Gender is something you are born with and is socially constructed. It tells what a man or woman should look like and behave and how someone present him/herself to the world. Whereas, third gender or transgender is an intersecting identity where they feel they are not themselves and choose to change their identity eventually. Similar to transgender, transvestite is someone who likes to cross dress with no physical changes undergoing.
One direct translation of one’s identity is through the undergarment. Undergarment shapes a person’s identity and how he/she feels towards his/her own body. For the third gender, undergarment is very important. It makes them feel differently in terms of safety and comfort. For instance, a transgender feels safe as a woman when she is wearing bras or a transvestite man feels more comfortable because as a man, he can show his padded boobs. Another example for undergarment designs is he/she feels more comfortable because of the laces design on the bra where it reduces the body heat. So some can be very utilitarian or cultural identity.
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Designers have to reflect to the usage of undergarment whether it is identity or gender. From the third gender’s point of view, they find that undergarment market is limited. Only few markets that are available, one of them is THINX, New York based (Figure 1). This brand is aimed at transgender men who go through monthly period. So this is one of the brands that help transgender to be identified in terms of