For instance there have been times when I’ve set my eyes on some really lovely party shirt or jacket or sweater only to be told by the slightly amused salesperson that they are for men. But now Unisex apparels have come to the rescue. You and your male/female friend can enter a unisex store and pick up anything that you like without worrying about the ‘For Boys’ or ‘For Girls’ tag.

Of course lately its Unisex parlours/salon that are the ‘in’ thing. These unisex salons have really broken down many gender stereotypes. No longer do I have to defend my lot for going to the parlour to get a facial, plucking or waxing done. The non-gender like atmosphere has helped guys feel comfortable too with all the grooming and pampering, like their female counterparts. They don’t feel threatened by the presence of other men in face packs or feet dipped in soap water. They too want to ‘work at’ looking sexy, glowing and irresistible to their friends, or for cruising for girl/boy at parties not to mention the war-paint they now settle for on their wedding day!

Taking a cue from Alley MacBeal, our own dramatis personae have turned to a unisex space to unlock the emotional Pandora’s that modern day Indians carry around like a bane. Recall the recent Bollywood film ‘Everybody Says I’m Fine.’ where a unisex salon was the space where the male protagonist (barber) would read the dark and tragic thoughts of his customers while snipping their locks.

Unisex salons have also helped in diluting the taboo that many men working in this profession have had to face. Studies have shown that men working in parlours were often branded ‘effeminate’ and normally considered as gay. But now male hairdressers have suddenly upped in the world and are finally in the run as a sought after profession.

Besides all this gender bending, unisex salons are an ideal place for a couple to catch up with their lives. Often too tired to talk at home, couples can lay back as they are creamed and polished anew, chatting and catching up, especially in those ‘sensitive’ issues, for the general sense of well-being that a pampered body exudes makes for radically low hostility levels. It is also easier on the pocket what with a car pool thrown in for good measure not to mention discounts coupons on couple care!

Though restricted to the metros the unisex concept is catching up fast. Mumbai and South Indian cities have taken to unisex salons in a big way. According to a market survey by cosmetics company Cavin Care, there are about 30-35 unisex salons in South India. Cavin Care’s own unisex chain Limelite has been registering a growth of 40 per cent in the last three years.

But it won’t be long before we have many more in the throes of bending gender in unisex spaces. What with unabashed media ads on male fairness creams and cosmetics. Men burping babies, changing diapers, making a hot cuppa or staying home to cook, the media is beaming unisex ways right into our living rooms. Check out the latest advertisement, which shows Kareena Kapoor prancing around a young man advising him to use a certain cream.

Fairness creams are no longer gendered products in India. Here’s some heartening data:

· Men account for about 25 per cent of fairness cream used across the country and the figure is growing.
· According to an HLL report, nearly 20 per cent buyers of Fair & Lovely are men. With sales of Fair & Lovely at an estimated at Rs. 500 crore, men contribute Rs. 100 crore.
· Nearly 27 per cent of users of Cavin Cares' Fairever cream are men. That amounts to nearly Rs. 22 crore in sales, since Fairever's sales are estimated at Rs. 80 crore.
· Aditya Agarwal, director of Emami group, says that men now contribute to about 45 per cent sales of his Rs. 10-crore Emami Naturally Fair brand.

I think that the concept of unisex has great potential. It can play a key catalyst in aiding us, to some extent at least, in breaking free from the archaic social stereotypes that still hang around. I mean in a world where men and women are going to vie for shades of pink and blue perhaps gender stereotypes will finally perish as a prehistoric mammal and people will be free just to ‘be’. Not to mention economic gains such as couples sharing clothes, jewellery and cosmetics. And hey finally looking good will be packaged with peppy discounts as a family pack offer!