A skirt doesn't make a K-pop concept genderless. Neither does eyeliner, a pearl necklace or a particularly good pair of heels. If it did, K-pop would have dismantled the gender binary years ago. But rising stars XLOV have gone against the grain of traditional gender norms, seeing Wumuti, Rui, Hyun and Haru consistently take the stage in effortless genderless styles.

Since debuting with “I’mma Be” in January 2025, XLOV have made “genderless” central to their identity – but the group’s definition is what makes the term important for them. Rather than trying to eliminate gender from their image, they have described their approach as “gender-free”: rejecting the idea that certain forms of expression should belong exclusively to one gender. XLOV aren't dressing for neutrality – quite the opposite – but they are taking some of fashion's most recognizable gender codes and blending them into their own secret sauce.

XLOV made their intentions clear before anyone had time to wonder whether “genderless” was just clever marketing. In the music video and promotions for their debut single, the members appeared in bold makeup and outfits that layered skirts with trousers, immediately disrupting the familiar visual shorthand of the K-pop boy group. Rather than giving one member the designated “androgynous look” while everyone else played it safe, XLOV made gender ambiguity the group's baseline. Their debut didn't introduce gender-fluid dressing to K-pop; it introduced a group willing to build its entire wardrobe around it.

For XLOV, sharp shoulders meet cinched waists; wide-leg trousers sit beside cropped tops; structured tailoring is softened with exposed skin, flowing layers or delicate embellishments. Pearls appear against darker looks, while longer hair and wigs can match silhouettes that otherwise read traditionally masculine. The group’s signature skirts, sheer fabrics and colored lenses are commonly grounded by broad shoulders, heavier footwear, distressed textures or deliberately severe tailoring.

During the group’s “1&Only” era, Wumuti and Rui experimented with pink elements and mid-length hairstyles. By later promotions, wigs had become a more established part of XLOV’s visual toolkit. Wumuti has explained that the styling process can begin with intentionally fantastical prompts such as “medieval,” “Met Gala” or even a “refreshing but sexy fairy,” before each member adds their individual punch. Wumuti's role in shaping the group's creative direction naturally makes him one of the clearest vehicles for its more experimental ideas, but XLOV’s styling leaves room for each member to occupy the concept differently.

During the “SERVE” era, XLOV started incorporating wigs more routinely into their styling choices, expanding hair from a finishing touch into another tool for manipulating gender presentation. Long wigs could sit alongside suits, vests and sharper tailoring; blouses could coexist with traditionally masculine pieces, and dramatic makeup didn't require a justification. Their recent styling has confirmed that the four-piece refuse to settle into one recognizable uniform.

The group’s rebellious image gives fans permission to experiment without feeling pressured to fit neatly into K-pop’s polished box. XLOV presents self-expression as something fluid rather than prescribed, and, for fans, that makes their aesthetic less about dressing like the group and more about adopting the same freedom: wear what feels right, break the rules, and forget which section of the store it came from.

XLOV’s consistency comes from philosophy rather than uniformity. If genderlessness simply meant putting all four members in skirts, giving everyone long hair and calling it revolutionary, XLOV would quickly create another restrictive dress code. Instead, one member can push much further into glamour while another retains traditionally masculine styling, but both still feel seamlessly connected.

Although the group has broken new ground with their unapologetic style, XLOV did not introduce K-pop to androgyny. G-Dragon has spent years gleefully ignoring the men's and women's sections, SHINee's Taemin built entire eras around sensuality and ambiguity, and NU'EST's Ren became known for challenging conventional expectations of how male idols should present themselves, while Jimin of BTS has consistently incorporated skirts and gender-fluid pieces into his wardrobe.

For many idols, androgyny has existed as a particularly memorable stage look, but XLOV refuses gendered restrictions as a fully-fledged group concept. Wumuti has stressed that it isn't intended as a one-off attempt to attract attention, while the group has often described its goal as showing the styles and forms of beauty they genuinely like without hiding them from the public eye.

In an industry exceptionally good at packaging identity into something immediately legible – cute, sexy, schoolboy, girl-crush, futuristic, preppy, punk – XLOV have refused to step into the box altogether. Their genderless aesthetic isn't created by removing masculinity or piling on femininity. It lives in the friction between the two, and in the possibility that neither needs to be present at all.