"The Woman": Feminism and Fashion

As the season changes, so do fashion trends; Elle, Vogue and many other magazines have shifted focus from bikinis to boots. This brought a thought to my mind about something that is supposedly back in style: "The Woman."

"The Woman" is a trend that was conjured up on the runways of Louis Vuitton and Prada in the 1950's and 1960's. Obviously, other designers made clothing for women; however it was those two that were somehow considered to have captured the stereotypical essence of femininity. Both collections displayed subdued hues, midi-length, some sort of hourglass shape and frills. Prada seems to send the message that some ruffles on my boobs will do the trick of enhancing not only my bust but also my view of what it is to be a woman. Louis Vuitton just pushes all that you have (in the chest area) upwards and puts it on display whilst pairing those kind of tops with flared out skirts albeit, sometimes, in leather which makes it more interesting. Another thing that annoys me? The claim by magazines, that have bitten, chewed, and spit out the designer message 'curves are back'. Trouble is, they're masquerading under this slogan because what they really want to say is 'it's okay to have boobs this season'. Designers should dictate fashion and not body shapes.

We all know that the times are hard with the economic downturn and design houses also suffer so they're reverting to old tricks to try and showcase collections that connote better times. However the 50's and 60's had troubles of their own so are the designers really just following the trend set up by Mad Men? I have never seen the show but references in fashion magazines have allowed me to conjure up a pretty solid image of the aesthetic that the show sells: glamour, sex and glorified sexism in the location of an office in the 60's.

I just want to know why in the A/w10 we're still regressing to the past when looking for something feminine. I don't think what that aesthetic of Mad Men presents is practical because times have moved on and I just can't see myself wearing a dress where my boobs are decorated and pushed up with a bit of my midriff also exposed. Maybe I can't comment on 'The Woman' trend because I'm still a girl but my intuition tells me that these collections were produced as a dress up for those looking to emulate some sort of past glamour. I just don't appreciate being told what it means to be a woman (girl) and how one should dress especially if its evocative of an era where a woman had to dress a particular way due to a lack of choice.

Out of all the looks I've seen, Isabel Marant's was the one that actually seemed to represent the modern woman a lot better or at least fits it more with the idea of your own identity. As I flipped between the images, I had this innate inner sense of 'this is what the woman of today looks like'. I realise that all women look differently and still it felt like every piece had a purpose. Marant's designs made me think of someone feminine yet strong. The looks just feel so easy going with great styling. There's no forced sexiness or attempt at modesty that's evident in corset-like garments or cleverly placed ruffles. Marant made clothes for women with comfort in mind without taking away style. I never thought that exposure of the ankle via cropped jeans could be so cool.

I want to live in Isabel Marant's world. I want to be the woman that can choose to either wear a skirt or a dress or a pair of jeans without compromising my feminine side. I want to look effortless and pulled together. I want clothes that represent choice and don't force stale ideas of sexuality upon me. As I said before, maybe at seventeen I am too young to understand 'The Woman' but I know which woman I would like to be.