The resurgence of feminism in the 21st century has been monumental in the evolution of the fashion industry. It is quite a relief to realize that women are no longer expected to fit into a certain mold in order to be considered beautiful.
Only recently, the fashion industry was set ablaze by protests against the use of Photoshop and other photo editing software to retouch model’s photos. It is preposterous to imagine that girls around the world may have been starving themselves to look like models who don’t even look like their own photos.
The embrace of plus-size models in fashion has also significantly changed the fashion industry. Now, millions of plus-size girls and women can get first-hand representation on runways and in fashion campaigns. Also, the embrace of plus-size models has discouraged conventional beauty standards which looked down on women who did not fit the description. Today, beautiful women with Vitiligo, Down syndrome and other conditions have been embraced as models and even brand ambassadors.
Is feminism compatible with fashion?
Let’s take a look at some of the contributions of feminism in the evolution of the fashion industry.
The stereotypical thinking and labeling of women as sexual objects has often negatively affected how many women dress. It is a fact that many women are reluctant to dress as they please as they fear they might seem too sexually provocative. Fortunately, feminists in the fashion industry have gone a long way in the promotion of women as sexual beings and not sexual objects. Therefore, even though it is a couple of centuries late, we are glad the fashion industry is finally catching up.
Do you know that just a few decades ago women were not permitted to wear swimming costumes in public? I know it sounds absolutely ridiculous in an age when women can walk around in skimpy bikinis and no one even bats an eye. For this, we have the suffragettes and early feminists to thank. Otherwise, we would still be expected to sit pretty while baking in our full-body costumes even in the sweltering summer heat.
Although today, many feminists may argue that the fashion industry has done more damage than good to women, many other feminists beg to disagree. In a recent interview for the March edition of Vogue, Miuccia Prada perfectly addresses this issue, “a clever woman can also be super-sexy, super naked and she can be whatever she wants… I don’t think there is a look for a militant woman”.
While just a few decades ago, women were frowned on for wearing makeup, today women can decorate their faces as they please. In fact, beauty trends such as snow teeth whitening are quickly gaining popularity. Snow White is a teeth whitening solution which does not contain any harmful chemicals and allows you to have whiter teeth in just 10 minutes. All from the comfort of your home.
So there you have it. What do you think? Feel free to share to share your thoughts on fashion and feminism.