The Modern Woman (Article)

The Modern Woman BY CAMILLA MINA & PHOEBE VEELENTURF

What’s it like being a woman in 2021?

During the past few weeks, we interviewed 20 different women to uncover words they felt best describe their experience of being a woman in 2021. We discovered two main words: “glamorous” and “comfort”.

Glamorous

Although we have come a long way from the cliché idea of a glamour woman with blonde platinum hair and a Marylin Monroe look, women still perceive themselves as “glamorous”. Our interviews revealed that the definition of glam has evolved, shaped by the rapid social changes of the past years. For instance, the Me Too Movement has completely transformed the recent perception of women.

An important aspect of glam links to luxury brands. For this reason, we also interviewed the participants based on their personal taste, the high street brands they prefer, why they wear these brands, and most importantly, how the brands make them feel.

Women tended to prefer classical brands such as Gucci, Chanel and Dior. The vintage aesthetic of Gucci is reminiscent of the 70’s, with bright and dark beautiful tones of bordeaux and orange, and the unmissable flower patterns… Chanel reminds us of our old but classy grandmothers with their tweed and red nails. We seem to be an incarnation of the dictated preferences and taste of others, with no possible escape to our self image. Most of the interviewees agreed that wearing such brands makes them feel powerful. Being a woman can be difficult, as we are constantly bombarded with images, advertisements and socially accepted norms. As a result, luxury brands become ideal solutions, as it is easier to buy what is accepted by others than to develop our own personal styles and tastes (if it even actually exists).

Comfort

The second word derived from our interviews was Comfort: a word that at first seems opposed to the idea of luxury itself. The women interviewed placed emphasis on clothes that are both comfortable and make them feel confident.

Fashion trends have been shown to reflect the current climate. In the 1980s women dressed the part to gain recognition in the world of business, wearing bold, tailored blazers and shape edged heels to navigate the drastic shift in the participation of women in the workforce. Now, the world is changing in regards to the pandemic experienced universally.

Style preferences for comfort, which have been established during the pandemic, have created a form of “comfort consumerism”. The pandemic has changed the way we dress during lockdowns and working-from-home conditions. We can see mixes of athleisure and high-fashion, fusing style and comfort in recent luxury fashion trends. This trend in luxury fashion can be seen in recent Spring/Summer 2021 runway looks, with classic bar jackets from Christian Dior, which are being restyled as part of comfort wear. With the emergence of a new era of working women, the modern woman wants designs that cater to her home, work, and social life. Is comfort a new branch of luxury fashion?