Way before the days of gender neutrality, men’s brands would tap women to wear their clothes. Remember Marlene Dietrich in a waistcoat and bowtie in the 1930 film “Morocco,” Katharine Hepburn in her boxy men’s trousers or Audrey Hepburn in a pink Brooks Brothers button-down on the cover of Vogue in 1949?
Now Eton has tapped actress Maggie Gyllenhaal as its new brand ambassador, and she will star in the Swedish brand’s fall campaign sporting its men’s dress shirts.
The campaign was photographed by Gary Sorrenti and it shows Gyllenhaal wearing four different shirts that were created exclusively for her through Eton’s Custom Made program.
Maggie Gyllenhaal has long been a fan of wearing men’s shirts.
Gary Sorrenti
“Maggie embodies everything we admire: intellect, and an instinctive sense of style,” said Janelle Hallberg, brand and communications director at Eton. “She represents the shift in menswear — a move toward deeper cultural resonance, individuality, and relevance — and brings that clarity to Eton.”
Gyllenhaal said wearing men’s shirts are nothing new for her. “I actually am someone who wears men’s shirts. So I thought it was a cool and unusual ask that I would represent them. Classic shirting is just part of something that I like to wear all the time.”
She said that aesthetically, she likes her shirts to be “a bit oversize. I also like when they’re soft enough, or thin enough in the fabric, that you can still see your body underneath or at least feel your body underneath. I love a collar, too. A strong collar. I like it a little ’70s.”
She said she believes women can wear traditional menswear pieces “and do so in a way that’s still very feminine. A shirt like the ones Eton makes feels gender-neutral to me.”
She added that she’s always felt an affinity toward clothing. “It’s funny — my mom always says her memories are tied to food, and mine are tied to clothes. I have memories from a very young age of either feeling like I had totally the wrong outfit on or, conversely, feeling like I was in just the right thing. One moment that stands out: I was in elementary school and obsessed with Cyndi Lauper. I dressed like her one day — wrapped a piece of tulle around my head in a giant bow, covered one eye, and felt amazing. Of course, I think I had to play volleyball that day and was absolutely not dressed for it. But still, it was a risk, and it felt great.”
She’s carried that sentiment through to her adult years as well. “It makes me feel good when I’m in something that feels like, at least in some way, it’s an expression of who I am and how I’m feeling that day. And lately, that’s a men’s dress shirt.”