I remember when I was growing up in one of the bubbling areas of Lagos in the nineties. 'Baffs' as it was and still is called started a redefinition, the vogue was to look as male as you could. The 'feminine' hair saloons became barber-shops, army wear became the thrill, don't forget the body piercing and earrings for men.
The West had thrown it to us again and we loved it. Girls started 'toning' their muscles to keep fit. Suits and neckties were worn by all and sundry in the corporate world. I mean! You just had to go with the flow.... or risk becoming a 'slacker'!
Part of the fitrah (natural state of man) is that men should preserve the masculinity that Allaah has created in them, and women should preserve the femininity that Allaah has created in them.
Without this, decent human life becomes impossible. Men resembling women and vice versa is something which goes against man's innate nature and opens up the door to corruption and widespread promiscuity.
The Curse
The ruling in the sharee'ah is that when it is stated that the person who does a thing is cursed, then that thing becomes haram. Ibn 'Abbas (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Allaah has cursed the men who make themselves look like women and the women who make themselves look like men." (Bukhari)
Ibn 'Abbas also reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Allaah has cursed effeminate men and masculine women." (Bukhari)
Rugged Women, Soft Men
The resemblance may be in the way they move, walk, and speak. Women are delicate creatures of Allah, they are meant to be pampered and behave in a manner that behoves them. Men are the rugged ones, created to pamper their female counterparts.
So the repeated tug of war going on where there is competition for supremacy is very uncalled for. Women should know that Islaam teaches liberation without imitation.
Nowadays we have househusbands and worse still, a phenomenon that is fast spreading in the west - drag queens! Men convert themselves into women (with or without surgery) and you can't even tell the difference! May Allaah save us from all these evils, Amin.
Clothing?
Similarly, the two sexes are not permitted to resemble one another in dress or by wearing anything that is specifically for the other sex. So a man is not permitted to wear necklaces, bracelets, anklets, orearrings, etc. as is widely practiced today amongst the hippies and their likes.
Women are not allowed to wear things specifically for men, like the thawb (long garment worn by Arab men, masculine shirts, etc. Whatever she wears must be different in style, details and colour.
Our role models, the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of be upon him) and the other female companions (RA) wore garments that never showed their shape or forms. Shirts, whether baggy or tight would at one time or the other define the shape of your upper body to people as you walk, stand and even sit.
Remember, my sisters, the rules of hijab demand that your clothes are loose and not calling to anybody but your husbands. They could even creep upward without you knowing. In short, save the shirts for the house! Or wear big jilbab over them.
Abu Hurayrah narrated:
"Allah has cursed the man who wears women’s clothes and the woman who wears men clothes.” (Abu Dawood)
This is definitely a case of ‘Need I say more?’