How Boyish Features in Fashion Represent Female Empowerment Throughout Modern Day Trends – While fashion trends come and go, since the 80’s there is one thing that we can be sure of: clothes tailored with broad and baggy cuts have and will make the cut with women.
While the reasons may differ with each individual piece, clothes with boxy shapes and loose fits, such as the current collection offered by stella nova UK, often equate to feelings of power and authority among women who wear them.
Shoulder pads in blazers, for example, became a renowned fashion trend in a significant shift in the style of women’s work.
How fashion followed women’s shift into the workforce
While women had already been well introduced to the industrial labour force for nearly 5 decades, it was nearing the end of the 1970’s when the stigma of a woman working outside the house got significantly pushed aside. This was largely due to the improved work conditions offered to women by employers, such as clerical and administrative roles.
In 1978 when the Pregnancy Discrimination Act in the United States, along with other key shifts in healthcare and financial independence, women’s fashion started to complement these key changes as well.
Fast forward two years and nearly every woman, working domestically or in a corporation, was seen donning garments that communicated power and authority.
Loose outfits and ‘power suits’ continued well into the 90’s and while never having fully left, have come back full force with present day looks.
Browse in the women’s clothing section in most retail locations and it would be rare to miss pieces that are tailored with broad shoulders, boxy cuts, and baggy outfits overall.
Conclusion
In the continuous evolution of gender roles, identity, and practices, it seems that loose cuts which portray both strength and feminine identity has not lost its appeal.
