What Does Fashion Mean for Women?
Fashion is not just something as superfluous as the latest trend in clothing – it goes way deeper. Fashion is an expression of who we are. One glance at someone's attire can speak volumes about their personality. How we wish to appear can underlie a deep meaning.
Choosing the way we dress can wield great power. For women especially, fashion can hold a profound meaning. Our elected outlook can make us feel far more confident. Take, for example, the Second World War. Fashion in that period literally changed the world. It was at this time that it became commonplace for women to wear pants as they started working at factories. This was a revolutionary time where wearing pants represented the idea that women could do the same tasks, previously only thought of as coming under the capabilities of men. Not to mention, the ease of going about your tasks without having to maneuver in frilly skirts!
Not only do our outfits represent our personal style, but they can also be a powerful tool for expressing freedom and showcasing our individuality. Through fashion, we can say a lot about ourselves, without uttering a single word.
That being said, the fashion industry, being one of the biggest and fastest-growing industries worldwide can have a powerful impact. And as Spiderman’s uncle once said, “With great power comes great responsibility!” Jokes apart - the fashion industry does have a great responsibility due to the ginormous size of its amassed following.
Women are objectified and sexualized, for the sake of selling magazines and products which can have a very harmful impact.
First, it reinforces the belief that women are objects to be ogled at. It promotes the misogynistic mindset, unfortunately still prevalent in our society, that women are not good for anything that requires brains.
Furthermore, it instills an inferiority complex and low self-esteem among women who start to compare themselves to these unrealistic beauty standards.
What Does Empowerment Through Fashion Signify?
In today’s world where the use of social media has become rampant, the unlimited choices available have given birth to innumerable opportunities and ideas. As fashion has become more accessible to everyone and not just limited to the elite, it has also become a more powerful medium for showcasing our beliefs.
Though it has always been a form of self-expression, today fashion has increasingly become an avenue for empowerment. Women are using fashion to make their voices heard and rebel against the patriarchal society.
More women today are entering the workforce than ever before. They are taking on roles previously monopolized by men and pursuing ambitious career paths and higher education. This is by no means an easy feat as they've had to fight centuries of misogyny to get to where they are today.
Fashion has played a crucial part in all this. It has become the defining factor in the movement of feminism.
The Progression of Fashion
Fashion trends have evolved throughout history along with the roles and perceptions of women. We have advanced from dresses to skirts to pants, and through each trend, women have achieved liberation.
Women throughout history were expected to appear obedient and demure, their sole aim in life being – getting a husband! They were expected to wear dresses to seem modest and ‘well-bred’.
As the world started to change and women were allowed a little more leeway in their roles and appearance, we advanced to skirts.
Nowadays, women can use fashion to express themselves without the fear of being judged (for the most part.) Wearing a sharp suit to work entails not only wanting a seat at the table but owning it.
That is not to say that the struggles faced by women are even near to being over, we still have a long way to go before we accomplish that milestone.
Nonetheless, in today’s age, fashion trends are more than just style and trends. They are used, more particularly, by female celebrities and women in power to make bold statements and support worthwhile causes. Women supporting sneakers and athletic wear can feel exceptionally empowering as it adds more to being a woman than just looking pretty, all dolled up in dresses.
For centuries, as women, we were instructed to fit into various boxes - that of being a daughter, a wife, or a mother, with associated expectations for each role. Wearing trendy sports clothing breaks these stereotypes and has encouraged more women than ever before to pursue sports professionally, a career field that, like the sciences and the business world, has always been dominated by men.
Women’s fashion is also seen at the forefront of many social movements. Take the plight of women in Iran as an example and how they are choosing fashion trends to make a bold statement.
Conversely, we have seen professional women wear designer caps of iconic brands, like Nike, as a headdress to cover their hair because they themselves want to. This too is empowerment, as women decide what they choose to bear, or not.
For every woman, the definition of feeling empowered may differ. Some may incline to wear modest clothing, while others feel more powerful by being more expressive and revealing.
The purpose of fashion is to live a life of style, whatever that means for each individual. If a woman is wearing revealing clothing it doesn't mean "she's asking for it." If a woman is choosing to cover herself, it doesn't mean "she's brainwashed and being oppressed."
Our attire signifies who we are, our beliefs, and what we hope to accomplish. It is up to us to choose what that may be. Whether we opt to become an athlete, a businesswoman, a homemaker, or an engineer. Whether we prefer to bare all or cover it all up, it should be because it’s our own choice - not because we were told to do so by society or anyone in it, be it male or female. And fashion today has come a long way in accomplishing this goal where you see beautiful clothing no matter the preferences.
Today we wear what we want to exhibit so that we have autonomy over our bodies. Through fashion, we express our individualism, our identity, our sexuality, and even our politics.
By making us feel beautiful, empowered, and liberated with our choice of attire, fashion can make us much more confident. Thus, it makes us equipped to deal with any challenges that may come our way.
Another way fashion in recent years has contributed to women's empowerment is by factoring in women of all ages, races, and sizes. You should be able to feel pretty no matter how old you get, how fat or petite you are, or what your skin color is. By taking this crucial factor into account, fashion brands today have enabled innumerable women to feel much more confident and comfortable in their skin and take the world by storm.