Throughout history, fashion has been inextricably intertwined with feminism. Both have influenced one another significantly, aiding the progression of the movement to its present stage.
Bloomer dresses (1861)
Originally, American women were required to wear a conventional form of dress, long skirts, which was restrictive and inconvenient for daily activities. Aiming to improve women's lifestyle, the bloomer dress, being less heavy and more comfortable, was popularized and widely worn. Thanks to the effort made by the group of women’s rights activists, especially the advocate Amelia Bloomer (the namesake of the dress), women were liberated from the heavy closet. A great leap was made in feminism as the movement was not only limited to slogans, but also concrete objects and actions that could inspire others and bring changes.
Though the Bloomer dress craze faded out after three years, it marked the beginning of the gradual development of fashion pieces into one of the major assistants in the feminist movement.
Suits (20th century)
During World War II, as American women took up men’s roles – fixing cars, working in factories, and occupying clerical jobs, the social status of American women was drastically improved. Afterwards, when women continued to achieve higher positions in the workplace, they started to opt for more practical uniforms and suits. As suits often gave a professional impression, women were eager to demonstrate their financial independence and intelligence through their clothing.
The colour white (20th century)
In the early twentieth century, white was the color chosen to spearhead the suffragette movement's campaign. The suffragettes shaped the color white in their clothing as a symbol of 'purity' and “cleanliness” to confront their opponents' seeming immorality.
White remains an important color in modern feminist fashion. Hillary Clinton, the first woman as a major party candidate for President, wore a white pantsuit as she accepted the Democratic nomination for President in 2016, while Kamala Harris, the first woman-of-color Vice President-elect, also wore a white pantsuit at her first public appearance as Vice President. The wearing of white represents their current position, as well as all the strides taken by feminists throughout the years.
As the feminist movement continues its growth, fashion remains one of the key components in the movement. While appreciating all that fashion has contributed to feminism, the power of the interlinkage between fashion and feminism should continue to be leveraged in order to achieve true equality in society.
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Writer: Kelly Wong
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