FEMININITY, FASHION, FEMINISM THE PILLARS OF WOMENS FASHION
Nowadays, fashion is considered to be a way of expressing yourself and your identity. Fashion gives you the freedom of showing who you are and/or how you would like to be perceived. We are lucky enough to live at the time when it doesn’t matter what your sex is; you are free to wear whatever you want. It is a result of 20th & 21st-century social evolutions, revolutions, and countless protests. Through the centuries, fashion has changed mountainously. For decades in the Western World, women have been fighting to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes. Feminist movements have always been supported by changes in dress. Fashion has been treated as one of the main and most important tools to fight and show that women should have the right to show their beautiful and sexy bodies while they hadn't been allowed to do so. When we look at the history of fashion, we see multiple restrictions on women’s clothing: “Cover your legs, don’t show your cleavage, hair or arms”. What do we see now? Short skirts, low-neck dresses, long ponytails and no gloves. The ’30s, for example, was the time when women were fighting for their rights to raise their voices in public sphere, vote––have a say. Here came Coco Chanel with her outstanding idea of two-piece suits. "She designed sophisticatsed clothes that were elegant yet, comfortable. The symbol of this ideal is the two-piece suit, which Coco created taking inspiration directly from the suits of her lovers," writes Sara Bimbi of Vogue. These garments gave women the power, confidence, and faith that they can do more than just be housewives. If we look at 1960s, we see women wearing short skirts that empower them to own and show their bodies, and to be proud of their sexuality. Designer Mary Quant was a creator who gave women Mini Mania skirt. "We would make them the length the customer wanted. I wore them very short and the customers would say, ‘Shorter, shorter.’” said Quant for The Telegraph. Fast forwarding to today, we see some women wearing red lipsticks, full makeup, and elegant dresses. Others stick to androgynous silhouettes or casual looks, wearing blue jeans and white T-shirts. Thanks to women from decades past, we are now free to wear whatever we like and whatever we think fits us. There is nothing better in fashion than having choices and not being constricted to one look.
The key to lasting change in the fashion industry is not only to be inspirational but also influential.
Feminists believe that fashion empowers women. So does Rousteing, creative designer of Balmain, who is known for his sensualized designs. He claimed that he designs to empower women: “The women I dress are powerful, they are strong, they are women who are going to change the world.” Written by Amelia Krzapa Image by Stephanie Galea
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