How Our Values and Fashion Idols Change Over Time

May 30

The year is 1961. We see an array of pictures of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy; she is wearing pillbox hats, oversized sunglasses, elbow length gloves, strapless gowns, and monochromatic-all-white pieces [1]. She was one of the most idolized women during this time; women looked up to her for her sense of fashion, class, and the way she carried herself [2]. We did not need Doneger or WGSN, Jacqueline Kennedy set the trends for the 1960s with her lovely outfit worn at President JFK’s inauguration. She wore elbow-length gloves, Halston’s famous pillbox hat, and a beige coat dress. After this, everyone wore similar looks. Why? What exactly were we valuing during this time? Beauty? The strapless gown was a big move for the First Lady to constantly be seen in during the 1960s, but what did this mean? She was pushing the boundaries for women in the fashion industry in formal settings, as she had a true sense of femininity with effortless elegance [3]. Showing her shoulders was risky for a First Lady. She also brought with her a new sense of change. She had the goal of remodeling the White House interior to preserve the history in all public rooms. She truly won the hearts of Americans and foreign officials abroad.

Our fashion icons continue to vary throughout the years, with some representing mere style and others showcasing a deeper meaning. Let’s discuss a few of these idols. Farrah Fawcett was an icon with her big, blonde hair and bell bottoms in the 1970s [4]. She wore bold colors and is widely remembered for her red swimsuit poster (purchased over 12 million times) and lack of a bra. Was this feminism slowly rising? No, she simply did not wear a bra in her role in Charlie’s Angels. The poster spoke more. She chose to wear a one-piece swimsuit to emphasize the idea that you don’t have to show everything to the world to be seen as attractive [5]. The 1980s brought the young, exciting Madonna. As an Italian American artist, she brought about many of the famous 80’s looks; she wore underwear as outerwear, black leggings, fingerless gloves, rara skirts, and eyeliner [6]. She represented rebellion, straying from the norm. Many young teenagers were inspired by her style and attitude. On the opposite spectrum, Princess Diana also presented a unique yet bold style in the 1980s. Her 1981 wedding gown was the epitome of an 80’s princess dress with oversized puff sleeves, taffeta, and flounce details. Her style did not stray from this wedding dress as she was constantly seen wearing bold sleeves; she also favored outfits with big bows, polka dots, socks with heels, and long gloves [7]. Her clothing changed throughout the years to display her increase in confidence. People loved her as she was more down to earth than the rest of her new family and she was also very shy. Her revenge dress is a key piece, similar to her wedding dress, that showcased the confident young woman in the 1990s. This dress had a plunging neckline and was worn after Prince Charles finally admitted he had an affair [8]. She thought the dress was a bit too risky but decided to take the plunge! This dress spoke volumes as she finally became herself, confident and beautiful.

The 1990s brought Julia Roberts who popularized unisex wear, as she was often seen in menswear [9]. Her blazers paired with mid washed jeans, trouser suits, and men’s ties represented a new era. She pushed the line between men’s and women’s clothing; it was a well-respected statement in the fashion world. Jennifer Aniston was another icon of the 90s; she wore mom jeans, slip dresses, and bandanas as tops. Her relaxed yet fun style was the focus of the decade. She also sported pants under dresses and loved matching her accessories to her clothing (print on print) [10]. She truly represented an effortless, grungy, feminine style. Relaxed wear was trendy, and it was okay to look good while being comfortable! The 2000s provided us with many fashion icons, ranging from Paris Hilton to Britney Spears to Beyoncé. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie were often seen together but did not share similar styles. Paris loved wearing extreme crop tops and low bottoms; she had a super feminine style, loving all things pink. On the other hand, Nicole brought the bohemian chic look to light with head scarves and mass amounts of jewelry. The commonality between the two was their ability to constantly show a lot of skin. Britney Spears had a similar style as she was seen in low-rise jeans, crop tops, leather, and braless. One famous outfit choice is her double denim look as she matched Justin Timberlake at an award show in 2001 [11]. Many couples have tried to recreate a similar appeal but have not come close. Beyoncé showed off her tight stomach and curvy hourglass figure during the 2010s. She is a curvy woman and she embraced it, empowering other women and girls to do the same. The Olson twins had a varied style, mixing bohemian and feminine pieces. These included skinny scarves, oversized sunglasses, tunics with jeans, oversized designer handbags, and Starbucks coffee cups [12]. The values for some of our fashion idols only hit the surface. A percentage of these women led unhealthy lives and made poor decisions, with the exception of a few. Some struggled with mental health issues, drug abuse, and were unhappy. What were we valuing here? We seemed to only focus on materialism and disregard the person. We were not using these fashion icons to empower people; it was merely to look good. It lacked a message.

In the past few years, our values have heightened, changed, and advanced. We hope and push for equality in race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Our fashion idols appear to have matured as well. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“RBG”), an inspiring advocate for women’s rights, famously wore a dissent collar necklace anytime she would be dissenting (disagreeing with the majority opinion) in the courtroom. This necklace was given to RBG at an event in 2012 and was made by Banana Republic [13]. I personally was gifted the collared necklace after Banana Republic reintroduced it on their site! Her classic, feminine, empowering fashion will forever be remembered. She managed to always look polished, powerful, and perfect. She attended Harvard Law School where she was one of only nine women in her class. The law school treated women poorly and closed off areas of campus, marking them as “men only” [14]. RBG did not let this stop her and continued to acquire her law degree from Columbia. She is a true fashion and feminist icon. She did not just use fashion to look good, she used it to send a message. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“AOC”) is the youngest woman elected in Congress. She uses fashion to showcase her political emotions and empowerment. Her famous red lipstick and gold hoops have a deeper meaning to them than just being elegant pops of color. She is quoted as referencing this look from Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Sotomayor was told to wear neutral colors to her hearings to prevent any negative comments; this did not stop her as she decided to wear bright red nail polish. AOC found this inspiring and chose to take it up a notch by wearing bright red lipstick and gold hoops during her oath in Congress in 2019 [15]. She utilized this Bronx look to tell the world that women do not need to tone it down to be seen as equals in the professional/political sphere. Now, when people wear gold hoops and red lipstick, they are dressing like a Congresswoman. She also paired the look with a white suit, referencing the suffrage movement attire. As a woman of color from the Bronx, she has brought hope and fuel to young women everywhere. Over the last year, we have seen another woman change fashion and call attention to diverse perspectives. Madam Vice President Kamala Harris is the epitome of the working woman of 2021; she has made history as the first woman vice president and her attorney husband has also made history as the first Second Gentleman of the United States. Her husband has been nothing but supportive of her career choices, similar to RBG’s husband. VP Harris has a keen sense of style as she promotes functionality and sophistication. Her most spoken about look is converse sneakers paired with her powerful pearls. Her choice in converse along the campaign trail emphasized the idea that she was here for business. Women do not always have to wear heels in the professional setting. Comfort and functionality can be a priority. Her powerful pearls referenced back to her time at Howard College where she was in one of nine African American sororities. The founders of the sorority were often called the Twenty Pearls [16]. VP Harris’ power pantsuits are also a fashion statement today; she is rarely seen in the classic skirt suits. She is on equal grounds to men in the political world and dresses the part. As a woman of color, VP Harris has given hope to young girls and women around the world. Let’s keep talking about powerful women today! This year, Miss Singapore decided to use her platform to send a message at the Miss Universe pageant. Bernadette Belle We Ong, Miss Singapore, strutted down the stage in a red and white dress inspired by Singapore’s national flag. The message came loud and clear when she turned around. Designer Arwin Meriales hand painted the powerful words “Stop Asian Hate” down the back of her dress. Miss Singapore simply stated that she loves her culture and will defend it. She is quoted as saying, “What is this platform if I can’t use it to send a strong message of resistance against prejudice and violence” [17]. She believes 2021 is the time to make a statement and use our platforms to do just that. We are in a disgraceful time where racism is at its highest. Black, Asian, Palestinian, Jewish, Mexican, Persian, and so many more races are fighting against one another. Prejudice is the new norm. Miss Singapore is showing the world that this is not acceptable, and it is okay to stand your ground and embrace your culture.

When we live in the fashion world as designers and stylists, we tend to envelope ourselves so deep in making nice clothing and accessories that we can forget these pieces have more than one purpose. Fashion shows personality, sends a message, and stands up for what we believe in. Madonna’s deviation, Princess Diana’s confident revenge, Beyonce’s body empowerment, AOC’s bold colors, and VP Harris’ modern business attitude are only the beginning. Women can look good while telling their story. Make fashion that talks.

REFERENCES

[1] https://time.com/104581/jackie-onassis-style-icon/

[2] https://www.insider.com/jackie-kennedy-iconic-outfits-fashion-2018-9

[3] https://dustyoldthing.com/jackie-kennedy-fashion/

[4] https://www.fashion-north.com/2019/11/04/take-inspiration-from-farrah-fawcett-as-70s-fashion-makes-a-comeback/
[5] https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story-charlies-angels-star-farrah-fawcetts-steamy-red/story?id=63051691

[6] https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/80s-style-icons

[7] https://cafemom.com/entertainment/princess-diana-most-outrageous-80s-outfits/Wedding-dress

[8] https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/princess-diana-iconic-style-167179

[9] https://www.collegefashion.net/inspiration/90s-fashion-icons/

[10] https://www.bustle.com/articles/134208-7-jennifer-aniston-90s-fashion-moments-that-defined-the-decade-photos

[11] https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a16702/britney-spears-justin-timberlake-double-denim-instagram/

[12] https://www.collegefashion.net/inspiration/fashion-icons-of-the-2000s/