ONE OF THE FIRST GENDER NEUTRAL FASHION BRANDS TO OFFER ALL CATEGORIES OF FOOTWEAR.
- offering sizes 36-45 in all styles -
the REX turtleneck
Refined minimalism and sublime fabrics are innate qualities of UTILITARIAN's world of gender neutral fashion.
Shop the REX turtleneck and all of our gender neutral clothing.
the DANER t-shirt
Draped in an impeccable ponte knit fabric and tailored with uncompromising fit, the DANER t-shirt is UTILITARIAN's version of the classic style.
Shop all gender neutral fashion including our collection of gender neutral tops and tees.
the MAR top
Featuring an oversized and relaxed silhouette, dropped and voluminous sleeves with exaggerated cuff, the MAR Top drapes fluidly on the body in our soft viscose blend fabric.
Pair the MAR Top with drapey pants tucked into our ANDRO Ankle Boots for a relaxed yet sophisticated look.
Coming Soon
Pre-order the full GY collection
The square toe, soft body, and minimal lines we love on the GY Loafer are available with the GY Boot and GY Slide.
THE MEANING -
UTILITARIAN:
(Yoo-tile-terean)
1. Designed to be useful or practical.
2. Relating to or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.
UTILITARIAN believes that if people wear what they feel most authentic in, rather than what society tells them to, gender gaps will be bridged and deep rooted societal issues can begin to be mended. When we focus less on other people’s perceptions and more on ourselves, we can live more authentic, compassionate, and utilitarian lives.
Utilitarianism is defined as “a doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority.” Utilitarian, relating to or adhering to this doctrine of utilitarianism, perfectly embodies the values we aim to share with our clothing, footwear, and accessories. Through the creation of UTILITARIAN, we seek to create a cultural shift in the fashion industry, by designing clothing that could be worn by anybody and rejecting the establishment framework to emphasize that style has no gender.
UTILITARIAN exemplifies not only fashion but values and the desire to create change: by ensuring authenticity in clothing, we can begin to recognize and take on the labels and stereotypes that are frequently matched with gender.
Welcome to UTILITARIAN
- MY STORY
Welcome to the world of UTILITARIAN - a gender neutral fashion brand for all. My name is Bentley Wederski, and I am thrilled to announce the launch of my clothing, accessories, and footwear line that can be worn by everyone and anyone. UTILITARIAN clothing combines modern construction with minimalistic designs and neutral tones, in order to represent gender fluidity and equity within fashion.
Born and raised in a conservative environment in Wyoming, I faced many struggles growing up gay in a place that didn’t widely accept homosexuality. This motivated me to make a leap to change my life and move to New York City, where I enrolled in Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) to pursue Fashion Business Management. After working diligently and continuously learning more about the fashion industry, I found myself inspired to create positive change through this creative outlet. I was proud to have the opportunity to work with aspirational fashion brands such as The Row and Anthropologie, providing me with invaluable experience and insight into the industry from an early age. Through this journey, I saw the work and care that went into designing clothing and accessories, and found the motivation to create my own brand - thus, UTILITARIAN was formed.
Utilitarianism is defined as “a doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority.” Utilitarian, relating to or adhering to this doctrine of utilitarianism, perfectly embodies the values I aim to share with my gender neutral fashion brand. Through the creation of UTILITARIAN, I seek to create a cultural shift in the fashion industry, by designing clothing that could be worn by anybody and rejecting the establishment framework to emphasize that style has no gender. UTILITARIAN exemplifies not only fashion but values and the desire to create change: by ensuring authenticity in clothing, we can begin to recognize and take on the labels and stereotypes that are frequently matched with gender.
In forming a gender neutral fashion line that promotes originality and validity in what you wear, my motivation for UTILITARIAN is to continue to be a strong advocate for equal rights and social justice. As a result of my own childhood ties to Wyoming, I hope to be a supporter and friend to those in LGBTQIA+ community in my home state and beyond, striving to be an aid for young minorities who may be struggling to feel comfortable or welcomed by others due to their own sexuality.
UTILITARIAN represents becoming a part of something bigger, embracing feeling good in what you wear, while also ensuring practicality and comfortability in clothing. Thank you for coming on this journey with us - welcome to the UTILITARIAN community!
UTILITARIAN’s roots
The gender neutral fashion brand is based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Bentley's home state, at the base of the beautiful Teton Mountain Range.
FOUR PRINCIPLES I FOLLOW WHILE BUILDING A GENDER NEUTRAL FASHION BRAND AND ITS MISSION -
Together I believe these create realistic first steps that the fashion industry can take now to create true change.
1. Eliminate the use of traditional gender norms
Traditional gender norms are becoming more and more obsolete in modern discourse. It is time that this societal shift also reveals itself in the fashion industry. Rather than thinking about fashion as an expression of gender, we must start to consider fashion as an expression of identity.
It is only a matter of time before fashion trends will transcend the connotations connected to categories of “menswear” and “womenswear.” The sooner we stop describing clothes as “masculine” or “feminine,” the sooner we can normalize and encourage people to wear the clothing that truly captures their identity, as opposed to the clothing that is most easily accessible to them.
2. Embrace and showcase gender neutral fashion imagery
Demands to widen the range of body types, races and ethnicities of the faces of the industry are not new. These past few years have seen unprecedented initiatives among fashion brands and media outlets to establish more inclusivity and acknowledge the importance of representation. It is evident now that this shift must also include more representation for gender-neutral and non-binary people.
It goes without saying that the fashion industry relies heavily on visuals, so the impact that a brand’s imagery has on its shoppers is truly invaluable. The more inclusive imagery is, whether it is on a website or in a magazine, the wider your audience can be. Adding images of androgynous models wearing your clothes or showing the products on both female and male-identifying models can make a huge difference in normalizing a gender-fluid approach to fashion.
3. Update messaging and product descriptions to be more inclusive
In addition to images being universally more inclusive, it is also essential that product descriptions and brands’ messaging follow suit. Accurate and comprehensive fit descriptions are especially crucial for online shopping. Incorporating images of different bodies and genders sporting clothes is the first step, but fit descriptions that include all of the necessary information for consumers go hand-in-hand.
To achieve inclusive messaging, brands should provide useful information such as measurements for both female and male-identifying shoppers, or design specific gender neutral fashion products. Either way, brands must prioritize messaging that reaches as diverse an audience as possible in order to truly be inclusive.
4. Rethink the categorization of products
Beyond product descriptions, the categorization of the products themselves on retail floors as well as e-commerce websites alike should optimize inclusivity rather than gender separation. Rather than filing clothing and accessories as either “menswear” or “womenswear,” we must reconsider products according to their purpose or shopper’s need.
Filtering by product type, fit, style, color and more are great and easy ways to eradicate categorization along the gender binary. By eliminating this barrier, we could also eliminate the alienation of shoppers whose styles transcend gender lines.
Regardless of the modern consumer’s flexible approach to gender and gendered clothing, true change is needed from the top. The tips above and changes in attitudes surrounding gender identity have served as the guiding principles in the creation of my gender neutral fashion company UTILITARIAN. I hope that my brand will not only appeal to consumers who are longing for more gender neutral fashion options, but also lead as an example for industry leaders who seek to be at the forefront of today’s most important and inspiring trends. The fashion industry can indeed catch up with the times, but only by embracing values of inclusion, diversity and change.
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