8 Fashion Trends We Owe to Feminists
From charming wide-leg pants to blazers and vintage styles, we have the feminists of the 60s and 70s to thank for these enduring trends. These women not only continued the hard work started by suffragettes in fighting for social, economic, and political rights for women but also revolutionized women’s fashion forever. Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique, rejected traditional women’s fashion, deeming it a cause for limiting women in practical terms. According to her, the issue of clothing was an addition to more serious questions of women’s freedoms. Another women’s movement activist, Gloria Steinem, believed that clothing plays a significant role in self-expression.
Despite their differing views, both feminism pioneers changed women’s clothing through their political perspectives. While this wasn’t their primary goal, in their fight for gender equality, they and many others managed to overthrow the rigid paradigms of their time that dictated how women should look. Interestingly, many fashion trends from that era continue to inspire us and define our clothing style today. From baggy jeans loved by women to blazers that perfectly pair with dresses, these items symbolize the struggle for women’s equality and freedom.
Mini Skirts
Mini skirts are a contentious point in the fashion of the second-wave feminism era. However, once this style emerged as a serious trend in the 60s, it was immediately considered liberating. In 1966, designer Mary Quant significantly contributed to their popularity by selling this emancipatory novelty for Bazaar. After that, mini skirts were recognized as practical and comfortable for women who previously wore restrictive clothing for the sake of modesty. Many feminists saw these skirts as an important step towards embracing femininity, which would eventually eliminate body shaming and help reveal true sexuality. Mini skirts represented a rebellion against clothing that concealed the natural female body for the sake of practicality and decency.
On the flip side, many feminists viewed short skirts as an attempt to draw male attention to heightened female sexuality, even though the idea behind creating the mini was primarily political. In the 70s, the feminist movement gained even more momentum, and the skirt became a tool of objectification, losing the interest of feminists. The debate between the ideas of objectification and liberation continued for many years, but minis remain popular today, reminding us that while we can emphasize female sexuality, the path to complete freedom and equality is not yet fully paved.
Blazers
The male blazer seamlessly entered women’s fashion and remains a staple in the modern woman’s wardrobe. Feminists adopted the male blazer as a protest against gender stereotypes reinforced by clothing. Fighting for personal rights and professional freedoms, feminists rejected styles that could be provocative or seductive. Thus, women wore large-sized pants and male blazers alongside men to emphasize that they could share the same field of activity. The concept of
