Clothing changes our world. It’s true, we can see it every day. In that blouse that gives us confidence or in that look that breaks all the rules. But it has also often meant a turning point. A before and after that has brought us closer and closer to feeling free. Hop in our time machine and revisit with us 8 fashion milestones that have empowered us since the first International Women’s Day back in 1909.
The colours of the suffragettes. 1911.
The suffragettes made the smartest move by making their colours into fashion. They associated them with their values: green for hope, purple for loyalty and white for purity. They recognised themselves by these, and raided the shops to wear them on hats, pin, belts and dresses. Their colour code may not sound like much, but it was a revolution.
Coco’s trousers. 1918.
“I gave them back their sense of freedom. I gave them real arms and legs” -Coco Chanel.
She ‘stole’ clothes from her lover, Étienne Balsan. This is how she started her promotion for men’s trousers. First by wearing them, then by redesigning them, against a whole society that was totally scandalised. Thank you.
Dietrich’s dinner jacket. 1932.
Marlene was considered a bad influence for women. The Chief of Police in Paris threatened to arrest her for wearing trousers. But nothing could stop her: at the premiere of The Sign of the Cross, she appeared in a dinner jacket and her picture became a worldwide sensation. In the 1960s, Yves Saint Laurent made it iconic.
The hands-free bag. 1955.
Coco was indeed a free spirit and she gave us a lot. With the Chanel 2.55 she did it once again. Her famous quilted bag with its sliding chain strap is not only a beautiful piece. She designed it to be worn across the body or over the shoulder. And so women gained back the freedom to move our hands.
The bikini, a misunderstood. 1962.
It took the unfortunate bikini four tries:
- Réard’s first try, which got it banned in many countries and condemned by the Church in 1946.
- Miss World 51 gave it another chance, as she was crowned in one. But in the face of social pressure, the pageant banned it.
- Brigitte Bardot scandalised the whole of Cannes in 1953 and it became a symbol of women’s liberation.
- Finally in 1962, the memorable Ursula Andress in James Bond made it a success.
The miniskirt, the ultimate liberation. 1966.
Mary Quant did more than uncover knees. She started a sexual revolution in which women finally had a say in our bodies. The introduction of the contraceptive pill certainly helped too, but the miniskirt has gone down in history as the most iconic look of the decade of free love.
The empowerment of the power suit. 1980.
If it is still hard for us to break the glass ceiling, imagine what it used to be like. Back in the 1980s, women finally reached leadership positions. Women, at last, were trained and prepared. Armani found its moment in the career women: a suit jacket adapted to our needs and with shoulder pads, the power suit. A symbol of the conquest of high positions.
The personal look. 8M23.
We can talk about the unisex look or binary clothing. Or lycra and vinyl. But what really marks this moment is the freedom we have gained. One step at a time, we have arrived at this moment in which we can be ourselves more than ever. Individual, personal, special. Without limits. Equality does not seek to make us identical copie. It gives us the power to be who we want to be, while feeling comfortable and proud in our bodies. There is no doubt about it, clothes change the world.
