The Rise of Conservatism in Fashion

 Why the mini skirt falls shorter than its hemline

In a technologically developing world, it’s become difficult to avoid the never-ending cyclone of trends. And with that, the terms and labels promoting them. The trad-wife, trophy-wife, sugar baby and so on. I think within this context, the most surprising to me would have to be the ‘stay at home girlfriend’. A term previously pegged to the wife, now introduced to younger women and girls as an aesthetic. With day in the life videos, glamourising the low difficulty lifestyle of looking after their boyfriend. 

I think it’s safe to say we’re fast approaching a return to a conservative priority within our lives — with women at the epicentre. From having prided ourselves on the awareness we had begun to demonstrate towards advancing women’s freedoms, from flappers in the 20s, to fourth wave feminists. Have we now fallen short? 

If we take our first example of flapper girls in the 20s, characterised by short hair, short skirts, and a shorter tolerance for men. They thrived under the Economic Boom of the decade. However after marriage, many took up more traditional roles within the patriarchal limit, arguably restricting female advancement. 

However not only restricted by marriage, other factors such as the Great Depression caused a direct impact on conservatism within fashion — as Britain saw longer skirts and more modest design choices. 

The skirt length for example, following the “hemline index” which theorises that when economically prosperous, the skirt lengths in a country shorten, but whilst in an economic recession, they lengthen. As one of the nations worst secondly impacted by the Wall Street Crash, Britain turned to more conservative dress. As people had to return to work, now opting for more practical attire. However as a country becomes economically prosperous, people have more disposable income. Therefore having more money to spend, and going out more. Calling for more outfits for more occasions. 

The response to the rise in conservatism in the 30s was partially masked as a glamourisation and romanticism of femininity. Where elegance was marked in longer, more modest silhouettes — promoted by stars such as Jean Harlow. But as femininity was emphasised, so were traditional gender roles.

So if we consider this economic input, can we say that the same is happening now? 

Although we have seen inflation and economic struggle in recent years, we have also seen ownership of wardrobes that quintuple those in the past. As well as a multitude of options to find cheaper clothing of high quality. From charity shops, to second hand online stores — therefore not requiring us to dress as victims of economic depravity. So why do we still do it? 

Perhaps we share the same desire of returning to traditional roles, following the shifted role of women in the 2000s, with changes in fashion and culture reflecting this: again, shorter skirts, bolder hair. The feminist movement has developed at an increasingly rapid rate from the growth of the media. And perhaps we’ve exhausted the options to fashionably show this resistance, instead now settling back into the system many fought so hard to distance themselves from. 

Overall, it is just down to personal preference. Women now in developed countries have the freedom to have control over what they wear: in some cases opting for modest, and in others not. 

I do think think it’s interesting to consider why we’re seeing the idea of conservatism promoted to us more, whether or not everyone is actively engaging in it — enough of us are for it to gain enough traction to turn trend.