for me, of course.

At the end of the day, the world isn’t falling apart because a man decides to wear pearls on a red carpet or a woman wins a fight. If anything, we should be celebrating the fact that people are now free to excel in whatever space they choose, without being shoved into some outdated script.

So, if seeing a guy in a sheer blouse makes you feel like masculinity is in crisis, maybe the problem isn’t him.