Breaking up and Making Up with Women's Fashion
Our tumultuous relationship with women's fashion and trends.
Sandra Ubege
Our clothing has evolved beyond being necessary to protect us from harsh elements, though practicality still matters—fashion is now an art form. Creativity is essential to our lives as humans. We need art. We cherish art. Most importantly, we love art. But when we look at the art form of fashion, we can see that this love has sometimes been unrequited. In particular, we’ve found ourselves in an on-again, off-again relationship with women’s fashion. Here are three trends we want to break up and make up with this year.
BREAK UP: pockets
In the 1970s, Western women's rights campaigns campaigned for broader acceptance of women wearing trousers for everyday wear. Despite decades of progress, true design equality with trousers still eludes us. There is no functionality in women's pockets, and the existence of fake pockets almost seems like a mockery. Beyond being simply absurd, it is also a feminist issue. Being able to carry less meant that women couldn’t travel independently with ease, and therefore they were most likely to be at home or to leave vital materials at home. During the French Revolution, women were banned from having clothes with pockets to prevent them from hiding revolutionary material. A part of the idea behind the lack of pockets design was to avoid the capacity to live as women with freedom and as political dissidents.
And no, carrying a bag isn’t the solution. Why should we be forced to pay for another piece of clothing or accessories to handle the task pockets should already be doing? Handbags can be cumbersome, and when has someone ever found what they’re looking for in a bag immediately? A good, useful pocket would make life much easier, allowing us to continue our busy lives.
2. BREAK UP: crop tops & fast fashion
As I write this, we are in the thick of winter; we want comfy jumpers, yet clothing racks are thick with crop tops instead. It’s tiring, tedious and a damper on the shopping experience when the catalogue has such a limiting variety. There seems to be a vicious cycle of cropping all clothing (the Y2k resurgence has meant the welcome back of the midriff) and not having viable options for differing aesthetics or dress requirements. Sometimes, we’re not always comfortable showing our stomachs, and sometimes it has nothing to do with our comfort at all: we just like full-length tops.
The ubiquitousness of crop tops links to another problem with women’s fashion. This constantly evolving cycle of trends is one perpetuated by fast fashion. Fashion companies race to meet the demands of trends with clothing of poor quality and negative environmental impact lining countless shopping baskets. Shein is the biggest perpetrator of this, a manifestation of all of the worst parts of fashion encapsulated in one brand and yet it was named the most popular brand of the year. People are being more vocal about the fashion industry's negative environmental impact and calling for fashion brands to do more. Though this conversation about sustainability is finally happening, it is hard to remain optimistic that it is not a passing fashion fad but a fundamental shift in the industry. Brands are often guilty of greenwashing when their claims about sustainability are vague, with little or no proof of these assurances being met. Brands like H&M and Zara have been criticised for not providing enough evidence for their sustainability promises. This also affects the creative sphere; what happens when people settle for cheap replacements instead of investing in more timely, better-quality work?
Fast fashion is also a direct threat to the people creating these clothes. The past few years have further illuminated the poor conditions that garment workers are subjected to for disgraceful pay. These poor conditions and pay are why fashion brands can meet the demand for trending clothing at low prices. In 2020, Boohoo was discovered to be using a sweatshop in Leicester, where workers were reportedly paid £3.50 an hour. Most sweatshop produce comes from abroad, meaning their coverage dwindles from the news agenda. Women and children make up the majority of the workforce in sweatshops, facing all sorts of dangers, such as the risk to their health and sexual violence from managers. This exploitation allows us to keep up with inane trends that flutter on our social media feeds. Comfort and stylish clothes shouldn’t come at the expense of human beings.
Simply put, a new generation of consumers makes purchasing decisions based almost wholly on how these clothes are produced. I’m very serious about the comfort and practicality, or lack thereof, in my clothes as a woman. But, it goes without saying that the threat to the health of humanity is the most severe grievance of all from women’s fashion.
3. MAKE UP: fashion week
However, this year, it seems that the fashion industry has endeavoured to be a better partner to its consumers. One of the most significant events of the year, Fashion Week, has been at the crux of it all. This year’s shows have been captivating. The shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic has been shrugged off, and the art of fashion has been able to shine beautifully. Fashion Week has always offered creativity; the looks are more like art than everyday wear. However, with all the restrictions due to COVID-19, designers have celebrated that freedom with so many incredible looks that I know will inspire people everywhere.
The buzz about Fashion Week spread everywhere, not just to those in the industry or interested in it. Each of the shows at three fashion capitals: New York, London, Milan and Paris offered incredible looks and hope for the future of fashion. In London, we saw tributes on the runway to Viviene Westwood, fashion’s greatest rebel. Her husband, Andreas Kronthaler, created a show which included pieces with Westwood’s unique punk style to pay tribute. Cora Corré, Westwood’s granddaughter, closed the show with a gorgeous corseted bridal look. Viviene Westwood’s rebellious spirit is still alive, inspiring many: designers to remember the importance and impact of originality and consumers to love the art of fashion. London Fashion Week also included animal prints made by AI, courtesy of Christopher Kane. Simone Rocha’s tiny ribbons in lieu of eyeliner are now tangled in social media. Fashion is fun, creative and exciting again.
Fashion week also showed more efforts for the fashion industry to be more inclusive. According to Glamour, London Fashion Week has led the way with an increase of 26 plus-sized models from last year. Milan Fashion Week disappoints with only 14 plus-sized models featured on runways. London leading with this number of plus-sized models, bodes very well for the future of fashion this year. It means we’re clearing away the toxic environment of trends that often limit plus-sized models from walking on runways. Body types should not be going out of style. Irish designer Sinéad O’Dwyer went above and beyond by including models of all sizes and races, including a model in a wheelchair. Exclusion is not a trend, and the foundation put up by the fashion industry that supported that is hopefully crumbling.
Speaking of toxic environments, Fashion Week also showed that the fashion industry endeavours to do more to alleviate its negative environmental contribution. Womenswear designer Eudon Choi’s collections used organic cotton and ethically sourced cashmere. London-based brand Anciela, which focuses on Colombian culture, uses recycled fibre jacquards and deadstock textiles. The designs use small-scale production to ensure ethical working conditions and pay. Jewellery and footwear Freya Rose also support ethical pay and conditions for its workers. Her designs are created by a team of expert craftspeople in Indonesia. The conditions of workers in the fashion industry must be sustainable as well as the clothing. In our regular lives, thrifting is growing more and more in popularity. We love having access to an incredible range of styles that do little harm to the environment. It reignites the love of shopping and style for us online shopping numbed.
Beyond the fashion industry, we’re learning to appreciate fashion as an art and a great way to express ourselves. Unfortunately, the industry is still restrictive in many ways, but people are no longer waiting for the elitist few to tell them what’s in or out. We’re learning that our style is timeless. We don’t have to follow the limiting and restrictive nature of trends. Fashion, as an art, is there to inspire, and we have the choice to express ourselves in many different ways. Nothing is perfect; the fashion industry certainly isn’t. The journey for our style is messy and malleable. The industry is strict yet fickle, but our style doesn’t have to subscribe to that mindset.
Fashion’s evolution is enriching and fascinating. As is the case with many creative industries, it lost its way and its meaning as an art form due to the priority being shifted to profit, but Fashion Week has reinspired my love for fashion. The sense of nostalgia felt by everyone was created by how excited we all were for the event and its creativity. Of course, we are thankfully moving forward with a focus on diversity and care for our planet. But my love for fashion is back, and my heart beats for it more and more.
Sandra Ubege is a writer, media studies undergraduate and author of The Musing Notes. She enjoys consuming, critiquing and commenting on culture. She can be found on Twitter and wherever independent magazine shops are.
