Dismantling Gender Norms
Megan Rapinoe and Cam Newton are two of the most dominate players in their respective sports and are flipping our usual gender scripts upside down.
Newton’s successes on the football field are far outweighed by his triumphs in style off the field …. at least in my opinion. Either way, Newton regularly captivates fashion and sports fans with his commitment to experimental garb, endless collection of vibrant designer suits, whimsical headwear, and of course, the flyest of footwear.
Rapinoe on the other hand has a tendency to veer towards an average pair of jeans, sneakers, and a wide variety of T-Shirts. For the most extravagant of events, Rapinoe most often opts for a loose-fitting pantsuit. After winning the 2019 World Cup, Rapinoe attended the ESPY’s shrouded in a tailored black blazer, knee-length black leather shorts, and Louboutin oxford shoes.
"CAM NEWTON - QUARTERBACK - NFL CAROLINA PANTHERS" by Matt Hawthorne licensed under CC BY 2.0
“Megan Rapinoe” By Jamie Smed licensed under CC BY 2.0
So here’s what’s beautiful about these two and their individual styles.
Cam Newton, despite his embodiment of hyper-masculinity as the straight, starting quarterback in the NFL, has both a love and knack for fashion. Newton regularly blurs the lines of ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ styles and in doing so normalizes gender and fashion fluidity for everyone. His status provides the unique reach and influence over more stubborn sports fans who need a push from a star QB to leave their antiquated misogyny at the door.
Megan Rapinoe is one of the most highly decorated female athletes in the world and as a society, we often focus too much on the ‘female’ part. We demand female athletes to be nitty, gritty, absolute ballers in the game, and pretty princesses adorned with ladylike attire the rest of the time. Rapinoe confidently defies our typical expectations for a woman attending a red carpet event. She shows all genders that fame and expectations should never stop you from being who you are.
Newton and Rapinoe represent both the dichotomy and similarities of gender norms and fashion in sports that S&F strives to highlight.
A woman who pushes her work both professionally and philanthropically to the forefront of her public persona, wearing whatever she pleases. And a man who probably spends just as much time with his stylist as he does with his team.
Clearly, Fashion and Sports are not mutually exclusive to a specific gender. Every individual can create their own unique relationship with both, and I hope S&F helps you explore every possibility.